The Economist (October 21)
2011/ 10/ 23 by jd in Global News
By the end of October, the world’s population will reach 7 billion, just 12 years after hitting 6 billion in 1999. Would policies supporting slower population growth help solve pressing environmental problems? Probably not. “The populations that are rising fastest contribute very little to climate change. The poorest half of the world produces 7% of carbon emissions. The richest 7% produces half the carbon. So the problem lies in countries like China, America and Europe, which all have stable populations. Moderating fertility in Africa might boost the economy or help stressed local environments. But it would not solve global problems.”
Tags: 7 billion, Emissions, Environment, Growth, Population
