Overpopulation - Problem or not?

[The Grand Nudger]

We've faced a population and energy crisis before? On the same scale as what faces us now? When?

What scale? I think you'd have to judge any crisis on the relative and not raw numbers - with regards to our history. There are more of us here now. Once you have an energy crisis, population becomes an issue - if it wasn't already. It's difficult to imagine what an energy crisis might look like if we imagine that it's somehow a separate issue than the number of consumers and their rates of consumption vs what's available. I'm trying to find you a nice book on this that isn't all deleted out in search of commercial opportunity. To get you started, here's something by a man named Paolo Malanima

The energy system of the ancient Mediterranean civilisations was the same
as that of all agrarian societies between the 5th millennium B.C. and the 19th

century, and the level of per head consumption of energy was the same too.
This system was based on food, firewood, and fodder for working animals.
Despite the increase in useful knowledge and the extensive development of
the agrarian energy basis, supported by a favourable climatic phase, this
system was finally unable to support the increasing population. Per capita
availability of energy began to diminish. An unfavourable climatic phase, from
the 2nd century A.D., contributed to this decline.

http://www.paolomalanima.it/default_file...ONMENT.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Malanima

Take special notice here, the author presents a best case scenario. New inventions, extensive development of energy infrastructure, all in a favorable climatic phase (very important to their energy base, obviously). They had it all - and yet....