Acharya Prashant explains that if a child is born today, according to current trends, they will on average emit 58 tons of carbon dioxide per year throughout their lifetime. In comparison, other methods of reducing carbon dioxide are far less effective. For instance, planting a tree absorbs only one ton of carbon dioxide in 40 years. Those who understand this calculation say that the single most effective way to stop global warming is to have one less child. If you have one less child, you score 58 points, whereas other methods like planting trees or using low-power light bulbs have a negligible impact. The real demon is the population, especially a population that is bent on consumption. This problem is anthropogenic, meaning it is man-made. We have created it through consumption and by having children. Therefore, the most effective way to stop this problem is to control procreation. If there are no offspring, who will consume? Every generation consumes more than the previous one. As economic prosperity increases, people's consumption patterns change. For example, a person who used to eat vegetables starts eating meat when they have more money. The process of eating meat is an extremely carbon-intensive process. The populations of animals that humans eat, such as chickens, goats, sheep, cows, and pigs, have been massively increased. These animals live on grass, and to create grasslands, forests are cleared. Their bodies also emit a lot of methane and carbon dioxide. Among different types of meat, beef from cows and buffaloes is the most harmful for the environment because these are large animals. Eating meat is not a personal matter; it is a grave crime against humanity because it is destroying our planet. The average person in the West consumes five times more meat than the upper limit recommended by doctors. Everything we associate with a 'good life' or progress—furniture, televisions, clothes, gadgets—is actually produced through carbon emissions. This is why the countries with the most so-called progress also have the highest carbon emissions. Ironically, these are also the countries with the most climate denial. The American consumerist lifestyle is unfortunately becoming an ideal for the developing world, which also wants to consume as much as Americans do.