Sorry for all the traffic. :-)

After a great deal of thought, I have concluded that what you describe, this population overshoot and subsequent collapse, were completely inevitable.

At some point, a majority of the richest humans would have to have given up a great deal of their lifestyle, simply to avoid catastrophe fifty years down the road. But most people would never do that based on complex and complicated scientific truths.

I feel better if I believe that it wasn't all an easily avoidable mistake.

Hope your present day is good...