General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Personally I think China's 1 Child Policy to be socially responsible policy [View all]etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)The US birthrate is below replacement levels and declining.
The crass consumption by developed nations is a far greater problem than our birthrates. A family of three (two parents and one child) living in the US consumes a far larger percent of resources than a significantly larger family living in emerging nations.
Pointing to families (especially infamous families) with large amounts of children in the US is not statistically or realistically significant, as they are simply aberrations.
Highest rates of population growth are in "non-white" regions, as the poster I responded to indicates.
The greatest factor in reducing birthrates is to educate and empower women and to provided adequate health care. This appears to be the most significant factor in birthrates.
Cutting global birthrates (I believe through the empowerment of women) is a good idea and will help in the reduction of over consumption of the earths resources. A much larger impact can only be realized by dramatics cuts in consumption by the worlds wealthier nations.