The global population today is 8.2 billion people, and by most reports this number is expected to continue to climb to about 2080, despite the fact the number of children born in the world each year actually started falling in 2012. The reason the population will probably not peak until later this century is because people are just living longer. With fewer people being born each year now, the age of exponential growth in consumption will soon be a thing of the past. if current trends continue, the global human population could reduce to and stabilize at perhaps 2 billion people in a couple of centuries' time, according to a new study by Spears and Geruso ('After the Spike'). That is around the population of the world as it was in about 1920. Before 1800 it was well under 1 billion. Through this lens, it can be seen that the current phase of human activity on this planet is temporary - a short phase of mass consumption, mass pollution and catastrophic environmental degradation, before we return to a sustainable civilization. The job of our generation is to realize this, and to make some sacrifices, if need be, to check our rampant consumption and pollution - lest we irreparably damage and destroy our fragile ecosystems to the detriment of all future animals and people that will inhabit this planet.