Overpopulation is the biggest problem facing the world

It is a constructive warning against focusing our thoughts and efforts on averting climate change when it is merely a symptom of the bigger, more threatening, problem of overpopulation.

I will be making the case for prioritising reducing the human population, as it is the only factor that is common to every environmental hazard we face. I examine the toxicity of the debate that surrounds the mere mention of population as a political issue and offer an innovative way of addressing it.

I pinpoint the moment when we began enjoying a free lunch at Mother Nature’s expense, and argue that this lies behind the enormous population growth of the last 500 years – from 500 million to 7.4 billion.

At the end of the talk I will offer a new product idea that could be developed to help us reduce out numbers without infringing human rights.

The seminar will be held at the School of Politics at Queen’s University, 26 College Square, Belfast, at 7pm. Professor John Barry will chair.

Garvin Crawford, Belfast