In an Aug. 17 op-ed on climate change (“There are no positive effects of climate change – especially not in Maine), the writer says there is no upside to pouring millions of tons of carbon into our thin atmosphere, which is all that stands between humans and the black abyss of space. How to avert a terrifying outcome?

A recommendation I rarely see is to address, voluntarily, but urgently, the root cause of climate change: human birthrates and unsustainable consumption of natural resources. It was 1850 before the first 1 billion humans populated the Earth, and less than two centuries later for the current 8 billion. The Industrial Revolution and capitalism, powered by cheap energy and scientific breakthroughs, lifted millions from poverty and provided the wealth that fuels human ingenuity. But the downside is well known: foremost climate change is driven by unbridled demand for goods.

Every newborn adds to the weight of consumption that is literally killing Earth with deforestation, melting ice caps, wildfires, flooding, topsoil loss, migration, animal extinction and war. We are making scant gain in eradication of these consequences of consumption. There is little talk of population reduction. The children of the rich countries consume the most, and those in the poorest countries the least. It is incumbent upon the rich countries to provide aid to the poorest countries’ efforts to address birthrates, and for the rich to sharply reduce their own consumption.

Whatever efforts are currently underway are not enough. The next president and Congress must add human consumption to their urgent “to do” list. But they won’t unless they hear from voters.

Michael Petit
Portland