In a 2009 BBC's Horizon special, David Attenborough investigated whether the world is heading for a population crisis in the documentary How many people can live on Planet Earth?
In his career, David Attenborough has watched the human population more than double from 2.5 billion in 1950 to nearly seven billion. He reflects on the profound effects of this rapid growth, both on humans and the environment.
While much of the projected growth in human population is likely to come from the developing world, it is the lifestyle enjoyed by many in the West that has the most impact on the planet. David Attenborough examines whether it is the duty of individuals both to reduce family size and change the way we live for the sake of humanity and planet Earth.
You can read the transcript for the first twelve minutes of the programme here.
