Contraception to combat climate change

Contraception is to be provided by consumers in the developed world to poorer countries in an attempt to curb the rapidly growing global population and combat climate change.

By Chris IrvinePublished: 1:26PM GMT 03 Dec 2009

The Optimum Population Trust, backed by Sir David Attenborough, believes that contraception is the cheapest means of preventing climate change, arguing that every £4 spent on family planning over the next four decades would reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by more than a tonne. Comparatively it would cost £8 for tree planting, £15 for wind power, £31 for solar power or £56 for hybrid vehicle technology before a tonne was saved, according to a cost-benefit analysis done for the group.
The group, also backed by Sir Crispin Tickell, the former diplomat, and environmental campaigners Jonathon Porritt and James Lovelock, believes that 80 million pregnancies each year are unwanted, and the use of contraception would help cut this figure. It is offering people donate through their website, www.popoffsets.com in an attempt to offset their carbon footprint.
Roger Martin, the trust director said the birth control scheme, called PopOffset, "offers a practical and sensible response."
“It has been acknowledged for many years the current level of human population growth is unsustainable and places acute pressure on global resources," he said. "Human activity is exacerbating global warming, and higher population levels inevitably mean higher emissions and more climate change victims.”
The trust claims that in order to reduce carbon dioxide by 34 gigatons, roughly what the world emits in a year, the family planning scheme would cost about $220 billion, but low carbon technologies would cost more than $1 trillion. They say that by cutting the projected global population by 500 million in 2050, they could achieve this goal. The world's population is currently 6.8 billion but is expected to peak at about nine billion by 2050.
"The current level of human population growth is unsustainable and places acute pressure on global resources. Human activity is exacerbating global warming, and higher population levels inevitably mean higher emissions and more climate change victims," said Mr Martin.