Intractable Limits to a Sustainable Human Population

Abstract

The pressing need for a much smaller world population arises for two reasons. Humans are emitting about two and a half times as much carbon as the maximum permissible to achieve stabilisation of carbon in the atmosphere. Today's six billion humans, in striving to enjoy at least a basic quality of life, are damaging many vital ecological systems and causing a major extinction of other forms of life. Within the next half century, a new and compelling reason for a smaller human population is likely to arise through the fact that we cannot be at all sure that a suitable replacement to fossil fuel energy is going to be found. Analysis of all these aspects indicates the need for a world population of about 2000 million (2 billion).

Keywords:

• Alternative energy sources
• Atmospheric change
• Electricity
• Oil
• Population
• Resources

Notes

Andrew Ferguson was an airline pilot with British Airways from 1957 to 1983. In recent years he has been working for the Optimum Population Trust. Since 2001, he has been editing the bi-annual OPT Journal, which has carrying capacity and the analysis of renewable energy sources as its main focus.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrew RB Ferguson

Andrew Ferguson was an airline pilot with British Airways from 1957 to 1983. In recent years he has been working for the Optimum Population Trust. Since 2001, he has been editing the bi-annual OPT Journal, which has carrying capacity and the analysis of renewable energy sources as its main focus.