The hard questions

Recent surveys have shown that Kiwis are becoming more concerned about climate change. As our concern grows, we are also asking more questions. That’s why Stuff, in partnership with the Science Media Centre and The Conversation is setting out to find the right experts to answer your questions on climate change in its Climate: Explained series.

The first Q&A examined an issue that is often overlooked – the potential impacts on our health as the climate warms. The question foremost in my mind doesn’t have a good answer – what do we do about the world’s burgeoning population?

A graph of CO2 emissions and population growth shows the two rise in lockstep, although there’s debate about how they are related. Since 2005, more than 1 billion people have joined the world’s population. The UN estimates there will be 9.8 bofu sin 2050 and 11.2 bin 2100.

Even if we accelerate our move to cleaner energy sources and plant-based diets, we’ll be hardpressed to deal with the impact of all those extra human beings, unless those of us in the West radically curtail our lifestyles.

Canadian scientists recently found that the best thing an individual can do to combat climate change is to have one less child. Doing so would save 58.6 tonnes CO2-equivalent (tCO2e) per year on average for developed countries.

That compares to living car-free (2.4 tCO2e saved per year) and eating a plant-based diet

(0.8 tCO2e). Recycling and using more efficient lightbulbs had a minor impact.

But a conversation about how many kids a couple should have has shades of China’s one-child policy. How is it fair to tell a mother in Malawi that she should have a smaller family because she’ll help curb emissions growth? Are you responsible for the emissions your children will generate? Should parents of small families get a climate subsidy, as those who buy electric cars soon will?

The population question throws up many ethical and philosophical questions. It’s no wonder we’ve largely ignored it in the climate change issue. But if we are going to solve this we need to answer the hard questions.

Throw the experts your curveballs, so we can all better understand what’s at stake and what we need to do. Send questions to climate.change@stuff.co.nz

Should parents of small families get a climate subsidy, as those who buy electric cars soon will?