The human population has already grown too large and demanding for Earth to sustainably support at current consumption levels, a new study warns.
Based on more than two centuries of population data, a team led by Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University in Australia found humanity is living well beyond the bounds of what our planet can support long-term, Science Alert reported.
According to the scientists, the Earth's population is approximately 8.3 billion people, while the optimal population is only 2.5 billion. The researchers also emphasized that a peak of 11-12 billion people could be reached in the second half of the 21st century.
"The Earth cannot sustain the future human population, or even today's, without a major overhaul of socio-cultural practices for using land, water, energy, biodiversity, and other resources," the study's authors write.
