Population Controls Will Not Solve Environment Issues

Tight population controls alone won’t make the world a sustainable place in the short term, suggests research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The damage has been done with the population climbing from 1 billion in 1800 to 7 billion now. Projections suggest the world’s population will jump to 12 billion by the end of this century; even with a global one-child policy, the world population would be between 5 billion and 10 billion. The unstoppable “growing numbers mean a greater impact on the environment than ever, with worries about the conversion of forests for agriculture, the rise of urbanisation, the pressure on species, pollution, and climate change,” reports Matt McGrath for BBC News. Rising affluence and consumption rates counter declining impact of fertility rates. Family planning will ease environmental impacts for those of the 22nd century. A combination of family planning and reduced consumption could provide environmental relief for global citizens living in this century. – YaleGlobal