Environmental

Are we getting it wrong?

June 28, 2009

Are we getting it wrong? Almost everything I read today focuses on climate change and global warming and our efforts to control our nett carbon output. But…. I think our focus is in the wrong place! Let me explain. In 1970, the world population was approx 4 billion, today its roughtly 7 billion. Thats nearly a doubling of the population and I believe that population growth is the real problem we need to focus on, global warming is merely a symptom. I have yet to see a single public figure green or otherwise mention this particular engine of global warming, instead we focus on carbon emissions, replacements for oil and coal – anywhere but at the true source of the problem. One of the big difficulties is that any real attempt to control the world population will require drastic changes to the way international co-operation works, never mind the problem of getting organisations like the Catholic Church to promote the idea of birth control. However, the implications of doing nothing are pretty dramatic. Uncontrolled population growth in the natural world usualy results in an abrupt and nasty correction to reset the number back to a sustainable level. We do not have to look at the natural world; The mayan culture of South America existed aroung 2000 bc to 1500 bc. and a number of theories about their dissapearance relates to resource depletion. One theory postulates that extensive forest clearance resulted in an extended drought. The general population took this as a sign that the rulers fell out of favour with the gods and revolted, ending that civilization. Links and background http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/jul24_2/a576 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/4990704/Nobody-listens-to-the-real-climate-change-experts.html http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/roundtables/population-and-climate-change