The environment needs more people, not fewer
thecgo.org
The environment needs more people, not fewer
So there are fundamentally two mindsets about the future. A pessimistic one where we see the Earth as finite in resources and conclude that we must limit ourselves. And an optimistic one where we see the Earth as finite in time and conclude that we must grow our knowledge towards infinity. The former mindset is not only uninspiring but will ultimat... See more
Albert Wenger • To Infinity and Beyond
The other camp holds that environmentalists’ concerns are exaggerated and unwarranted, and that continued economic and population growth is both possible and desirable.
Jared Diamond • Collapse
Before going any further, though, we have to fully address the common misconception that population is the biggest problem we face. We are already at a stage where the amount of consumption has a larger impact on the potential liveability of the planet than any remaining increase in population does. And, perhaps more importantly, the age of populat
... See morePaul Behrens • The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science
There are still a few regions with very high fertility rates—notably in sub-Saharan Africa—and as a result, living standards are not yet rising at the rates needed to end poverty in those places. The expectation is that with more urbanization and longer years of schooling, especially for girls, fertility rates will decline in those places as well.
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