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Historical record of global mean temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. The chart shows that the global mean temperature has increased in proportion to CO2 concentration (the trend being roughly a straight line) and that the warming has accelerated (each 40-year interval has seen a greater increase in both CO2 and temperature than the last). Source: Berkeley Earth 18
Source publication
Climate change is one of the greatest self-inflicted threats that human civilisation has ever faced. An unprecedented global effort is under way to change course to avert catastrophic outcomes – but doubts remain whether enough is being done, and quickly enough. In the flurry of activity and proposals, the role of human population size and growth i...
Context in source publication
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Purpose
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant complication following lower limb arthroplasty (LLA). There is a paucity of evidence with regard to air travel following LLA. Orthopaedic surgeons are often asked by patients regarding air travel following LLA, and there is a need for evidence to guide these patients.
Methods
This was a retrosp...
Citations
... The Ehrlichs have continued to discuss the issue [11,12]. However, apart from a few other environmental scientists (e.g., [13][14][15][16][17]), discussion of population in academia and government has drastically declined in recent years [18]. In this article, we discuss why this topic deserves detailed analysis, especially in regard to issues that block dialogue, and possible ways of moving forward. ...
... However, it is equally wrong to say that population has no place in sustainability discourse. Overpopulation and overconsumption are entwined, and need to be addressed concurrently [17,56]. Ending economic growth without ending population growth would mean perpetually reducing resource use per person [57]. ...
... Few scholars that advocate population action seek to play down the related problem of overconsumption. Indeed, environmental scientists have highlighted this for over four decades, being some of the first scholars to warn about overconsumption, and still do so [17,47,60]. However, many scholars who focus on overconsumption, downplay or ignore the relevance of population growth (e.g., [61,62]). ...
Academia and government often ignore or deny the impact of population growth on the environment. However, key scientific institutions and reports confirm that population growth is a major driver of climate disruption and other environmental crises. We review the environmental science of population growth. Issues that block dialogue are discussed, such as growthism, anthropocentrism, denial, religious and cultural taboos, fear of being called a racist, the issue of rights claims, seeking political power through numbers, the framing of social justice issues, and sophistical claims regarding ‘racism’. We examine examples of denial about population in academia and government. We explore ways forward to gain dialogue, and we also consider success stories. We conclude that population growth, like overconsumption, must be foregrounded to create ecologocally sustainable economies and a sustainable future.
