Enough of us now

People from different walks of life, are increasingly aware about the critical situation called ‘climate change.’The change in the weather patterns, unusual medical perils traced to toxic pollutants and natural calamities world over, echoes the ruthless and immeasurable use of our environment. There could be millions of climate refugees, with the number of people soaring very year. The solution must be addressed in the plural, globally. Paul and Anne Ehrlich reports the issue of population growth on the Earth in the article, ‘Enough of us now’ published recently in the New Scientist science journal.

It is evident that the countries that consume resources at a larger rate as well as those with an appalling population census are more likely to be the worst hit by climate change. Paul and Anne Ehrlich points out that “the US with its population of over 300 million and high per capita consumption should be seen as Earth's most over populated nation.” They added that the estimated 2.3 million people in year 2050 will “have to be supported by scarcer, lower-quality resources imposing ever greater environmental costs,” alerting China and India of their population status.

If the number of people escalates over the next couple of years with poor quality of sustainable programs, a proportional death toll would be imperative. This could be an affect of reoccurring natural calamities, pathogenic out breaks or the lack of sufficient food.

Poorly educated women in the society failing to understand the weight of population on the economy and the environment, would beckon for a better fortified and supportive legislative system. The issue must be addressed observantly by the nation’s government assembly, to assure healthy population census.

In India, young rural women who move into cities in hope to find money, end up bearing a dozen children to add to the hands for begging. Little do they realise that they are as many stomachs to feed and shelter. Ehrlich mentions that if there are “opportunities for women to participate in [their] nations’ economies,” half the problem would be solved. In fact the article mentioned, at “the Grameen Bank offered credit to poor people of Bangladesh, especially women,” which “helped reduce birth rates there, simply by boosting grassroots economic development.”

In conclusion, in order to abate the affects of climate change, the industrial and corporate levels should find the need to cater to an environmentally conscious society. The decisions that are collectively made by the people can mitigate the effects of global warming. “Awareness is half the cure,” they say the rest depends on us and our choices. It’s important to leave a minimal, if not zero, carbon footprint before we welcome our future.

Reference: Paul and Anne Ehrlich (2009) “Enough of us now”, New Scientist, 26th Sept 2009. Page number: 36,37