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To combat global warming, what is needed above all is to halt and, as soon as possible reverse, the growth of both U.S. and world population. In his excellent article "Rising carbon emissions call for a population policy" Prof. Meyerson shows that per capita carbon emissions have been steady for the last several decades and that rising emissions are therefore due almost entirely to population growth, not to per capita consumption.

As Prof. Meyerson points out, per capita carbon emissions are likely to rise in the near future for two reasons: First, in many developing countries economic growth is resulting in increased energy consumption per capita. Second, as world oil and gas production peaks and then declines, the resulting energy shortage will be compensated for by increased use of coal (while it lasts) which, when burned, releases more carbon than oil and gas.

To have any hope of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a safe level, we need a far smaller U.S. and world population. It follows that our rate of population growth should be negative until our population can be stabilized at a sustainable level, far lower than today's.