Climate explained: how growth in population and consumption drives planetary change

The growth of the human population over the last 70 years has exploded from 2 billion to nearly 8 billion, with a compounding net growth of over 30,000 per day. We all breathe out carbon dioxide with every breath. That equates to about 140 billion CO₂ breaths every minute. Isn’t it logical that atmospheric carbon will continue to increase with the birth rate regardless of what we do about fossil fuel reduction?

Rapid population growth and increased consumption are
now seen as the main drivers of environmental changes.

This question touches on the core of our impact on planetary change. It highlights the exponential growth in the human population, but also homes in on the potential direct input of carbon dioxide from humans, through respiration. 

As I explain in more detail below, our breathing does not contribute to the net accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But population growth, combined with an increase in consumption, is now seen as the main driver of change in the Earth system. 

Read the story from The Conversation by the Professor of Geology, from the Auckland University of Technology, Michael Petterson  - “Climate explained: how growth in population and consumption drives planetary change.”