China’s one-child-per-family law, enacted in the 1970s, has apparently prevented about 300 million births since that time - roughly equivalent to the entire population of the United States. Now China is making the connection between its reduced birth rate and the environment.

China says that, "… avoiding 300 million births means we averted 1.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2005". Hard to argue with the math. The question is whether China is doing its part in the fight against global warming. Oops, guess they are: "This is only an illustration of the actions we have taken," said Su Wei, a senior Foreign Ministry official.

The environmental benefit of reduced population is real. Spinning that reality as though it were China’s intended contribution to the environment is laughably dishonest in a country where air pollution causes up to 750,000 premature deaths each year.

(submitted by patricia almost)

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