overpopulation

Mass extinctions, water shortages, dwindling oil reserves, grinding poverty. Can the Earth sustain every one of us?

Whether it takes two days of queuing up, using a mannequin to keep your place in line, or stripping naked in the middle of the train station to protest the wait, the Chinese are determined to get home. A record 230 million people, almost seven times Canada’s population, were expected to board trains, buses and airplanes during the two weeks before the Chinese New Year, which this year falls on Feb. 3—a total of 2.85 billion trips over a 40-day period. It is the world’s largest annual human migration, and a yearly odyssey for people trying to reunite with their families for what is China’s most important festivity.