| population growth is accelerating. True, the rate | | | | population growth to affect CO2 emissions, |
| has halved since the historical peak of 2.2% in the | | | | climate change, or global warming. |
| 1960s, but estimates show that by 2050, | | | | What makes growing population a problem for |
| population numbers will be close to 9 billion - | | | | climate change is human habit. In the age of |
| almost 3 billion more than current rates. Increased | | | | industry, in the paradigm of consumption and |
| growth has led to the concept of the mega city; | | | | mass production, carbon emission has become a |
| huge and densely populated urban areas, high in | | | | necessity; the burning of fossil fuels as a cheap |
| CO2 emissions levels because of the vast | | | | and efficient energy source has dominated human |
| concentration of people. There are now more | | | | production since the industrial revolution, and has |
| than 25 mega cities in the world, each harbouring | | | | reigned for 200 years. Under such a system, |
| in excess of 10m people. Compare this to the | | | | population growth is dangerous for world climate |
| early 1800s, in which just 3% of the world's | | | | change and CO2 emissions levels, because the |
| population inhabited cities, and it is easy to see | | | | system dictates that production must rise with |
| why population growth has become an important | | | | population, so that carbon levels, too, must |
| area of study; it is rapid and consuming, and | | | | necessarily rise. Indeed this is evident in the break |
| concepts like the mega city show just how the | | | | down of rising CO2 emissions rates, in which up |
| way in which we live enters new paradigms | | | | to 25% can be attributed to transport modes. |
| according to population levels - now the number | | | | That percentage will rise under the current |
| of people who live cities is closer to 50%. | | | | system as populations rise. |
| What does this mean for concerns over climate | | | | Population growth, then, is not detrimental to the |
| change, global warming, and CO2 emissions? | | | | environment by default, but has a serious effect |
| Technically speaking, population growth does not | | | | because of the system of mass production and |
| have to affect these problems at all; there is no | | | | carbon based energy. To curb that problem, we |
| inherent link between pollution and increased | | | | need a new paradigm and a new system, in which |
| population, nor is there a link between CO2 | | | | either mass production is halted, or carbon based |
| emissions and population growth. Certainly, there is | | | | energy is made obsolete. With the first of those |
| the simple fact that more people means more | | | | options looking at this time an effectual |
| CO2 being released into the atmosphere through | | | | impossibility, we must enter a new paradigm |
| the conversion of oxygen, but this carbon can be | | | | under the protocol of the second option; the |
| encompassed within the existing carbon cycle, | | | | switch from carbon based energy, to renewable |
| meaning that - according to definition - it is not | | | | energy. That way, the rapid growth of populations |
| contributing per say to global warming. With that | | | | across the world need not add to the ever more |
| in mind, it is perfectly possibly to argue that, | | | | serious problems of global warming, CO2 |
| though the link exists, there is no need for | | | | emissions, and climate change. |