To the editor,
I read with interest the “Our Mother Earth” column headlined “Carbon Neutrality” in the March 18 issue of The Message. The article mentions the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Unfortunately, some ecologists have advocated for reduction of the population in seeking to reduce the carbon footprint. Suggestions are being made for childless families. Population control is a very serious matter that may come in opposition to God’s design for human flourishing (see Genesis 1:28, 9:1).
The science of human respiration involves breathing in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is reasoned that the greater the population, the greater the production of carbon dioxide. It has also been argued that a larger population increases the need for consumption of goods, causing more “carbon trash.”
Although carbon neutrality is desirable, care must be taken to recognize that some are using this argument to push for population control. As noted by this column, carbon neutrality is not a simple subject. Achieving carbon neutrality will require a lot of ingenuity. We should work to assure that methods developed for caring for our environment do not interfere with God’s plan for mankind.
Peter Rosario, M.D.
President of Southwestern Indiana
Guild of the Catholic Medical Association