Absolutely.
You're talking about falling birth rates, primarily in developed countries, representing 20% of world population. Developing countries contain 80%, and have the highest carbon pollution growth rates AND high birth rates. India passed 1 billion in 2000 and may hit 1.8 billion by 2050. Their impact on the planet will be staggering.
Train Wreck Ahead: Global Warming and Overpopulation
http://www.rockridgenation.org/blog/archive/2007/03/22/train-wreck-ahead-global-warming-and-overpopulation
The earth is heading towards an unsustainable point of no return in the growth of world population. The population is expected to increase from its current 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050, with some estimates predicting up to 12 billion. If we fail to act on both overpopulation and global warming, the outlook for humanity is bleak. There are, simply, not enough resources to keep the burgeoning population alive and healthy, not to mention jobs, housing, and health care for everyone. A recent article in the Observer by Juliette Jowit, notes that while there is much attention being paid to various policy ideas seeking to address the crisis of global warming, the focus is only on the emissions generated, not how they are generated. She notes that “All the standby buttons and low-energy light bulbs are dwarfed by the pressure of a global population rising by the equivalent of Britain every year.” In other words, despite advances in “green” technologies, increased usage of renewable energies, and changes in lifestyle, if the world population rises to the projected 9.2 billion, each person would have to slash their emissions by 72% to meet a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050, as the recent Climate Change Bill in the UK sets as its goal. This is clearly unattainable.
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Population Growth and the Environment.
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Environment_380/Population_Growth_and_the_Environment.shtml
"The rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, but the number of people living on Earth, and sharing finite resources has topped out at over 6.6 billion today. Human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Many if not all of the environmental problems are either caused or exacerbated by population growth.
Trends such as the loss of the planet's forests, the depletion of fisheries, and the alteration of atmosphere and climate are related to the fact that human population expanded from millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today. Population growth is behind the clearing of 80% of rainforests, the loss of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and the development of about half of the Earth's land surface. Half of the world's population will be exposed to water-scarce conditions and difficulties in meeting…consumption levels.
In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions encourage women to have babies, and lead to rapid population growth. The result is an increasing number of poor people suffering from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding and inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases.
While population numbers in developed nations are leveling off or diminishing, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. As more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the U.S., they want to emulate the consumption-heavy lifestyles."
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India Heading for 2 Billion Population.
http://www.prb.org/pdf07/FuturePopulationofIndia.pdf
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Bob -
It appears you misunderstood the question (the children themselves are not the carbon, LOL). Or are you truly arguing that each person added to the planet does not add to the greenhouse gas, black carbon, deforestation and other global warming impacts? I would be very surprised (since that argument seems totally illogical, I would not expect it from you). At somewhere between 1 and 6 billion people we passed the planet's ability to absorb our impact in natural sinks such as forests and the ocean.
We've overshot that limit, so we have 1000 years of elevated carbon levels to look forward to:
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Carbon_Dioxide_Residence_Time_png
We don't know at what higher levels temperatures will stabilize, so we have no evidence whatsoever that carbon reductions alone will be adequate to stop warming and carry even 3 billion humans forward successfully. Plans to slow carbon emission growth aren't even being discussed for China and India. You're willing to take a blind stab in the dark regarding future carrying capacity because... of what? Even if our chances of failure are only 10%, would you put a ten chamber gun with one bullet in it to a family member's head? 100 chambers? 1000 chambers? (Ex-spouses don't count!)
No, we can't afford to take the huge risk of population growth, and its guaranteed result of increased warming.
Some people may suffer cognitive dissonance on this portion of the topic due to some religious dogma that they subscribe to, but increasing global population is not a safe or rational move.
Amy L -
Do tell... how is China's one child policy affecting their economy? It seems to be making them the country with the fastest-growing affluence on the planet.