> We were doing fine as a species at 1.6bln in 1900.
Maybe, but we were, as a species, a lot less specialised, and so individuals could succeed with smaller numbers.
The other part you are missing is that we no longer have access to the low-hanging fruit in terms of natural resources.
In 1900 we could subsist because we had a lot more natural resources simply lying around, or close to the surface. We used those up. We razed down countrysides, replaced with non-fertile concrete.
We have almost nothing right now that cannot run on electricity, which requires experts in multiple fields to harvest and distribute.
The majority of humans in 1900 were mostly self-sufficient, those who weren't starved to death. The majority of humans now are clearly nowhere near to self-sufficient if infrastructure starts to decay due to insufficient experts.
Remember, I did not say it will be scary, I said it can be a scary thought.
Maybe, but we were, as a species, a lot less specialised, and so individuals could succeed with smaller numbers.
The other part you are missing is that we no longer have access to the low-hanging fruit in terms of natural resources.
In 1900 we could subsist because we had a lot more natural resources simply lying around, or close to the surface. We used those up. We razed down countrysides, replaced with non-fertile concrete.
We have almost nothing right now that cannot run on electricity, which requires experts in multiple fields to harvest and distribute.
The majority of humans in 1900 were mostly self-sufficient, those who weren't starved to death. The majority of humans now are clearly nowhere near to self-sufficient if infrastructure starts to decay due to insufficient experts.
Remember, I did not say it will be scary, I said it can be a scary thought.