By Liz Thomas
BBC wildlife expert Chris Packham has warned the only way to protect the future of the planet is to curb population growth.
The Springwatch presenter suggested offering Britons tax breaks to encourage them to have smaller families.
He effectively endorsed China’s controversial one-child policy, which sees couples who adhere to the rule given a lump sum on retirement.
But he stopped short of suggesting people should be penalised for having too many children.
Packham, 49, who has no children of his own, told Radio Times: ‘By 2020, there are going to be 70million people in Britain. Let’s face it, that’s too many.’
He added: ‘There’s no point bleating about the future of pandas, polar bears and tigers when we’re not addressing the one single factor that’s putting more pressure on the ecosystem than any other – namely the ever-increasing size of the world’s population.’
Packham suggested offering couples a financial incentive as ‘a carrot’ to persuade them to have fewer – or no – children.
He said: ‘I would offer them tax breaks for having small families: say, 10 per cent off your tax bill if you decide to stick with just one child. And an even bigger financial incentive if you choose not to have a family at all.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1373368/BBC-presenter-Chris-Packham-says-save-planet-fewer-babies.html#ixzz1IepyA9PD
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