Most of the westernized world's population (US, Japan, Western Europe, Australia, etc) is either stagnant or decreasing - and almost every other country (China, India, Latin America) is moving towards that.
And the technology has more than made up for our population growth. Almost everyone would agree that the 7 Billion people we have today are far better off (on average) than the 1 Billion people we had 200 years ago.
Epic fail.
Some graphs:
http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=24&v=67&c=mx... http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=24&v=67&c=in... http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=24&v=67&c=ch...
Look at nearly all European nations: they're much more populous now and have surplus of food, whereas they've been starving throughout mid-ages living off exact same lands.
Economic growth tends to reduce birthrates. European birthrates have dropped below replacement levels. The US is hovering around replacement, as is Japan and South Korea. Other developing countries are following this trend.
Technology does increase agricultural output, but within the 20'th century, rich people have fewer children.
There have been many societies on this planet, and some of them have collapsed after peaking precisely because of population explosion due to "good times". Isolated collapses of ancient polynesian peoples have been studied particularly well.
Bill G. explained that in the begining his foundation was focused on population control. But when they discovered that the single most important factor in population was health is when they started to focus in the most crucial sickness. His explanation is that parents simply try to optimize to have two children that can take care of them when they are old.
You don't have to agree with me but why shut the conversation down? Am I offending anyone or posting fart jokes?
Meanwhile a lot of folks are debating either "technology and globalization" approach will work, and some of them aren't stupid. At least you downmodders could try to use some curiosity and open up a little to what they have to say.
That's a pity: while reading the book I was actually thinking about bringing this topic up for discussion on HN.
At the current rate of population growth we'll have a density of 10 people per square foot (!) before year 3000, and the population growth is what usually follows a country's increased economic output.