Concern about overpopulation is a red herring; consumption's the problem

Population stability or decline is not an environmental panacea if it is accompanied by continued growth in consumption

More than half the world's population now lives in countries where the fertility rate – the average number of babies born per woman – is below the replacement level (around 2.1).

This seems good news for anyone concerned about the environment. A finite planet obviously cannot sustain limitless population growth, and many environmentalists make the case that even the current population, 7.2 billion, exceeds the planet's ecological carrying capacity. If birth rates continue to fall, we might realise the UN's "low" projection of a population peak of around 8.3 billion mid-century, declining back to today's population by 2100. (LEIA O TEXTO COMPLETO)

Fonte: The Guardian, 28/03/2014

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