This debate is now closed.
Do children contribute to climate change?
A new report by the United Nations Population Fund suggests that having fewer children could help combat climate change.
The UN says if women are empowered to take control of their reproductive health they may choose to have fewer children, reducing pressure on resources and the environment in the long run.
But many Africans believe large families are a form of insurance on continent where one in every six children dies before the age of five, according to UNICEF.
Would you have fewer children if you felt it would save the environment? What if you only had daughters? Does it make you less of a man or woman to have a small family? Should Africa, like China, have a one-child policy?
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Published:
Tuesday, 17 November, 2009, 09:58 GMT
09:58 UK
All comments as they come in
Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 17:27 GMT
17:27 UK
given the economic situation in africa,it is true having many children has a negative impact on climate.one man one child policy could easie on man's activities on the natural enviroment in search for food for his family.eg man with ten children would need to dig a large piece of land some times with poor methods of farming.
debo fred, arua,uganda
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 17:23 GMT
17:23 UK
Africa should never adopt china one child policy since it doesn`t work. Approximately 35.9% of China's population is currently subject to the one-child restriction. There are numerous reported abuses by in its enforcement include bribery, coercion, forced sterilization, forced abortion and infanticide coming from rural areas. These are documented by human right watch, amnesty international, the UK, USA parliaments committee reports.
Mohamed Hussein, London, United Kingdom
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 17:16 GMT
17:16 UK
Someone has at last realised what we all knew - global cooling has little to do with taxing motorists and everything to do with overpopulation.
And don't blame Africa when you're sending aid every day so that they can feed more children.
Teach and provide contraception with sterilisation compulsory after 4 kids - everywhere!
[chiptheduck], England, a suburb of Brussels
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 17:01 GMT
17:01 UK
Of all the 5 continents, Africa is least populated.Nigeria the most polulated in Africa has 140 mio,while Egypt and south Africa has each 40 mio,China and India in Asia each has Billion population.Africas nations with population under 20 mio which most are ,lack human factor to combine with other factors for effective production.Europe,Asia and America should be sterilised for climate change,when Lybia,Gabon, Angola and almost all others should go on fertility drug for more children
Sunny Ekwenugo, Berlin
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 16:52 GMT
16:52 UK
If and only if Africa was managed properly and developed rapidly with caution to the environment, it can support three times the current population. Consider China and India whose land mass and resources are meager and yet the population is much higher than Africa.
The key to life is quality not necessarily quantity. To make that happen Africa should focus both on managed child birth and consistent economic growth along side proper infrastructure and governance.
Gedion, NC
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 16:46 GMT
16:46 UK
...Try living in the UK with 60 odd million people crammed into an area the size of a large game park..
Winston Smith, Edinburgh
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I am sorry Mr Smith, but Britain is not crammed at all. For instance, Scotland is sparsely populated.
Chimaoge Okezue, London, UK/Onitsha City, Nigeria
I just asked a friend why Scotland is sparsely populated, he thinks most Scots like him have left UK on refugee status to elsewhere to escape from refugees from elsewhere.
Gedion, NC
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 16:35 GMT
16:35 UK
This can easily be sorted. As those complaining about too many people on the earth will be more than happy to sign up and push their family to sign up for the army. Then they can go to war with the taliban and maybe die. Then maybe send them into more wars and cut the world population more.
The rest of us in the real world will watch the climate change as it naturally does, but with less people around the unemployment crisis will be fixed too!
wayne, lancashire
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 16:19 GMT
16:19 UK
It isn't a question of how many humans you can fit per square mile, it's a question of how much there is in terms of resources… - Woo Hoo, Europe Added: Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 14:46 GMT 14:46 UK
Africa has enough resources to support itself & other continents. Even the diamonds in her Majesty’s crown may have come from Africa. Africa’s resources are being exploited by others and its people are not receiving a fair share. As for consumption, Africans are at the bottom of the list.
Ade
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:57 GMT
15:57 UK
Africans should decide the number of children to have.
Chimaoge Okezue, London, UK/Onitsha City, Nigeria
Yes - and Africa should provide for them! But they don't.
Let's leave the EU now, Censored not Moderated
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:36 GMT
15:36 UK
Fair trade NOT birth control! Western countries are giving incentives to their citizens to have more children. Does it make sense to say climate change will be addressed through population control in Africa? World poverty can be addressed by linking areas of deficit with areas of surplus. Remember David's story about 7 lean years & 7 years of plenty? US borrowing from China during the financial crisis? Africa needs human capital to develop. Let's borrow for development & not mere consumption.
John Musonda, Ndola, Zambia
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:33 GMT
15:33 UK
People are becoming to selfish to invest in the raising of children so if society is left to their own devices no children will be born.
Nighthawking
[nighthawking], peebles, United Kingdom
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:32 GMT
15:32 UK
Never wory about the environment and number of babies. many western contries' populations are aging.africa will in the next 30 or 40 years make more money by exporting young and robust labour to these countries. the returns these young people will send back home will help relatives who will remain behind. you see nature has a way of balancing up itself: in europe they are aging, in africa their is an abundance of children. so go on africa multiply and fill the earth!!!
OBI, lLUSAKA
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:27 GMT
15:27 UK
I am encouraged by this crackpot mantra emminating from a UN left wing committee.We need more of this lunacy so regular folks can see climate change politics for what it is.
Ian Harrison
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:25 GMT
15:25 UK
"The answer to your question is yes. Children contribute to climate change by breathing, by consuming and by farting."
Wise Words
Wise words indeed. Perhaps we should feed these kids Pepto Bismol to prevent indigestion, will that save the planet?
Khan, UK
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Added:
Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 15:24 GMT
15:24 UK
If you want women to take control of their reproductive organs then teach men not to rape, murder, maim and physically control weaker women. Men take advantage of women through shear strength so educate men to be better human beings.
clamdip lobster claws, United States
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DEBATE STATUS
Total comments: 142
Published comments: 117
Rejected comments: 25
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