Population Control Question

Zach,
Obviously, the ever-increasing population results in higher production (more emissions/pollution), depletion of natural resources, and mass consumption, among other things. What, if any, new methods have been proposed at the conference to hinder the growth (other than the usual government mandate and endorsement of contraceptives)? Any contemporary propositions that are realistic and will result in an extension of our health and the health of our planet? Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,Kelsey McMullen


One method that stands out, for sure, is gender equality. This is becoming a one of the main solutions to our planets over-population problem, and I personally find this to be the solution to many problems facing contemporary society. Educating and empowering women in all societies is of undeniable benefit, but especially so in the third world--the women become educated, and in turn, their children are educated as well, reciprocating the benefit. Also, more educated women have less children, and are more productive members of their society. Raising education levels has been directly linked to stablizing populations. This is a climate solution, a poverty solution, an over-population solution, and a societal productivity solution. (I also think that women have better leadership tendencies. This is kind of a separate argument, but read this Christian Science Monitor article if you're interested. I read it last spring when it was published, and I found the argument to be very intriguing.) This is an approach that has received a fair amount of attention at the conference (at least by the observing, feminist NGO groups who set up booths and distribute literature), but it is really becoming more and more mainstream in America as well. Greg Mortenson, a Nobel laureate from Bozeman, has done a lot of work creating schools for girls in the third world. He wrote a book about his efforts called Three Cups of Tea, and it is a New York Times best-seller. He was also the winner of a Nobel Peace Price.

Do you, as a reader, think that this is a viable strategy in only the third world, or should it be a world-wide effort? Is the leadership tendency argument linked, or was that an irrelevant, unrelated point?