Provocative thought

There's a fairly simple way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus reduce global climate change, according to a study from the London School of Economics [pdf]: get those condoms and birth control pills out to women who need them!

...providing contraception to women who lack it is one of the most cost-effective ways to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. Each $7 spent on basic family planning over the next four decades would reduce global CO2 emissions by more than a metric ton [2,204.6 lb.], while achieving that same reduction with the leading low-carbon technologies would cost a minimum of $32...

Grist

The Pope isn't going to like that one.

And the women of the world also need to weigh in on the idea. But given the chance and the technical help, many women would happily control their fertility.***And after thinking about that for a bit, go read Paul Krugman's completely lucid explanation of how we can at least moderate climate change, if we can find the political will. This article is the essential pre-primer on the structure of potential government action that we never quite got on health care reform.