Too Many People

The state of the environment in the latter part of the next century will be determined largely by one factor: human population. If the species doubles its numbers by 2050, to nearly 11 billion, humanity may complete the devastation that accelerated so steeply in this century. Such unabated expansion in our numbers would continue to soak up the world's capital and prevent the poorer nations from making the necessary investments in technological development that might deter continued population growth.

If the worst occurs, countless millions will become environmental refugees, swamping the nations that tried to conserve their soil, water and forests....