What Policy Options Are Available to Ensure Sustainable Scale for the Human Populations?
The above scenarios indicate that a stable population of approximately 2 billion people, with a per capita consumption level of approximately 6 bioproductive hectares is feasible within the current century. What policy options could bring us to some such sustainable population-consumption combination? Enhancing Current Approaches The emphasis on voluntary measures in the currently dominant approach could be enhanced. This could be done in a variety of ways, such as: International agreements on overall (and perhaps regional or national population-consumption targets) International public education campaigns to highlight the relationship between population and consumption and the need for a sustainable total. Such campaigns would emphasize the need for reduced consumption in overdeveloped countries and encourage assistance to those nations currently below the “equal earth share.” Include in the international public education campaign an emphasis on collective rights over individual right
