You bring into focus so many of the subtle points which have eluded me all these years. You have trespassed upon my blissful ignorance regarding global warming. I'm sure Al Gore would praise your insight as well, if he could only find his way out of his palatial estate.

Just wait. The way things are going, banning sodas and musing about overpopulation's effect on Global Warming will be heard soon enough.

Trees cause Global Warming? Just Damn!

Actually, trees suck up CO2, so they don't cause global warming...belches and farts do, though...and just plain breathing.

This blog post leaves me breathless!

Over population is the cause of so many of the world's problems right now. If we had half the people in the world that we currently have, we'd need half the resources, use half the water, cut down half the trees, drive half the cars, etc. It is a clear cut solution. We'd also have half the consumers, so many businesses and manufacturers do not want less people. Because less people in the world equals less consumers equals less money/profits. It is unfortunate, but that is why we are not addressing one of the most critical problems today.

Hey, why stop at half? Let's cut the population by 90% at least. A few well-place biological plagues should do it. Who needs those third-world countries anyway? We could let Africa and South America go entirely. Hell, humans are just a virus on old Gaia. What's the loss of a few billion human lives when their's so much consuming going on? Whaddya say? Are you with me on this???

Actuallly,though, I think we would do much better by letting the follks of the U.S. go...? Are you with me on this??? After all, it's the citizens of the U.S. who are the REALLY BIG CONSUMERS of Gaia - eating up 40% of all that's produced on the planet every year! What do you mean virus, by the way? I think we're talking about cancer cells in this case, don't you? (Greetings from Norway)
Seriously, though, overpopulation is the real issue, I believe, posing an imminent threat to life on earth as we know it!

a person dies every 11 seconds because of aids! a child dies every 3 seconds because of poverty, un believable!

Britain's Environmental agency has suggested that switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet could have a significant impact on global warming. According to a Reuters report "Cattle and sheep release millions of tonnes of methane gas a year into the environment through flatulence. In New Zealand, for example the 55 million farm animals produce some 90 percent of the country's methane emissions."
Methane is more than 20x more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2.

Birth rates in developed countries typically drop to replacement rate or less. The most humane way to reduce the earth's population growth is to improve the economic lot of women in the third world. This is going on right now, though maybe at too slow a pace. The last estimate I saw stated that if current trends continue the earth's population will peak at about 9.5 Billion sometime in the middle of this century.

Over population:

If we are to look at all the causes of over population we'd need a new website. But trees are only a small portion of this mess. Let's say that right now in America, there is 2 billion people. If we are to look at all trees that we cut down so that we have resources that we need to supply for everybody, that is a ton of it. If we used our resources for physical purposes we are hurting not just the people of the country but they people of the whole earth, because we are cutting fresh breath away. If we can't use our sources and reproduce/ plant new ones then what is the point. We might as well just kill ourselves before that. Over population also will lead to famine, cut our fresh air source, increase the amount of Co2 in the air and the atmosphere will be destroyed. Sure our country is the land of the free, but it can't be like for everyone. Sure we want it, but is making someone's life free more important than saving our own?

"Fortunately for us, the insidious, poisonous, EVIL CO2 is like oxygen to plants." What do you mean, evil? CO2 makes our atmosphere balance, without it we can't live in this world. So you called it evil? What a joke.

This is a joke, mass genocide? that's got to be the worse idea i've ever heard...

.. though.. we dont really need americans.

but we dont really need to get rid of 90% do we!? how would u feel if you were part of the 90% being killed off..?

yup i very agree with u all..but my teacher did not agree with overpopulation will cause the global warming...she always said cause from greenhosue gases..and i already said who create the greenhouse gases?who use the cars,who create the factories,who use the mobile phone,who did the deforestation?HUMAN!!if human increase the activities will increase too..

but she said my proposal didnt make sense...and mayb i will fail...T_T

Gibson, your teacher is an idiot. Your proposition makes obvious sense. The mor epeople there are breathing, driving, buying manufactured products, etc., the more global warming will increase.

It is incredible how people dehumanize each other, overpopulation, this is a real joke. The state of Texas alone would be enough to fit all of the world population with 1000 square feet to each person.

It is sad to see the mindset of some.

Hey Bob - that's a great idea if we corral all of America into Texas then they will all end up shooting each other and shagging their sisters to death anyway...

Get rid of all Americans and the planet will be 25% to 40% better off in terms of pollution, natural resource depletion and just generally less fat people.

I know it is not an easy decision to make but someone has to make it for the good of the planet (Ok once they have started it will be easy for them to justify exterminating the French - but again this is what they call collateral damage - hell I don't think I am alone when I say that I would be up for nuke-ing the French even if we were not facing a population crisis)