Would it really make that much difference to global carbon emissions if there are fewer people? Yes. In the United States, for example, the carbon emissions of a single person is about 20 times the reductions that each of us might be expected to achieve by being more conscious of our carbon footprint, switching to electric cars and using LED lightbulbs.

Does education really make that much of a difference to fertility rates, compared to other possible explanatory variables? Yes. Look at the graphs below, taken from the World Bank, to see how dramatic the difference is in some selected countries. The difference between 0 years of schooling and 12 years is almost 4 to 5 children per woman. While trends are for women to have lower fertility over time (perhaps through access to family planning) at each education level, the main driver of overall fertility reduction is clearly the change in proportions of women at each education level.

 

Eoin Treacy's view

Sometimes the answer to a difficult question is just staring you right in the face. Offering girls the same access to education as boys has had transformative effects on developed economies. In fact since it is women who tend to work in factories in the developing world, it is hardly an overstatement that allowing women to pursue careers is a primary enabling factor in economic development. 

Technological innovation continues at a rapid pace and more importantly access to that technology on a global basis is increasingly possible. This means that people increasingly have tools to improve their individual productivity at their fingertips. Making sure everyone has basic reading skills opens up a whole world of additional possibilities with a web enabled device in your hands. These are important considerations not just because of demographics but for the expansion of the global middle class. Better educated people earn more, save more and spend more.