Overpopulation: One Cause Of Global Warming?
Uncontrolled population growth threatens to undermine efforts to save the planet, warns John Feeney, a free lance writer with the BBC. In this week’s Green Room, he calls on the environmental movement to stop running scared of this controversial topic. This is a headline in the BBC news this morning. It’s about time someone pointed out the obvious. They say that most scientists agree that our overpopulation is going to drive us into global disasters of unthinkable consequences. Scientists agree that overpopulation if left unchecked will mean the death of millions of people.
They got one thing right, it is controversial. And yes it is a sensitive area. People don’t talk about it because they feel there is nothing that can be done about it. Birth control has been around for a long time now, and everybody knows what it does. Through education we might be able to lower some numbers, however the planet may be dead by then. What do you think would be a solution to this overpopulation problem?
About the Author: guyp422 is a contributing author for Green Earth Friend. He is also the site admin for Green Earth Friend. He researches and writes on environmental issues including renewable energy, sustainable living and the go green movement.
azuredu | Mar 1, 2009 | Reply
100% agreed. They are rather minimizing the consequences: it will not be “only” millions of deaths!
admin | Mar 1, 2009 | Reply
Hey azuredu your back welcome! Did you do any good?
hillsidedigger | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
The more prosperous countries could be offering their citizens of child bearing age a substantial cash reward for voluntarily undergoing a sterilization procedure which would cost far less than the social programs needed for the support of unplanned babies.
admin | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
In this country you get more money from the government for having more kids.
Bodydetoxguy | Oct 2, 2009 | Reply
the effect of Global Warming these days is even worst. i think every government should pass stricter laws on Carbon Emissions. we should also concentrate more on renewable energy sources and avoid fossil fuels.
ProfBob | Feb 5, 2010 | Reply
“Overpopulation means that we are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than we should, just because more people are doing it and this is related to overconsumption by people in general, especially in the ‘developed’ world.” “But, whether developed or developing, everyone is encouraged to ‘want’ and perceive that they ‘need’ to consume beyond the planet’s ability to provide.” Climate change was cited as the second most-pressing issue, with the need to develop renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels coming in third. Rounding out the top 10 issues on the ESF list are overconsumption, the need for more sustainable practices worldwide, the growing need for energy conservation, the need for humans to see themselves as part of the global ecosystem, overall carbon dioxide emissions, the need to develop ways to produce consumer products from renewable resources, and dwindling fresh water resources. Suggest keeping up the issue at http:overpopulation.org or with the informative free ebook series “In Search of Utopia” at http://andgulliverreturns.info
Bob O'Connor | Apr 11, 2010 | Reply
No politician would dare tackle the ultimate cause of warming–too many people.
According to an article in Science Daily (April 20, 2009), a survey of the faculty at the State University of New York, which has a very strong environmental science department, the planet’s major environmental problem is overpopulation.. Climate change is second. This echoes the theme of the comprehensive and convincing popular free ebook series “And Gulliver Returns” –In Search of Utopia—(http://andgulliverreturns.info) As one professor at SUNY said “With ten million or even a hundred million people on the planet there would be no warming problem.” It is both the technology and the number of people using it that create so many of our planetary problems.
There is no question that China’s one child policy has helped the world and the Chinese economy. But whenever a country attempts to reduce its population it can expect a two or three generation period of problems while deaths reduce to equal births. I hope that China will recognize this fact and keep its own population on the path to reduction–which should begin by 2050. China’s actual fertility rate is not 1.0 per woman, but 1.8–the same as Norway’s.