The need to curb man-made climate change is alone a compelling reason for population stabilisation and reduction - to
reduce climate impacts it helps to reduce the number of climate changers. The rise in greenhouse gas concentrations
in Earth's atmosphere follows the sudden and sharp rise in population numbers from the start of mass industrialisation
less than three centuries ago. Ecological footprinting shows that we are also overshooting by a third Earth's biological
capacity to provide renewable natural resources. If the developing world is to be lifted out of poverty, therefore,
world population needs to be allowed to stabilise and gradually decrease alongside reductions in consumption by the
developed world.