Scan barcode
A review by alexgmcm
Too Many People?: Population, Immigration, and the Environmental Crisis by Simon Butler, Ian Angus
5.0
In general, the book is well-written and makes a good argument that overpopulation should not be the focus of the environmental movement.
I read this book coming from the complete opposite view and while I still believe overpopulation is an issue (it is trivial to see we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet) the book did convince me that to focus on it as the principal problem is an oversimplification.
The book points out the large inequalities that exist within societies that mean that average figures can become misleading and that to look at populations without considering their constitution (the wealth, power etc. of the individuals that make them up) is insufficient to arrive at useful, actionable strategies.
It's good that it doesn't hide away from issues of economic and power inequalities which are often glossed over by the liberal environmental movement and is probably a large reason behind it's failure to resonate with much of the population. For example, it's easy to blame people for driving so much - but do they have a choice if they want to get to work on time? Do they have the power to change transportation policies etc.?
I felt the chapters on immigration were a bit unnecessary and felt a bit like a strawman. Mainly because the argument they were arguing against (that immigration causes increased CO2 emissions etc.) seems an obviously weak one. But it seems some people do genuinely argue that despite as the authors point out the clear hypocrisy it implies (assuming that the citizens of Western nations are entitled to emit more pollution than those of developing countries).
I would recommend this book to others.
I read this book coming from the complete opposite view and while I still believe overpopulation is an issue (it is trivial to see we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet) the book did convince me that to focus on it as the principal problem is an oversimplification.
The book points out the large inequalities that exist within societies that mean that average figures can become misleading and that to look at populations without considering their constitution (the wealth, power etc. of the individuals that make them up) is insufficient to arrive at useful, actionable strategies.
It's good that it doesn't hide away from issues of economic and power inequalities which are often glossed over by the liberal environmental movement and is probably a large reason behind it's failure to resonate with much of the population. For example, it's easy to blame people for driving so much - but do they have a choice if they want to get to work on time? Do they have the power to change transportation policies etc.?
I felt the chapters on immigration were a bit unnecessary and felt a bit like a strawman. Mainly because the argument they were arguing against (that immigration causes increased CO2 emissions etc.) seems an obviously weak one. But it seems some people do genuinely argue that despite as the authors point out the clear hypocrisy it implies (assuming that the citizens of Western nations are entitled to emit more pollution than those of developing countries).
I would recommend this book to others.