Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?

If we had not grown from 1.5 B in 1900 to 6.75B now, would we have the issues we face today? Will the lack of cheap abundant energy and the rising cost of fertilizer as a result mean population will decrease?Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?The biggest problem is that we have too many people who don't care.Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?
Yes it's the people, the numbers



Well know studies and documentaries (such as Al Gore's inconvenient truth) mention population only briefly



The env footprint EF is the individual footprint IF times the NP number of people

In America the IF is large (many people drive a SUV, don't recycle, luckily I'm not them) and there's about 300M people, whereas in Asia or Africa the NP is very large but the IF is low (people share a car or bycicle, they dont buy much etc)



In recent years the IF of America goes down (people buy hybrids, recycle more) and the IF of China goes up (more chinese want to buy cars)



Many demographers say that the current growth can't go on for long, and population will stabilize, due to various factors

And as you say we already see conflicts about oilIs the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?Yes it is. And it is getting worse. But the radicals are afraid to bring it up now days. High cost energy and high food costs will not have any effect on population. With socialism we who work will simply have to pay more to support the breeding classes in America and Europe. In the third world countries, we could see more starvation and disease. But the masses will keep popping out kids no matter what happens. And the planet will suffer because of it.Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?
Over population is one factor, yes. More important is the carbon footprints of those people. as an example, I believe most African countries only have a single planet lifestyle The UK has a three planet lifestyle, and the US. a seven planet lifestyle. So to be fair 6 out of seven Americans should be sterilised, two thirds of British and the Africans all get to keep thier man or womanhood. That's the usual danger of the population argument. Can you see W. signing that?!



Seriously though, the lack of abundant oil should go some way to rebalance the environment, but that is estimated at 50 to 100 years off, too long to wait for a change that will give future generations a chance of a dignified life, no matter what size the population.



Peak oil is the great unmentioable, luckily some of the cures coincide with those for AGW and our environment at large.Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?I believe it contributes but is only relevant to how we live. That being said, I think the real culprit in relation to population is irresponsible agricultural practices.Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?
yep.

pop doubled in last 40 years.

just think, 14,000,000,000 people in 2050.

ugly.

which is not to say that warming should be ignored.

just think.

more hungry people.

less water.

less food.

what a way to go.Is the biggest environmental problem we have too many people?
Yes, the huge human population is a huge environmental problem, but it affects the rest of the environment before it affects us. The stock market and other pyramid schemes depend on increasing population. The popultion will keep going up until there's at least 20 billion. There won't be any nature left though, because half the planet will be farm and half will be suburb.
it is not an issue.. I remember when I was younger.. the far left wing saying once the world hit 3 billion we would all die of slow starvation.. well, the earth can handle about 4 times the number of people we have.. the problems we have are not lack of enegry.. but lack of making cheap energy.. remember we have not built a new refinery in the US for over 35 years. we have however closed 7 down. it is not Government that will solve these problems. it is the private section that will.. currently there is a company in the US that is taken Co2 gas from coal fire energy plants and forcing the co2 gas into Algae farms to eat co2 ,turns the co2 into oxygen and also makes a cheap bio-fuel which can be used in cars today.. you can also take the algae dry it out and it makes a near perfect fertilizer or food for animals... again people like the idiot albore just talk and collect money.. it is business that will save the day..