How Many People Can Earth Support?
Our planet is getting rather cosy. In just over 200 years, the global population has grown from 1 billion to almost 7.5 billion \u2013 and the best estimates suggest it\u2019s going to keep on increasing. But just how far can it go? When will we reach \u2018peak human\u2019? That\u2019s what CrowdScience listeners Alan Donaldson and Francoise Brindle want to know: what\u2019s the latest estimate for how many people the Earth can support?
It\u2019s a question that\u2019s been bothering some of the world\u2019s greatest thinkers for hundreds of years, and now presenter Marnie Chesterton goes on her own quest for answers. Her journey takes her through the technology and innovation that keeps our growing population alive, and she looks to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to find out what a more densely populated world might feel like. But are there signs that things are already levelling off? And could improving photosynthesis allow populations to grow without destroying the environment?
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton\nProducer: Anna Lacey
(Image: People on busy street. Credit: Getty Images)