 |
By John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society
Like canaries in the coal mine, birds are an important indicator
of our planet’s health. For thousands of years, they
have been one of our most important early warning systems,
predicting
the change of seasons, the coming of storms, and the rise of
toxic levels of pollution in the food chain.
Today, birds are telling us that our climate is changing—and
in many places, it may change more quickly than they can adapt,
signaling complex ecosystem changes that will have serious consequences
for wildlife and humans alike. We know that avoiding the worst
consequences of global warming will require bold strategies for
reducing our dependence on fossil fuel, expanding renewable energy,
and managing our land and forests more thoughtfully. These are
commonsense approaches that those of us concerned about the climate
crisis have been advocating tirelessly.
But in most discussions of the global warming challenge, the issue
of human population growth is conspicuously absent, even though
the growth of the human family over the next generation and beyond
will be a critical factor in determining the magnitude of the problem
and our ability to respond.
The numbers are staggering. By 2050, the world’s population
is expected to grow from today’s 6.7 billion to somewhere
between 7.8 and 10.8 billion, according to demographers at the
United Nations. More people will mean more cars and buses, more
electricity used, and more pressure on the forests and ecosystems
that absorb carbon dioxide. There is no question that addressing
global warming over the next 50 years will be easier with slower
population growth.
The good news is that we already know how to encourage slower
population growth. We can do it through positive and cost-effective
programs
like providing educational opportunities for girls, expanding economic
opportunities for women, and expanding access to effective family
planning information and services to the millions of couples around
the world who want to plan their families. These are win-win strategies
that are desirable in their own right, and will have the added
value of relieving pressure on our overtaxed resources.
Historically, the United States was a world leader in supporting
voluntary international family planning programs around the world.
Unfortunately, U.S. funding for these international programs has
declined dramatically, even as the need has increased. Currently,
the U.S. trails most of the developed world in supporting family
planning.
An unfortunate example of this came just two weeks ago, when
President Bush announced that he would once again withhold funding
for the
United Nations Population Fund (as he has done every year for the
last seven years). This agency works in more than 150 countries
to provide reproductive health and family planning services, make
motherhood safer, prevent HIV/AIDS, and promote gender equity.
Each year, the U.S. Congress appropriates funding for the United
Nations Population Fund, but President Bush refuses to release
the funds. Given the important work that this agency does around
the world to slow global population growth and save lives, President
Bush’s announcement appears callous and short-sighted.
July 11, World Population Day, reminds us that there are still
many in the world who don’t have the information and services
that will allow them to determine freely and responsibly the number
and timing of their children. When people can plan their families,
they can plan their lives. They can plan to beat poverty. They
can plan on healthier mothers, healthier children, and a healthier
planet. We have a responsibility to current and future generations
to ensure that all people have the family planning information
and services that many of us take for granted.
If we are going to get serious about addressing the threat of
global warming, our policymakers must do more to craft comprehensive
solutions
that address multiple facets of the problem. Addressing rapid
population growth can also be a part of the solution--for people,
for wildlife,
and for the future of the planet. Comments can be sent to audubonaction@audubon.org
Reprinted with permission from National Audubon Society
- from World Population Day (July 11, 2008), submitted by Alan
Kuper,
NEO’s Population Committee Chair
|
|
