PING!
One of Gordon Brown's leading green advisers is to warn that Britain must reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society. Research suggests that UK population must be cut to 30 million if the country wants to feed itself sustainably.
Population and economic growth is putting the world under terrible pressure. Each person in Britain has more impact on the environment than those in developing countries. Population growth is one of the most politically sensitive environmental problems. The issues including religion, culture and immigration policy, have proved too toxic for most green groups. Humanity was emitting the equivalent of 50 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year and we have to cut this by 80%, and population growth is going to make that much harder. >p>Such views on population have split the green movement. A prominent writer on green issues has criticised population campaigners, arguing that economic growth is a greater threat. Many experts believe that Europeans and Americans have a lopsided impact on the environment, and the world would benefit more from reducing their populations rather than in developing countries.
This is part of the thinking behind the call for Britain to cut population to 30m, roughly what it was in late Victorian times. Britain's population is expected to grow from 61 million now to 71 million by 2031. Some politicians support a reduction. Government and Conservative spokesmen this weekend both distanced themselves from any population policy.Click Here for Why Population Matters