In the essay “Scientists’ warning on population”, Crist et al.

(2022) assert that human

population must first be stabilized with the goal of reducing it eventually. To achieve this end,
several means are proposed: the first one is a global call for individuals to willingly decide to
have none or, at most, one child and the second one concerns policy makers, who should put
into effect policies that would favor the goal of reducing world population. While the proposed
framework conscientiously addresses ecological impacts, it might benefit from a broader
consideration of the multifaceted human factor that extends beyond its current scope.

Firstly, it is proposed to enforce an “equitable framework”, recognizing the disparity of the

demographic trends among the existing states. Acknowledging that there are different starting
points is relevant and necessary to build a just approach, however, if not done mindfully, it
could as well translate into an approach with colonialist undertones. The arguments explained
below will develop this idea in more depth.

A sustainable human population is defined as “one enjoying a modest, equitable middle-class

standard of living on a planet retaining its biodiversity and with climate-related adversities
minimized” (Crist et al., 2022). Nevertheless, it is not clarified what it is to be understood for
middle class. It differs greatly from country to country. Even within the same state a significant
contrast can be observed (Pew Research Center, 2016). Therefore, the question lies in what
standard of living accounts for the one of middle class. There is a stark difference between the
middle class of high-income countries, such as the United States, and a global middle class, for
which all existing states would be considered.

Focusing on the means to achieve the purposes, the global call for individuals to willingly
reduce the number of offsprings to have lacks substantive merit. The text points out that this
trend is already naturally rising among young people, but it is not specified of which country.
This is relevant because the text cited to make this claim, “Eco-reproductive concerns in the
age of climate change” by Schneider-Mayerson and Leong (2020), states that this information
comes from media reports and public polls, yet recognizes that there is a lack of empirical
evidence concerning this phenomenon (Schneider-Mayerson and Leong, 2020). The article
proposes the first empirical study on this, which is a survey of a sample of US-Americans. This
means that the only demonstrated empirical evidence we have for this assertion is secluded to
the youth of the United States. If we search for the Total Fertility Rate, it is still high for many
countries in Africa, such as Niger (6.73), Angola (5.76) or Mali (5.45); the Middle East, with
Gaza Strip (3.34) and Iraq (3.17); and South Asia, for example in Afghanistan (4.53) and Pakistan
(3.39) (The World Factbook, 2023). More thorough research should be done on this field, yet it
is already possible to notice that states that do not fit in the category of developed countries
seem to have a higher Total Fertility Rate. As important as it is tackling climate change, it
should be done within a framework that does not praise developed countries for the social
trends that happen within them in an organic manner, while the pressure is put in less
developed states, specially when the aim is to deal with an issue that began accelerating when
the industrialized world extracted and used for its own consumption and benefit the resources
of less developed countries (Wallace-Wells, 2017) Without the intention of ignoring nor
underestimating the effect of the human factor on climate change, it is necessary to recognize
the role of fertility as much more than that. It can also be a means of resistance against
genocidal violence that we can still observe being perpetrated in the world today. It is also a
manifestation of the right to resist processes of biopower, such as settler colonialism
(Morgensen, 2011).
Adoption is proposed as a desirable choice to satisfy the wishes of those who want a larger
family. This notion does not consider the experience of the adoptee. First and foremost, it is
presented as a solution to please the desires of those who can economically go through the
process of adopting kids. With this, I am not talking about the economic ability of raise a child,
but to the expensive fees that an individual must pay to simply start adoption. Currently, there
is a movement on social media, led by adoptees sharing their experience, who advocate
against it. Alicia Martínez Simancas explains that adoption was a process of constant confusion
and adaptation. She states that adoption is not a recue, but rather a different life than that the
adoptee could have had and should be centered around the needs of the children, not used as
a family-planning tool (Martínez Simancas, 2023). More research should be done regarding this
topic, for this is a critical perspective to take into consideration. It is also worth noting that if
the idea of none or at most one child were to thrive, adoption would only be a temporary
solution to content those who want larger families.

In the document, it is said that “priority should be given to making high-quality family-planning
services available to every woman on the planet” (Crist et al., 2022) and regarding this shared
responsibility with men, the text only mentions education on the option of vasectomy. This
neglects the common nature of such a task for both genders. Men should also be educated
about family-planning and contraceptive methods beyond vasectomy.

Regarding the solutions proposed to pension shortfalls, while they hold some merit, they may
benefit from further substantiation to fully persuade. A less effective pension system has been
an issue for some time now. Savings have been encouraged without much success in solving
the problem, plant-based food choices are not accessible for everyone due to health conditions
that require a specific diet and a higher price of these products. I do agree with the statement
that “countering the threat of funding shortfalls for seniors is a matter of political will” (Crist et
al. 2022) which requires a better allocation of state budget. Nevertheless, the proposal of
moving towards the deceleration of population growth, which would exacerbate the problem,
should come after having found a way to effectively tackle the issue of pensions. Crist et al.
propose the redirection of a part of the military budget to achieve this end. However, it is not
an option with the potential to materialize. The spark of recent violent conflicts, such as the
wars in Ukraine and Gaza, have led to a more realist approach of International Relations, with
the consequent increase of military spending in many countries (SIPRI, 2023).

The essay "Scientists’ warning on population" by Crist et al. (2022) advocates stabilizing and
eventually reducing the human population through individual and policy-driven measures.
While emphasizing ecological impacts of the human factor, the proposed framework lacks a
comprehensive consideration of it. Highlighting the ethical, economical and social implications
of this proposal is necessary in order to improve it and make it a feasible and desirable option.

Literature

Central Intelligence Agency. (2023). Total Fertility Rate. Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison/

Pew Research Center. (May 11, 2016). Median income of middle-class families in the United
States in 2014, by state [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 26, 2023, from https://www-
statista-com.recursos.uloyola.es/statistics/736431/median-middle-class-incomes-by-state/
Martínez Simancas, A (2023). TikTok. Retrieved November 27, 2023, from
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGedhmjgv/.
Morgensen, S. L. (2011). The biopolitics of settler colonialism: Right here, right now.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2201473X.2011.10648801.
SIPRI. (April 24, 2023). Change in military spending in the countries with the highest military
expenditure 2013-2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 27, 2023, from https://www-
statista-com.recursos.uloyola.es/statistics/272494/longterm-changes-in-military-spending-in-
highest-spending-countries/.
Wallace-Wells, D. (2017). The Uninhabitable Earth: Famine, economic collapse, a sun that cooks
us: What climate change could wreak- sooner than you think. New York Magazine, July 9.