[Coral-List] Even chickens can help save coral reefs

Peter Sale sale at uwindsor.ca
Mon Mar 30 18:23:09 EDT 2015


Doug and List,
I largely support the sentiments in your comment, but must respond to your 
claim that "We are NOT going to solve the coral reef crisis by reducing 
the population, it is WAY WAY too slow."
Actually, taking serious action to slow and then reverse human population 
growth is a process that could have significant positive effects on time 
scales comparable to those required to transition away from use of fossil 
fuels.  China's population policy, which has been so roundly criticized, 
played a significant role (but was not the sole cause) in a reduction of 
growth rate from 2.8% per annum in 1970 to 0.5% per annum today.  In the 
same time period, India has gone from 2.2% per annum to 1.2% per annum, 
and the USA has gone from 1.2% per annum to 0.7% per annum today (yes, 
higher than China's).  Many nations, including the USA, use immigration 
policy to keep population growth positive, because our economic theory 
demands growth.

Concerted action with the goal of turning global population growth 
negative could be achieved, probably without the "coercive" regulations 
China used, if governments could be convinced that perpetual GDP growth is 
impossible.  Reefs, and a whole lot of other things would certainly 
benefit.

Peter Sale
 

sale at uwindsor.ca                 @PeterSale3
www.uwindsor.ca/sale           www.petersalebooks.com


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