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View all search resultsPlanet Earth: 8 billion humans and dwindling resources
The overconsumption of fossil fuels, for example, leads to more carbon dioxide emissions, responsible for global warming.
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A
re eight billion humans too many for planet Earth? As we reach this milestone on Nov. 15, most experts say the bigger problem is the overconsumption of resources by the wealthiest residents.
"Eight billion people, it is a momentous milestone for humanity," said United Nations Population Fund chief Natalia Kanem, hailing an increase in life expectancy and fewer maternal and child deaths.
"Yet, I realize this moment might not be celebrated by all. Some express concerns that our world is overpopulated. I am here to say clearly that the sheer number of human lives is not a cause for fear."
So, are there too many of us for Earth to sustain?
Many experts say that this is the wrong question. Instead of the fear of overpopulation, we should focus on the overconsumption of the planet's resources by the wealthiest among us.
"Too many for whom, too many for what? If you ask me, am I too many? I don't think so," Joel Cohen of Rockefeller University's Laboratory of Populations told AFP.
He said the question of how many people Earth can support has two sides: natural limits and human choices.
