Here's a UN summary of studies on how many people the planet can support sustainably. An optimistic average is around 8 billion. A lot of people who consider population a non-factor assume current consumption level or that anyone living on $2/day purchasing parity (i.e. what $2 could buy in NY) is not in poverty and is consuming enough.
If cause all the reactionary "cull the undesirables" talk on the issue is stupid and the best ways to curb population growth turn out to be education, access to contraception, women's rights, robust social safety net (so the parents don't have to depend on their children).
Still, obviously it's easier to provide a standard of living if there are less people on a finite planet going though a man-made ecological catastrophe.
Here's a UN summary of studies on how many people the planet can support sustainably. An optimistic average is around 8 billion. A lot of people who consider population a non-factor assume current consumption level or that anyone living on $2/day purchasing parity (i.e. what $2 could buy in NY) is not in poverty and is consuming enough.
If cause all the reactionary "cull the undesirables" talk on the issue is stupid and the best ways to curb population growth turn out to be education, access to contraception, women's rights, robust social safety net (so the parents don't have to depend on their children).
Still, obviously it's easier to provide a standard of living if there are less people on a finite planet going though a man-made ecological catastrophe.