Originally Posted by
LookingForAJob
And although OldnGrounded suggests policy- and decision-makes are thinking about future challenges, the truth of the matter is that most of them are of an age where they really (probably) are not going to experience the ultimate effects resulting from the last 50 or so years of profligacy by a substantial proportion of the global population.
Very true, but, at least in places where they are more or less responsible to the public, they have constituents who are becoming more aware of the issues every day.
And my last though is that whilst lots of people talk about climate change and reducing single-use plastic waste, to mention just two of the bandwagons of recent years, the reality is that global population growth is the underlying cause of many of today's 'challenges'. I'm not suggesting that if the global population was halved, for example, all the problems would go away, but they would certainly be more manageable and the quality of life that each of us enjoy (assuming that we are privileged enough to be able to sit down at a computer and have this discussion, rather than having to worry about where our next meal or bottle of clean water will come from) would be more sustainable. But that is not a topic that not many people want to talk about......
Yup, there's no question that population is a major factor. In my lifetime, the population of the US, where I live, has more than doubled. The world population has tripled in that period. And all of those people are using more energy and resources per capita than could have been imagined at, say, the end of WWII.
Those who want to dismiss these concerns as paranoia or schemes by "radicals" are fighting a losing battle against a tide that isn't going to be turned.
Young Ms. Thunberg, having made a featured speech to the UN climate summit today, is in the headlines all over the planet. Not only is scorning her as an "autistic teenager" just plain offensive, it suggests a failure to understand how much of the world sees this kid and the issues she is championing.