“Be fruitful and multiply!” says the Bible. And, by God, we have. In the last 100 years alone, the number of people on Earth has more than quadrupled. From just under 2 billion to more than 8 billion. Far too many, say some, who see us heading for disaster. But that was also claimed in the 1960s, when there weren't even 4 billion people. How many people can the Earth actually support? And if we really are too many, which of us are actually too many?
“Be fruitful and multiply!” says the Bible. And, by God, we have. In the last 100 years alone, the number of people on Earth has more than quadrupled. From just under 2 billion to more than 8 billion. Far too many, say some, who see us heading for disaster. But that was also claimed in the 1960s, when there weren't even 4 billion people. How many people can the Earth actually support? And if we really are too many, which of us are actually too many?