> the reduction of our population

What a dangerous idea.

Besides, it's not the issue of absolute population: it's emissions per capita that we should care about.

We could be doing a lot better per capita in these dimensions: - plastics & packaging, - energy use, - military pollution, - advertising & marketing bullshit, - bullshit products manufacturing

There's a lot of inefficiency in current economy, which is supported by industrial consent manufacturing.

The atmosphere doesn't care how much or little we emit per capita. Total emissions is what should worry us.

You do realize that total emissions are a function of emissions per capita, yes?

The reason we care about emissions is due to their effect on the atmosphere, of which there is one.

We don't get a free pass to emit more as our population increases. The atmosphere doesn't magically adjust. The effect of emissions on the climate is invariant of our population, and we need to act accordingly.

This environmental journalist has a better grasp on the argument: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/26/1635652...

Population follows production which is a result of technology and progress which is intrinsically linked with capitalism. Take away the population and consumption will still not decrease (as those left over will simply consume more) and neither will the pollution it produces. It's just an easy out to say hey if we could just get those other people to stop producing more people we'd be set though we know that's not really true. They don't consume nor produce nearly as much pollution, money, or technology as your average developed world person.

That being said yes we need to drastically reduce the population, but that really can't be done and will have to happen itself by appealing to the vanity and self-interest of people once they are integrated into the logic of the modern religion. Though as I said that still will not solve the problem. But hey at least there will be fewer people.

And if you think that this is not true, that development leads to declining population then why are all the rich countries still growing through immigration? Their local population has stopped reproducing due to logic of the markets and self-interest and narcissism sure but they continue to grow and if they stop growing everyone talks of it as if it's a horrible thing.