It seems like anti immigration sentiment, that has arisen in so many countries over recent years, is a symptom of overpopulation. Can all 8 billion plus people, on this planet, live the lifestyles of richer nations; especially the USA?
Two things come to mind related to the carrying capacity of this planet. One is the number of people and the other is the way people live. I think there is no hard number for "capacity" of the planet, unlike the fire department capacity ratings for auditoriums. This depends a lot on how people live and create the economies of various nations.
Capacity for the planet, is a fuzzy number. For instance a green energy economy might be able to accommodate more people than a fossil fuel economy can in the long run. I say "might" as there is debate about whether green technology can sustain our consumptive economy today, versus the high energy density of fossil fuels.
Conceivably, we could accommodate large populations, but do we have the will to make it work? It seems like there is lots of pushback against growth that manifests itself in many ways. Pushback against immigration as well as pushback against new construction, such as housing, in various neighborhoods. Our infrastructure of roads, water systems, power systems and so forth must expand and be made more green, but there is pushback against that as well.
New people, such as from immigration, can bring new talents and vitality to a region; especially as populations age. At the same time, there are downsides of increasing populations. It's not the fault of the individuals who are seeking better lives. It's just the situation of population and consumption as a whole.
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