In the debate on environmental sustainability, natural resource depletion, pollution and climate crisis-in short, on the future of the planet-the central issue is always the search for those responsible and who will have to shoulder the burden of the ecological transition.

What is excluded from all reasoning, however, is the deep root of the problem, the uncomfortable question that no one seems to want to answer: are there too many of us on this planet?

In recent decades, the issue of overpopulation has been addressed, yes, but often accompanied by catastrophic predictions and apocalyptic tones that have nipped in the bud the possibility of setting up a rational and constructive discourse. Instead, it is a delicate, multifaceted topic that has implications in every sphere of human activity (social, economic, political) and sometimes unexpected surprises.

Alfonso Lucifredi therefore decided to interview experts from different disciplines that are more or less directly related to population growth (from climate physics to economics, from demography to medicine, from biology to agriculture) to give the reader back a lucid look at an urgent issue that deserves our attention.