Is overpopulation a problem (or does it exist)?

Overpopulation does not exist. Overpopulation may exist over the next few decades if humans continue giving birth at their current rate.

What is the best solution to this problem?

Best solutions? War, famine, plague for a major solution. Euthanasia, death penalty, and the like for minor a solution.

Overpopulation is one of the biggest problems that will continuously plague humanity. Unfortunately, our short-term thinking society will not realize the gravity of overpopulation until the population reaches the projected 9.2-11 billion people in 2050. By then, it'll perhaps be too late to expect change to save civilization. However, short of government mandated solutions to population control, we must instead look at appealing to families through shifts in societal belief.

Population growth is expected to remain close to zero in most developed nations, and most growth will be seen in the undeveloped/developing nations. The growth is expected to level out to 42 million per year by 2050 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_growth#Human_population_growth_rate). Also by 2050, undeveloped nations are expected to rise from a population of 5.3 billion to 7.8 billion. Developed nations are expected to remain around 1.2 billion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation#cite_note-autogenerated2- 23 )

The effect of such growth could be dire:

Poverty levels are not expected to decrease, and at the moment are rapidly increasing. This means that as the poor continue grow (and remain presumably uneducated) growth will continue. They also become drains on society, the economy, and their environment.

Congestion and pollution increase as more cars, trains, planes, machines, and power plants are put online to sate the demand by the growing population. Such growth will be unsustainable in the long term. Power plants will not be able to provide power as efficiently. The standard of living will probably decrease as a result.

Agriculture will continue to increase, but it may increase at the cost of the environment. Forests producing oxygen and taking away carbon dioxide will be cut down (especially in developing countries) to provide for farmland. Even so, hunger will remain, and agriculture will be unable to provide for the needs of the hungry masses. Starvation will ensue, and again the standard of living decreases. Additionally, resources are consumed at an ever-increasing rate.

Diseases will become more common as living quarters become smaller. Diseases once thought of as contained or dealt with will have a resurgence due to close contact with other people.

The larger youth proportions makes for more social conflict that is potentially violent. (see "youth bulge" http://www.answers.com/topic/population-pyramid#Youth_bulge )

Solutions to such a crisis?

Well, there's several possibilities. (1) Educate the society to make voluntary changes to their reproductive habits so that the population will decrease to a sustainable number. (2) Mandate by fines or government mandates to decrease the population. (3) Establish off-world colonies (I'm thinking the Moon and Mars). (4) Do nothing.

Immediately, I'll discard (3) for the moment, as it is the most unrealistic. As for (2), it would have too many negative impacts. (2) would most likely be seen as government interference into the bedroom, leading to general unhappiness with the cause and the desired effect. (4) is inherently dangerous for the effects of overpopulation. (1), the most realistic, is the most likable option. Simple education on birth control, family planning, and long term goals could achieve the desired effect of lowering the population significantly. However, due to the current societal inhibitions against family planning, we must be able to shed such fears, and realize that if we want the world to be better for our children, such measures must be taken. Not government, but education.

A good solution to overpopulation would be an engineered, non-fatal plague that has a high sterilisation rate. People can't be relied upon to make a responsible decision for the future, and will tend to breed uncontrollably. A plague that sterilises has the benefit of being random, so that middlemen cannot choose who breeds and who doesn't, prolific in spreading which would help to cut repopulation rates for decades, and it wouldn't cause death.

I suggest the best solution is to educate people on the urgency of this matter. This, followed by government mandates, will improve the odds of this problem diminishing. Additionally and/or alternatively, create landmasses in the Pacific Ocean.

Overpopulation is a problem but it should all be over soon ;)

Overpopulation is a big problem but birth control education is a remedy.