theguardian vome trI se Mann wee Over population, over consumption - in pictures How do you raise awareness about population explosion? One group thought that the simplest way would be to show people Waves of humanity Sprawling Mexico City rolls across the landscape, displacing every scrap of natural habitat 'If our species had started with just two people at the time of the earliest agricultural practices some 10,000 years ago, and increased by one percent per year, today humanity would be a solid ball of flesh many thousand light years in diameter, and expanding with a radial velocity that, neglecting relativity, would be many times faster than the speed of light.' William Vogt Oil spill fire Aerial view of an oil fire following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico 'We must realise that not only does every area have a limited carrying capacity, but also that this carrying capacity is shrinking and the demand growing. Until this understanding becomes an intrinsic part of our thinking and wields a powerful influence on our formation of national and international policies we are scarcely likely to see in what direction our destiny lies.' Martha Noble Feedlot Industrial livestock production in Brazil 'Despite the industry's spin, concentrated animal feeding operations are not the only way to raise livestock and poultry. Thousands of farmers and ranchers integrate crop production, pastures, or forages with livestock and poultry to balance nutrients within their operations and minimise off- farm pollution through conservation practices and land management. Yet these sustainable producers, who must compete with factory farms for market share, receive comparatively little or no public funding for their sound management practices.' Kavita Ramdas Wage of t' EFTA01114514