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Climate Brief: "Population Decline Will Change the World for the Better" [1]

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Date: 2023-05-14

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Population Decline Will Change the World for the BetterA future with fewer people offers increased opportunity and a healthier environment

China’s population has fallen after decades of sky-high growth. This major shift in the world’s most populous country would be a big deal by itself, but China’s hardly alone in its declining numbers: despite the momentous occasion of the global population surpassing eight billion late last year, the United Nations predicts dozens of countries will have shrinking populations by 2050. This is good news. Considering no other large animal’s population has grown as much, as quickly or as devastatingly for other species as ours, we should all be celebrating population decline.

Declining populations will ease the pressure eight billion people put on the planet. As the population and sustainability director at the Center for Biological Diversity, I’ve seen the devastating effects of our ever-expanding footprint on global ecosystems. But if you listen to economists (and Elon Musk), you might believe falling birthrates mean the sky is falling as fewer babies means fewer workers and consumers driving economic growth.

But there’s more to the story than dollars. Where our current model of endless growth and short-term profits sacrifices vulnerable people and the planet’s future, population decline could help create a future with more opportunity and a healthy, biologically rich world. We’re at a crossroads—and we decide what happens next. We can maintain the economic status quo and continue to pursue infinite growth on a finite planet. Or we can heed the warning signs of a planet pushed to its limits, put the brakes on environmental catastrophe, and choose a different way to define prosperity that’s grounded in equity and a thriving natural world. Read more www.scientificamerican.com/...

Lower fertility rates also typically signal an increase in gender equality. Better-educated women tend to have fewer children, later in life. This slows population growth and helps reduce carbon emissions . And when women are in leadership roles, they’re more likely than men to advance initiatives to fight climate change and protect nature . These outcomes are side effects of policies that are necessary regardless of their impact on population.



global fertility rates have been dropping over the last 70 years. The World Bank reported that by 2020, fertility rates fell 2.3 births per woman, compared to 1963 height of 5.3 births per woman. The UN predicts that the average global fertility rate will continue to decline and will reach to 2.1 by 2050. Feb 8, 2023

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/14/2167870/-Climate-Brief-Population-Decline-Will-Change-the-World-for-the-Better

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