Bandaid or Cure?

I am an advocate of doing what I can on a personal level to preserve our planet for the sake of all of its inhabitants. I recycle every possible thing that I can. If I can buy something used instead of new I buy it used, and I only buy what I need.  In fact nearly all of my possessions used to belong to someone else.  Most of them were given to me.  I have never bought furniture in my near half century of existance.  I take the bus instead of driving when I can.  In my college years, my thinking was the exact opposite. I had credit cards to some of the finest department stores in my area. I worked full time and lived with my Grandmother for free.  All of my money was spent on my own personal pleasure, except for school expenses. Once I graduated and moved out on my own things changed. I could no longer afford to shop. In fact I could no longer afford to pay my credit card bills. I struggled for years. But, I became used to living within my means.  In fact I began to see the benefit of conservation and living in moderation. I recognized the downside of reckless consumption and spending.  In the last ten years, I have became even more conscious of the effects of  our consumption as humans.  As a species our consumption is overwhelming the limited resources of Earth. The more we consume, the more damage we cause to the planet and in turn risk our own future survival. Millions of people, animals and nearly all ecosystems are enduring horrendous suffering often for the shopping pleasures and extravagance of a relative few. However, as the population grows the proportionate number of people able to enjoy shopping bliss decreases.  Current trends indicate that once population levels exceed certain limits then the ecomomic models no longer work leading systemic to financial problems. Financial misconduct only exaperates these problems  There is no easy fix for the current economic conditions.  Even worse, there is currently no way to repair nor replenish the environment so that it can meet the needs of the already excessive human population. We've had a pretty easy ride on this planet for a long time and have incurred a large ecological debt as a result. Even if each of us conserves, reuses, and recycles, it's only a bandaid and certainly not a cure for the ills inflicted upon the planet due to overpopulation.  The cure is to decrease human population to more manageable levels over time. It will even be necessary to completely halt population growth at regular intervals in order to avert an otherwise inevitable disaster.  We can either take heed now or each pay a very high price later.  Some of the price is/will be(ing) paid in our lifetime.  You can find more information at the following sites: http://www.growthbusters.org/ or  http://www.theyfly.com/ or http://www.futureofmankind.co.uk/