Is the human carrying capacity of our planet a matter of debate? In this book, it is. Viewpoints arising out of social concern, scientific investigation, and religious belief are brought together here to explore population issues in the twenty-first century. Topics include women as a factor in sustainable development, the roles of genetic engineering, the potential effects of climate change on food supply, the differing views of two bishops on birth control, and population and environmental crises in the former Soviet Union. This thought-provoking book opens up a subject that too often simply goes unmentioned: human population growth as a pressing environmental issue.