I am not sure about the fact we produce twice as much food as we consume, in another opinion piece it was calculated that we only export 30% of out wheat and already a net importer, 20% of fruit and vegetables.
That is not going to support an increase to 35 million.
So where is the food to come from?

Ludwig: "However, the main tenet of this article is of course rock solid. The human population size and the fact that it is still growing rapidly is our overriding problem."

rstuart: "I didn't see that as the main tenet of the article, Ludwig. I thought it was far bleaker than that. I read John as saying we are incapable of anything about the population problem."

Fair enough. Either way, it is certainly bleak.

"...this was the inevitable path we humans must go down. It is not only inevitable, but normal and natural."

Yes.

"This last century of exponential growth is the abnormal thing."

Yes and no. Yes it is very different to the more or less steady state of population levels of most of the species that we see around us. But no, it is no different to a mouse or locust plague, where population sizes accelerate just before the crash event.

All manner of other species have population surges and declines, with varying effects on their ecosystems and other species. That's one of the baseline realities of ecology.

So to that extent, what is happening with humanity is within the natural order of things. In fact I'm inclined to think that Gaia is excited about it all and is happy to let it happen, with a massive extinction rate and changes to ecosystems across the planet, as has happened many times before, which will then lead straight into a major new period of evolution and dynamism of life.

Ahhh, there is SFA that we can do about it. In fact, I think that our best possible efforts will only result in one thing - drawing out the inevitable a bit longer and increasing the magnitude of the crash.

"I wonder how many people on this forum who are concerned about overpopulation have followed my example and voluntarily had no children."

David, I've haven't had any of those horrible little rugrats...and I sure ain't gunna!

Cheers

Gee, I can't imagine why some of our population obsessives have acquired a reputation of being misanthropic.

Frootloops aside, the serious point about this article is that the critical problem of human overpopulation at both the national and global levels has no chance whatsoever of being addressed when those who are most vocal about it start babbling on about "Gaia" and "horrible rugrats".

Indeed, the population obsessives from wealthy countries like Australia who do so are just as much part of the problem as the ignorant peasants in developing countries who breed like rabbits - so to that extent Reid is probably quite correct that humans are incapable of finding a solution to this problem of our own making.

Morgan: "Reid is probably quite correct that humans are incapable of finding a solution to this PROBLEM OF OUR OWN MAKING."

4.6 billion years of evolution of multi cellular biology on this planet that led to our current state and its of our OWN making!

BLASPHEMY!

Its a problem hard wired into every physical and metaphysical fibre of who we are.

The only question is:

"Has 10,000 years of nascent civilisation given us the WISDOM&LEARNING to examine our sexual rapacity dispasionately, so we might all come to the de-populate conclusion simultaneously and conclusively?"

This would not mean the end of sex or children, just the overwhelming global understanding that their strict numerical MANAGEMENT is crucial to the survival of humans, not just so we can continue plundering the planet longer but out of respect for all the pain and suffering of those who have brought our halls of learning to the magnificent and yet still sublime state they are in today.

And now a word from Rupert the Chief Economist:

"Why tell them? They're all gonna die anyway and so will their kids and grandkids. What's the diff if its in 100 years or 10?

The main chance is that we and our Mr Rude polititian puppets get all the sexual pleasure we can pay for in the meantime. Oh and all that trickled-up $money$ gives me such a hard-on!

Its business as usual boys!!

I kinda like that Hannah-Montanna. For the cost of a trip to the space station I bet I could get her for the night"

And a word from the IMam:

"No,No don't tell them, it would be the end of islam and our beautiful sex-driven Jihads. What else to live for?"

<It would be the end of Islam and our beautiful sex-driven Jihads>

How come Islamic law which regards adultery or men and women having sex just for the hell of it as a crime worthy of stoning or death, in theory for men, although usually just for the women, allows this orgy with multiple virgins on arrriving in heaven after having committed Jihad.

Do the female virgins have any say in the matter and could the women of Islamic faith explain to me how this does not appear to subjugate them to men. They are always telling us that Islam does not do this and that they are equal under Islamic law.