The Earth (and Science) Is Ready to Support Three Times the Global Population

A new study shows that our planet can support a population three times larger than it is today – still providing food and a decent living to each and everyone, without returning to a ‘stone age’.

“There has been a tendency to simplify the idea of a good life into the notion that more is better,” says ecological economist Julia Steinberger from the Université de Lausanne in Switzerland. “It is clearly within our grasp to provide a decent life for everyone while still protecting our climate and ecosystems.” 

According to researchers, if we play our cards right, by 2050, we could support a much larger population where everyone would receive shelter, food, proper hygiene, high-quality healthcare, education, modern technology, and limited access to private vehicles and air travel. “Overall, our study is consistent with the long-standing arguments that the technological solutions already exist to support reducing energy consumption to a sustainable level,” says the earth and environment scientist Joel Millward-Hopkins from Leeds University.