Every day, I see people telling us "the real environmental problem is population growth."
Yes, it does contribute to the pressures on the natural world.
But while the global population is rising by 1% a year, consumption is rising by 3%.
That's the biggest issue.
Yes, it does contribute to the pressures on the natural world.
But while the global population is rising by 1% a year, consumption is rising by 3%.
That's the biggest issue.
It's all too easy for people in rich countries, whose populations are growing slowly or not at all, but whose consumption exerts impossible pressures on the Earth's systems, to point to people in much poorer nations and say "they're the problem."
Yes, population growth is a genuine environmental issue.
No, it is not the pre-eminent issue.
It is often used as a way of displacing blame:
"It's not us consuming, it's Them breeding."
This displacement, I believe, explains why the issue is over-emphasised.
No, it is not the pre-eminent issue.
It is often used as a way of displacing blame:
"It's not us consuming, it's Them breeding."
This displacement, I believe, explains why the issue is over-emphasised.
Incidentally, there are two components to population growth: birth rate and longevity.
In rich nations, where longevity is rising but the birth rate (mostly) is not, almost all the talk is about birth rate, and you seldom hear a word about longevity.
I wonder why.
In rich nations, where longevity is rising but the birth rate (mostly) is not, almost all the talk is about birth rate, and you seldom hear a word about longevity.
I wonder why.
One more thing on population vs consumption:
While few governments want to raise the birth rate (and some seek to reduce it), almost all governments seek to raise the consumption rate. Growth is their overriding aim.
While few governments want to raise the birth rate (and some seek to reduce it), almost all governments seek to raise the consumption rate. Growth is their overriding aim.
