http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/15/consumption-versus-population-environmental-impact
This was spotted by Chris Cotton in the Guardian - an interesting contribution to what is one of the most serious and controversial issues for Greens ( and anyone else, serious about the future)
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3 comments:
A good article that, Nick. But beware, mention of consumption will bring scare stories from the LibDems about the Greens insisting on hair shirts for everyone - and just mentioning population will revive those LibDem stories about cameras in bedrooms!
I've just added your blog to my links list....
George Monbiot also thinks that population growth is only part of the ecological problem - around 1/3, with the remainder due to increasing consumption.
By this logic he argues that ‘cutting consumption is more important than limiting population’. He writes: "Well I can't help noticing that at least nine out of ten of them are post-reproductive, middle-class white men. They come from a group which is, in other words, more responsible for environmental destruction than any other class in history. Their consumption of just about every known resource outweighs that of most of the world's people put together. There's just one major issue for which they aren't to blame: current increases in population. And – wouldya believe it? – this is the one they want to talk about."
On that reasoning we shouldn’t worry about child labour either.
Many developing countries have, without coercion, reduced their fertility rate by better schooling and contraception.
Grain prices are rocketing. How will another 3 billion be fed and housed? It is surely common sense that stabilising or reducing population would ameliorate almost all environmental impacts? This is a sensitive issue and population reduction is only a part of the answer.
In the UK, immigration is the main driver for population growth. It is Government economic policies which result in for example the NHS and agriculture relying on migrants. I welcome these migrants contributions, but we need policies to reduce the causes of migration: not just today, but also the forecast mass migration caused by environmental degradation from our CO2 emissions.
Of course reducing consumption is the key. We need to create an economy that gives access to things we all need, like warm homes, healthy food and creative rewarding work without the ever increasing overuse of resources. An economy that meets human need and not the greed of a few.
Interesting points, thanks Pete & Philip!
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