7/11/2023 Question of the day

[petrea_mitchell]

World Population Day: World Population Day comes along each year to remind us that our present rate of population growth is unsustainable, and the present social and logistical issues we are experiencing to meet the demand of that population will only get worse if we don't do something. What can be done to slow population growth? Can we effectively fight climate change without addressing the global population issue?

World Population Day has maybe not heard about the latest figures where the expected peak of global population is less than 50 years away now.

For slowing population growth, the key appears to be making women feel like they can't both be mothers and still fully participate in adult society. All sorts of countries are throwing all sorts of incentives at people to have more kids, but they only appear to work-- barely-- in countries with high gender equality and no deep attachment to "traditional" families where women can only be housewives.

I've come to think that population size is not a big part of fighting climate change. However many people there are, everyone will have to change some habits if we really want to get back to the climate of the 19th century.