In reply: I thank Smith for the opportunity to clarify some scientific points. The science behind climate change is undeniable and was reviewed in February this year. Moreover, “there is a greater than 90 per cent probability that the warming observed since the 1950s is due to human activities”. Therefore, attempts to prevent environmental calamity will not succeed with boundless population growth. In this sense, the more people there are, the worse it is for our earth. In particular, no nation should encourage population growth. I do not argue for compulsory sterilisation. I do argue that we recognise the cost of every extra human being to our overburdened earth.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- School of Women’s and Infants’ Health, University of Western Australia and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, WA.
- 1. Garnaut Climate Change Review. Interim report to the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments of Australia, 2008. http://www.garnautreview.org.au/CA25734E0016A131/pages/reports-and-papers (accessed Feb 2008).
- 2. Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, et al, editors. Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg2.htm (accessed Feb 2008).