Condoms Key to Combating Global Warming?

Environment Climate Change Experts: Increased Access to Contraceptives Slows Population Growth in Developing Nations Easing Climate Change

by The Associated Press

Published: Fri, September 18, 2009 - 10:41 am CST

Giving contraceptives to people in developing countries could help fight climate change by slowing population growth, experts said Friday.

More than 200 million women worldwide want contraceptives, but don't have access to them, according to an editorial published in the British medical journal, Lancet. That results in 76 million unintended pregnancies every year.

If those women had access to free condoms or other birth control methods, that could slow rates of population growth, possibly easing the pressure on the environment, the editors say.

"There is now an emerging debate and interest about the links between population dynamics, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and climate change," the commentary says.

In countries with access to condoms and other contraceptives, average family sizes tend to fall significantly within a generation. Until recently, many U.S.-funded health programs did not pay for or encourage condom use in poor countries, even to fight diseases such as AIDS.

The world's population is projected to jump to 9 billion by 2050, with more than 90 percent of that growth coming from developing countries.

It's not the first time lifestyle issues have been tied to the battle against global warming. Climate change experts have previously recommended that people cut their meat intake to slow global warming by reducing the numbers of animals using the world's resources.

The Lancet editorial cited a British report which says family planning is five times cheaper than usual technologies used to fight climate change. According to the report, each $7 spent on basic family planning would slash global carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 ton.

Experts believe that while normal population growth is unlikely to significantly increase global warming that overpopulation in developing countries could lead to increased demand for food and shelter, which could jeopardize the environment as it struggles with global warming.

WKRG.com » News Stream » Environmental

Photo

WKRG.com Related

∞ Home

Discuss this in the forum

Email to a Friend

Printer Friendly

freedomtofascismcom Says:

Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 11:28 am

The problem I have with this is that it took experts to figure this out? Global warming due to man is an outright lie. When I was in 7th grade way back when the dionsaur roamed the Earth, our science teacher said that due to solar cycles we are in a warming trend globally, so in ten thousand years or so we will be in a cooling cycle and the ice will come back. Global warming is an attempt to find a new way to tax you for every coke can you throw away and every tire you buy as a taxable impact fee on carbon. Well folks the whole palnet and everything living on it is carbon based. Tax,tax,tax, the only difference between the tax man and the taxidermist is the taxidermist leaves the skin!

northcountygirl Says:

Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 11:21 am

People act like getting pregnant can be compaired to getting cancer. There are ways to prevent pregnancy, it’s not that hard. ok, ok, lack of education in some countries! So you assume they know how to use a condom? Tie up the tubes when they come in having that 2nd-3rd unwanted baby. Oh thats right, you are taking away their rights to have more unwanted babies.

rmseek1234 Says:

Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 11:10 am

Hmmm-It’s getting hot in here!lol

OMG! This is too funny! How about abstinence? How about watching a calendar-pretty simple math there. I can see it now,in a couple of years, there will be a story about how it is endangering the environment because of all the condoms filling up the landfills. You can give people whatever, they have to be responsible enough to USE it! Duh!