David Nicholson-Lord

In the following viewpoint, David Nicholson-Lord maintains that the Third World should not mimic Western levels of energy consumption because the impact on the environment would be devastating. He contends that higher rates of population are only problematic if accompanied by a high-consumption lifestyle. According to Nicholson- Lord, the West should consider adopting Third World lifestyles, rather than the other way around. Nicholson- Lord writes for the London newspapers The Independent and The Independent on Sunday.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to UN statistics cited by Nicholson-Lord, what is the potential world population in 2050?
2. Why has congestion increased at a greater rate than population in the West, in the author’s opinion?
3. What is the “myth of Third World guilt,” according to...