Listen to the podcast.

Population and Global Warming

IN THE UNITED STATES, PER CAPITA EMISSIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE NINETEEN SEVENTY, SO WHY ARE OUR NATIONAL C02 EMISSIONS STILL GROWING?  FIND OUT ON TODAY'S ENVIRONMINUTE.

THA ANSWER, ACCORDING TO FRED MEYERSON, A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, IS POULATION GROWTH.

MEYERSON: WE’RE PRODUCING THE SAME AMOUNT OF EMISSIONS PER PERSON AND WE’RE ADDDING THREE MILLION PEOPLE PER YEAR, SO AS THE POPULATION’S GOING UP BY ONE PERCENT, EMISSIONS ARE GOING UP BY ONE PERCENT.  SO JUST TO TREAD WATER, WE WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE EMISSIONS BY ONE PERCENT PER CAPITA PER YEAR.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE AND IMMIGRATION BOTH AFFECT POPULATION GROWTH.  SO ALTHOUGH THEY CAN BE CONTROVERSIAL AND EMOTIONAL TOPICS, MEYERSON SAYS THEY'RE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER AS WE DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE STRATEGY.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.        

To learn more about population growth and global warming, visit the Population Resource Center.

To see what is being done and what you can do to help, visit U.S. Aid.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org