Today Paul Graham has tweeted about coal consumption of the world from 2000, it paints a good picture where to look if you are focused on green house gases.
150 years ago, there are billion of us. Now we are 7 billion going up to 9 billion.. 150 years from now, if we are going to be a billion.. I am fine with it.
I am not an environmentalist -- I am more commenting on the uncommon time we are living.
We shot up from 1 Billion to 7 billion in span of 150 years, and reversion to mean can happen, it is happening as lowering sperm count, and falling birth rates, climate change, global pandemics, war etc.
Read my comment as glass 1/7th full, at least there is some water left.
edit: As far as coal consumption from year 2000 goes, China has built massive coal consumption capacity and if China does not sign up to any of those Climate Change agreement, the rest is inconsequential since they are the workshop of the world now. You can tinker energy policy in US and Europe, but that means nothing if China is not on board.
Why is it okay to have less people? We have serious long term problems to solve aside form climate change, like how to become an interplanetary species and how to cure cancer. More people means (can mean) more brainpower working on things that benefit us all.
150 years ago, there are billion of us. Now we are 7 billion going up to 9 billion.. 150 years from now, if we are going to be a billion.. I am fine with it.