Ehrlich believes the battle to feed humanity is being lost. He argues the idea of the sea as an inexhaustible source of food is a red herring. He says Earth can sustain only a finite population, though technological advances have temporarily reduced the effect of population regulators like famine. He argues improving food production by increasing harvest from the sea treats the symptom, not the disease, which is earth's overpopulation. He calls for population controls around the world.