Pericles,

Are you really under the impression that it's possible "to bring these people out of poverty" in order for their birth rates to decline? Do you for a moment believe that the planet could sustain the majority of nations enjoying the current lifestyle of the developed industrial world? I've heard it predicted that it would take the resources of five earths to do so.

We only have to look at the environmental sacrifices made in China to understand that.

It would be nice to think that humans could get their act together to solve the population issue, but it's likely we'll just sail along until some sort of collapse imposes itself.

Poirot,

You have history on your side. Throughout history and pre-history, when species reach the limits of their resources they suffer population collapse.

We may yet end up reducing our population the hard way.

I'd like to believe, with Pericles, that as a species we're smart enough to avoid that fate. But, maybe, we won't.

Steven,

Therein lies the human dilemma. It's not enough to be smart/clever/ ingenious if we don't apply wisdom as well.

Well, on the bright side, there has been a precipitate drop in human fertility across the globe. Even in a conservative Islamic country like Iran the fertility rate is now below replacement.

China's population is set to fall and while Indian fertility is still above replacement rate it is declining.

I'd say our chances of avoiding a hard population collapse are 50 - 50.