This video by Hans Rosling from the Gapminder Foundation paints a portrait of population growth that is less bleak than most people intuit. The video doesn’t address climate change but it does convince that population growth is not an unsolvable problem, nor will population increase always be exponential. Using population data collected from different countries, he shows how population growth is projected to level off at 11 billion people.
Achieving a state of the world that can sustain 11 billion people is not out of the realm of possibility. If resources are used wisely, sustainably, and shared somewhat fairly, the earth can accommodate this population size. He says at the end of this video that he is not an optimist but also not a pessimist. He is a possibilist, meaning he knows what is possible and works toward the best possible outcome. One way to feel better while being inundated with an overwhelming amount of pessimistic news is to get involved in local politics, vote and work towards sustainability both at home and in coordinated actions. Put your energy toward the possible!