> massive population
> reduction, which even in the most optimistic scenarios will take  
> far longer
> to achieve than our lifetimes

Ooh, I'm not a big fan of the word choices.  Ending the lives of  
millions of people would never be an "achievement."

This is an interesting conversation.  We're having a similar one over  
on my Yellowstone list regarding bison.  Animal rights activists are  
understandably freaking out about slaughter of buffalo by state  
agencies and the cattle industry in and around the Park.  I asked a  
question about the natural carrying capacity for bison in the  
Yellowstone ecosystem while making the point that man is not a  
spectator on this earth but is a vital cog.

Jim