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Gustav's Silver Lining



John Flicker
World Population Day - Slow Population Growth
John Flicker 7/10/2008
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Slower Population Growth Would Benefit People, Birds, and Climate

By John Flicker

July 11, 2008

Like canaries in the coal mine, birds are an important indicator of our planet's health. For thousands of years, they have been one of our most important early warning systems, predicting the change of seasons, the coming of storms, and the rise of toxic levels of pollution in the food chain.

Today, birds are telling us that our climate is changing—and in many places, it may change more quickly than they can adapt, signaling complex ecosystem changes that will have serious consequences for wildlife and humans alike. We know that avoiding the worst consequences of global warming will require bold strategies for reducing our dependence on fossil fuel, expanding renewable energy, and managing our land and forests more thoughtfully. These are commonsense approaches that those of us concerned about the climate crisis have been advocating tirelessly.

But in most discussions of the global warming challenge, the issue of human population growth is conspicuously absent, even though the growth of the human family over the next generation and beyond will be a critical factor in determining the magnitude of the problem and our ability to respond.

The numbers are staggering.
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow from today’s 6.7 billion to somewhere between 7.8 and 10.8 billion, according to demographers at the United Nations. More people will mean more cars and buses, more electricity used, and more pressure on the forests and ecosystems that absorb carbon dioxide. There is no question that addressing global warming over the next 50 years will be easier with slower population growth.

The good news is that we already know how to encourage slower population growth. We can do it through positive and cost-effective programs like providing educational opportunities for girls, expanding economic opportunities for women, and expanding access to effective family planning information and services to the millions of couples around the world who want to plan their families. These are win-win strategies that are desirable in their own right, and will have the added value of relieving pressure on our overtaxed resources.

Historically, the United States was a world leader in supporting voluntary international family planning programs around the world. Unfortunately, U.S. funding for these international programs has declined dramatically, even as the need has increased. Currently, the U.S. trails most of the developed world in supporting family planning.

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