A worldwide increase in the use of manufactured energy for labor-saving purposes is a prospective means for stopping the world's explosive population growth. Increased affluence long has been known to motivate lower birthrates, smaller families, and slower rates of population growth. Population-ecology studies show the motivator of lower birthrates to be a decreased reliance on offspring for income or security through increased mechanization and a resultant decrease in the need for physical labor. Other factors such as advanced education or abortion show less influence statistically on birthrates.

A correlation is established between the birthrates of many countries versus the per capita consumption of electric energy. From this, the total energy consumption corresponding to worldwide population stability at a total population four times greater than at present is estimated to be 30 to 40 times the world's present rate of electric-energy consumption.

The world's developable energy supplies are assessed in terms of economic feasibility, how soon the supplies could be brought to bear on the population problem, and the overall magnitude of future energy requirements. Only uranium-based nuclear energy, natural gas, crude oil, and coal appear capable of being supplied fast enough and in large enough quantities to stop the population explosion before serious overcrowding occurs.

Examined rationally, only uranium-based nuclear electric energy appears capable of filling these large energy demands without producing significant health hazards. Nuclear electric energy also offers the advantage of averting an increase in the "greenhouse effect" of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and thereby would avoid the risk of a 30-60-m rise in sea level caused by the melting of the earth's ice caps. Other potential hazards appear to be subject to safe control, so that uranium-based nuclear electric energy is the most favorable candidate to satisfy the energy projections corresponding to worldwide population stability.