To the Editor: The relationship between population, climate warming and environmental impact has been little discussed in the Australian medical media and often ignored in the wider Australian media. All doctors should have a good working knowledge of the science of climate change and its correlation with increased human activity. Six billion humans (circa 2000 ad) have a greater environmental impact than one billion humans (circa 1800 ad), and this increase correlates with deterioration in nature’s “free goods”, such as clean air and water.

Globally, demand for food is outstripping supply, resulting in malnutrition and starvation for the world’s poorest. Nationally, changes in the Australian climate have the potential for increased prevalence of tropical diseases, and extreme weather events can cause damage to infrastructure (including health facilities), social dislocation, injury and death.

Guillebaud and Hayes argue that doctors must lead the discussion on population growth and climate change.1 They point out that the global population increase of 1.5 million each week equates to

Those who insist on the right to a large family must also consider the wider social implications of population growth,2 although there is little to be gained by recriminations against those who have already formed large families.

We should take the perspective of retired physician Bryan Furnass: address the problems — population, pollution and poverty — with the solutions — ecology, education and ethics.3

Those doctors who understand the methods used by the tobacco industry to subvert the community’s appreciation of the risks of smoking will also understand that similar tactics can and are being employed by those with vested interests in high carbon-emitting industries. Their arguments are based on a belief that technology can solve all problems, while hiding the relationship between increased total consumption, profit and population growth.

We need to understand and lead the community’s discussions on global overpopulation and health reduction. Australian doctors are lagging behind in this. British doctors are already publishing on this topic,4 and the Australian Parliament has commenced discussion on the need for a population policy.5 It is time for Australian doctors to read, discuss, research, write and, following the lead of Walters,6 publish constructively on population growth and its impact.