Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21^st century. As the international community gears up for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, the reproductive health and rights community is starting to look closely at the links between RH and climate change. One area that seems to be gaining the most traction is the idea that family planning could have an enormous impact on reducing many environmental issues. Get familiar with the issues by reading some recent articles on the topic:

“Sexual and reproductive health and climate change,” The Lancet

Countries in the developing world least responsible for the growing emissions are likely to experience the heaviest impact of climate change, with women bearing the greatest toll. In tandem with other factors, rapid population growth in these regions increases the scale of vulnerability to the consequences of climate change, for example, food and water scarcity, environmental degradation, and human displacement…

“Contraception fights global warming,” by Frances Kissling

Recent research has demonstrated that among the many strategies that need to be brought to bear to reduce global warming, one of the most humane and cost-effective would be meeting the global need for contraception. Two hundred million women worldwide are without it as they try to prevent becoming pregnant…

“Contraception is ‘Greenest Technology”

Contraception is almost five times cheaper than conventional green technologies as a means of combating climate change, according to research published today (Wednesday, September 9)…

“Factoring People Into Climate Change,” By Barbara Crossette

Governments, which dominate these huge confabs, and the people who work independently in the field, down at village level, disagree sharply on the perils of omitting women and their reproductive choices when the future of the earth is at stake…

And, make sure you read Population Action International’s fact sheet on “The Importance of Population for Climate Change Challenges and Solutions.”

One thing that seems especially important when discussing family planning and climate change is the need to focus on a voluntary and rights-based approach. We can’t boil this issue down to “more people, more climate change.” The issue is so much more nuanced and complex. But, there is clearly a link, and this should be explored further by both communities. What do you think about RH and climate change?

Flickr Photo by suburbanbloke