Kinda scary isn't it? I do sleep better at night knowing that we somehow got through the cold war (fallout shelters and nuclear winter)and the peak of our population growth in one piece. The USSR unexpectedly collapsed overnight and the planet is awash with inexpensive food.

In addition, Bush will not be in office forever, the internet is making the planet smaller and less isolated, and our technology growth is fully exponential. The combinatorial power of billions of  human minds will soon be coming on line as so many in China and India are pulling themselves out of poverty, getting educated, and joining the freemarket chase for profit and status. But you are right, it is a narrow path.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: http://www.saveourbiodiversity.com