The Population Debate Revisited - GTI Forum August 2022

By adding up the lifetime emissions of each child and their potential descendants, then dividing that total by the expected lifespan of the parents, with each parent assumed responsible for 50% of the child’s emissions, 25% of each grandchild, and so on, the remarkable conclusion was that having one less child would save the equivalent of 58.6 tonnes of CO2 each year of the parent’s remaining life. [...] The Latin word proles means offspring, and in Ancient Rome the proletariat was the class with no property whose contribution to the Republic was to proliferate many offspring— servants, soldiers, and laborers for the benefit of the patricians. [...] Today, the beauty of the world, which is hardly only “in the eye of the beholder,” but coveted by all races and classes, is being overwhelmed by the pressures of population. [...] In 1987, for example, I wrote the first paper published in The Human Rights Quarterly on what later became known as “women’s rights are human rights,” and have similarly advocated for children’s human rights.1 26 | GTI FORUM CONTRIBUTION Third, consider that women and children are, according to the United Nations, worldwide the mass of the poor and the poorest of the poor, which is often a reason. [...] Internationally known as a systems scientist, conference keynoter, consultant, and attorney working for the human rights of women and children, she is the author of groundbreaking books such as The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future, The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics, and Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future.