Too Many Humans?

On the surface of things it might seem evident that homo Sapiens have overextended our reach. We have come to inhabit almost every biome on earth. The current human population of the planet sits somewhere about 8 billion and is predicted to reach 10 billion by 2057. We are the first species to ponder whether there are simply too many of us and what, if anything we should do about it.

It is obvious that humans have a tremendous impact on the biosphere. But can the planet sustain such large populations of people?

Some areas of interest might be:

1.Environmental Degredation.

Resource Scarcity/Competition: Is there enough for us all or is it more of a question of how we live that is the problem?

Human infrastructures/ Social Services: Can we provide decent standards for increasing numbers?

Biodiversity Loss: Our use of resources also
Impacts on others species ability to survive
and thrive?

Will technological breakthroughs allow us to produce ever more energy and resources to sustain more Humans?

Will improvements in sustainability means we can harvest and reuse almost all materials and therefore Scarcity will not be an issue?

What might Happen if populations begin to Decline? Could our socio-economic model survive such a transition. It is clear developed countries are now seeing a population inversion with older people outnumbering the young.

Can the topic of population be weaponised by politicians? We certainly see this with debates about Migrants and asylum seekers.

There is so much to debate around this topic and it is potentially a very sensitive one. I would ask people to be mindful and careful with their words on this debate. I look forward to seeing everyone on the 14th.