According to the BBC, around the world Italy, South Korea, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States all have birth rates below 2.1 per family, the number required for a stable population. Italy is the most surprising, since it's a nominally Catholic country. Since the major consumers of food and industrial output are all on that list, hopefully our impact on the world will decrease proportionately.

Interestingly, Asian immigrants to Britain do tend to have more than 2 children, and these are propping up the British birth rate figures. The statistics for birth amongst white couples is significantly under 2.1 per family (IIRC it's 1.7, although I couldn't tell you where I remember that from). The US has a similar situation with Latin-American immigrants.

So eventually the number of us using resources will decrease. The problem is countries where having many babies is a cultural thing (India, parts of Africa) or where it's due to religion (Ireland, Latin America). Culture can and does change, when it becomes obvious that all your children will live due to modern medicine, and it's more pleasant to have fewer children and have more money to spend on yourself and them. The WHO and the UN are working on getting this message over to India and Africa.

Religion is still the big kicker though - I just hope the next pope (coming soon by the looks of things, since JP's health doesn't look too good) has more sense on abortion than the current one.

Graham.