Part 1: Bibliographic Entry:
“Curb population growth to tackle climate change: now that’s a tough ask”
January 24, 2021, 1.50pm EST
By Michael P. Cameron
Part 2: Terminology/Keywords:
Fertility rates
Population
Dilemma
Climate Change
Economic Growth
CO2
Part 3: Précis:
This article is an informal article on how overpopulation is the biggest factor for climate change. He tackles birth rates, birth reforms like the one in China, and how population rates in countries like New Zealand have been declining. Michael also talks about how certain countries don’t want to slow down their economic growth even though it’s affecting the globe through CO2 and lots of energy being used. Population growth pushes nations to make these changes to their country so they can grow and advance.
Part 4: Reflection:
I agree with the points he made. I feel like he could’ve added more data to his article. His points are factual because you can find them on the internet. I like how he touched on the economic side of climate change as well as CO2. CO2 is a very big concern when it comes to climate change and the way our planet is being treated.
Part 5: Quotables
“He argued that increases in food production improved human wellbeing only temporarily. The population would respond to greater wellbeing by having more children, increasing population growth, and eventually over-running the food supply, leading to famine.”
“The implication of these treatises on the perils of population growth suggest population control is an important measure to limit carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and global climate change.”
“That’s why the only country to have undertaken a (moderately) successful form of population control is China, through the One Child Policy that ran from 1979 to 2015. Over that period, the total fertility rate in China roughly halved.”
“So, if we can get through this century without catastrophic environmental effects, then the population may start to decline as a contributor to climate change.”
I agree in that global warming is a serious issue that needs to be addressed and resolved as soon as possible. At the same time, I feel like it’s gotten to a point where it can’t be resolved entirely, so we should just try to what we can to stop it from getting worse.