Attempting to reduce population and consumption will not save us.

There is increasing concern over our over plundering and polluting of our planet.  The common response to this is that it is being caused by a combination of pointless consumption and over population.  There is no doubt that stopping buying new stuff and having less babies would  help, but those are really hard things to do.  It is  fine for us in the developed world to stop replacing our car every three years, our laptops every 2 years and our mobiles every time we change our underwear, but what of those billions that are crying out for the things we take for granted?   Like clean water, regular electricity, refrigerators, internet connections, some means of transport other than a rusty bicycle with buckled wheels.  They surely have every right to improve their lives.  Then what about babies?  Admitedly China has had some success in that area, but even with a draconian and dictatorial approach population has still increased.  And who amongst you is expecting to succeed against the power of those religions to whom procreation is a divine right.  (Not mentioning any names and not pointing to anyone in particular, your eminence!)   Also buying less stuff and having less babies would still not solve the problem.  It would just delay the day of reckoning a century or so at best.

If we take a step back, the only problems we need to address are to stop using non renewable resources and to stop polluting the planet.  If we can fix those two problems, the developed world can improve their lives and people can go on having babies ( I am leaving food out of this for now, as that is a different discussion).

And we can fix those two problems.  We have the technology now to produce 100% renewable energy in all its forms.  We are also able to recycle pretty well everything we produce - though sometimes it does take a lot of energy.  Then we could have limitless economic growth. 

You don't think that 100% renewable energy and 100% recycling is ever possible?  Well if that is the case they we really are stuffed, because eventually we will have to achieve that if we expect this planet to serve us for infinity and beyond - sorry, just watched Toy Story 3 with my daughter!

So dare I suggest we stop whinging about people having babies and our throw away society and get our bums into gear to move us to a fully sustainable economy.  The recylcing bit can wait for a while as most of our resources are OK for the next few decades - with the exception of course of oil.  What is urgent though is that we rapidly transition to renewable energy.