With the exception of pockets of enlightenment around the planet, history will repeat itself. Humans will do what we have always done, exploit the natural world to maximize our comforts. The difference over the next century will be that our comforts, what we define as the norm, will expand many fold across the globe both in range and the number of people participating. Studies indicate that with this likely scenario the sustainability of the ecosystem will be barely achievable with a global population of under 3 billion.
We are heading for 10 billion.
 While many micro solutions in our consumption and environmental practices exist, they amount to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
We need a discussion on population and few seem to be willing to participate. In fact recently a G and M journalist recently opined that Canada's population should be at least 100,000,000. Of course this time he argued, we would get it right environmentally.
Yes, of course we would. Hubris at its best.