Generally, the thrust of this article sums up the major threat to the existence of all life on this planet - and people like Jaques Cousteau have said this as well. It is a positive sign that many countries are now recognising the seriousness of the population issue. While in 1907 each additional human was easily accomodated, now, each additional human on top of our current population is sadly another nail in our collective coffins.

On a brighter note, many countries are recognising the issue is getting out of hand and are promoting sustainable family planning. While the strategies involved are new and not without their kinks, the importance of them cannot be overlooked.

It is perhaps the most distressing factor in all this, that we have and continue to abuse this planet. If I were even a minor deity or an alien race out there, I could only shake my head at the contempt we have for other life on this planet. Sure, a new baby a new life is precious, but at what point does it start to sink in that the growing cost of our population is unmaintainable?

While you could argue that it's just a matter of us living more modestly, and to that point I would concede there is some merit irrespective of the situation, invariably as we near the projected world population of 9+billion, there will be little choice either way. But if you think along the lines of the more the merrier and continue having 3 or more children, it is almost certain that you are condemning your children to enforced poverty - and given that it's already pretty crowded whereever you go, it is not likely to be particularly merry.

Those that have made or inherited fortunes may attempt to protect themselves from the mass devastation, but only for a short while (unless they've moved planet).

We are over fishing the oceans and at the same time, devastating marine habitats. Given that we are all reliant on marine life, the biblical plagues suggested in the bible are inevitable on our current course. But it will be our doing, not any deity and even in the collective religiouus texts, God is not going to ease our passage. Personally, I'm more of an Agnostic and my major gripe with religion is many use it to avoid having to look at their wider responsibility as part of a community. Kahlil Gibrahn probably said it best "Not one leaf of the tree turns yellow without the silent knowledge (and acceptance) of the whole tree".

The BBC recently surpressed an article stating that the temperature of planet Earth has actually dropped over the last two years. Since the article did not fit the debate less premise of global warming, it was deemed unfit for publication. The birth rate in America has dropped as a percentage of total population. Less people are having less children...remember the Social Security issue?

The only way to effectively control a population is to either punish those who have more children than deemed acceptable (A role you really want government's to play?) or make forced sterilization a reality. "So, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Schmoe...you wanna have another baby? Well, cough up some money" Would that solve it? No. Wouldn't that be just another form of taxation? Do we really get more air/food/water/shelter by handing money over to the governments of the world? Look at Africa...have those folks benefitted from the countless billions that have gone to that continent? Not really.

So we force sterilization on individuals...groovy! That will solve it completely. Only those deemed environmentally sound will be allowed to have children. "Yes, do you drive a hybrid?" "Yes, Yes, we do!" "Great! You may have two point one kids"

Ice Ages and mass extinctions occurred long before man crawled out of his primordial origin and began driving a car. They happened when we weren't here and will be here even if we breed ourselves to extinction. I would never agree that the role of any government should be to control its own population. That is a role I will leave for the Hitlers of the world.