Over a decade ago, when I was yo-yoing the Continental Divide Trail, I had a lot of time to think. When I got to a town, I would have all this pent up writing energy that would explode on my blog. 

One of my most profound articles was when I contemplated was what does it mean to be human?

In this WanderLearn episode, I read that old article because it's still relevant today (and it will probably always be relevant since it's about being a living thing).

Humans, like all life, is aiming to reach its carrying capacity. Environmentalists claim that we are "overpopulated," but if that were true, you would see a decline in the human population because we've hit our carrying capacity.

Another piece of evidence of overpopulation is that significant portions of the species are starving to death. One of the Horsemen of the Apocolypse isn't famine, but obesity.

In short, we're not even close to being overpopulated based on standard measures of overpopulation. 

Of course, one day Malthus will be right, but we can comfortably add several more billion humans.

Some doomsday prophets warn that someday soon we will hit our carrying capacity and hit it in a big way (thanks to climate change).

Perhaps.

Frankly, I doubt it. 

I expect we'll go well beyond 100 billion humans in the Solar System. 

I'm not saying it will be a paradise. I'm just saying that our carrying capacity is probably closer to 100 billion than 10 billion. 

I suspect some of you will disagree with me, so make your comments below.

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Promoting Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit. In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

More info

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