[Lurker]

6.5 billion is apparently too many.

Bull.

You could take every human being on the planet, give them a half an acre of land, and they wouldn't fill up the American Southwest.

L

[sodpoodle]

Interesting Demographic data;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_population

Estimates of the number of human beings who have ever lived on Earth constitute an extremely large range, with low estimates around 45 billion, and the highest estimates topping out around 125 billion. Many of the more robust estimates fall into the range of 90 to 110 billion humans.

[Gunny Gene]

With all due respect, you misunderstood what I was saying. By "too many" is meant that the fact that the growth rate slowing and actually reversing in most of the world is de-facto evidence that the current global population is at or nearing it's maximum sustainable level unless something happens to "raise the bar" so to speak. Accessible resources ( such as water, energy, food production), standard of living, technology, and a myriad of other factors all enter into the equation.

[beyond the sea]

Exactly!!!!

[kabar]

You could take every human being on the planet, give them a half an acre of land, and they wouldn't fill up the American Southwest.

You are wrong. Assuming 6.5 billion people, that works out to 3.25 billion acres or 5,078,125 square miles. The US has an area of 3,537,441 square miles.