Earth's Population Has Surpassed The Planet's Capacity, Study Suggests

ScienceAlert ^ | 7 April, 2026 | Jess Cockerill

[anthropocene_x]

We need more humans to grow the economy. Otherwise who will pay my Social Security?

[fruser1]

Why are they saying this now?

Is it the 100th anniversary of this story?

[AZJeep]

Not new news.
They are talking like that for last 50 years, at least.

[KarlInOhio]

“The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now.”

“If I were a gambler, I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000,” Ehrlich prophesized during a speech in 1971. He also said that the U.S. would be rationing water by 1974, and food by 1980.

That smog in L.A. and New York would cause some 200,000 deaths per year. That Americans born after World War II wouldn’t live past 50.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yeah, the prediction that we were going to be in a famine by the 1980s..... how did that work out for you pal?

But if you want to reduce the earth's population by one, feel free to exit the planet at any time.

[No name given]

And how well did those predictions turn out?! They failed miserably, big time!

[No name given]

My thoughts exactly.

[Eli Kopter]

Gates just wanted to “off” 90% of the population. Problem solved?

[Flaming Conservative]

Not according to Elon Musk; he says we need more people -— just not clumped together in one spot.

[Fungi]

Pure unadulterated crap.

[Paladin2]

The population of both Iran and Qatar seem too high.

[MacNaughton]

Why are they saying this now? Is it the 100th anniversary of this story?

[dljordan]

“But if you want to reduce the earth’s population by one, feel free to exit the planet at any time.”

Canada will be happy to help.

[marktwain]

One obvious way to overcome this limit is to expand into space and tap into the tremendous energy and material resources in space.

The sun alone puts out many trillions of times the energy we use on earth. There are many other resources to tap into in space.

By reducing the cost to orbit by roughly 99%, Elon Musk is showing how we can exploit space and increase the resources available to earth.

[Tennessee Nana]

Ya notice that none of the ‘team’ have died by euthanasia ???

If they really believed there were too many people they would volunteer to decrease the number...

[Alas Babylon!]

He was wrong.

[Karl Spooner]

I know it may seem impossible, but someday we will be just as smart a mice!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

If you are too chicken to do it yourself.

Never understood that, It's my life to do with as I please. So I am going to force someone else to do what I am too much of a coward to do.

Do it and own it.

[Huskrrrr]

Then volunteer to reduce the surplus population

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Mice also eat their own limbs.

Chop off your foot and chow down.