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Phase: Stories Missions: CLIMATE INNOVATIONS

Fewer people, less damage.

With education, family planning campaigns and women empowerement, we can make this essential long term investment.

Photo of Rodrigo Vidal Lázaro
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Climate change, pollution, extinction of species and ecosystem loss are all greatly exacerbated by population growth, and that's something we know how to stop. Why don't we? Back in 1981 we were growing at a rate of 80 million people each year, and today, in spite of all efforts, we are still growing at practically the same pace, which is bad for our planet and therefore bad for the human race. The scientific consensus is clear about this and leaders and policy-makers need to understand it.

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Photo of Justin Lao

This is a good point. But I think it takes time, although some governments have already try to control their birth rate, like China, and the birth rate is really decline, the number of people in the world still very large. I think population will become fewer some day, but not near future.

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Photo of Rodrigo Vidal Lázaro

Hi Justin: We are starring the sixth extinction process and we cannot sit and just wait to see if some day population starts declining. We need to act now. Yes, the contribution of China and some other countries has been great in this matter, but we need to focus on mother nature. She only sees that in 1981 we were growing at 80 million people a year and today, more than three decades later, we are growing at 81 million people a year. But natural resources do not grow. Today the sixth extinction is already coming and there is nothing we can do to reverse that, but we can change how devastating it will be if we acknowledge that population growth exacerbates climate change, pollution, the extinction of species and loss of ecosystems. This is not my idea. This is the global scientific consensus statement which is clearly exposed here (It has been delivered to president Xi): http://consensusforaction.stanford.edu/see-scientific-consensus/consensus_english.pdf

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Photo of Justin Lao

Thanks for sharing this article!

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