The need for regulation is directly relation to population size, which is ironic because many of those who are in favor of deregulation are also in favor of unl

The need for regulation is directly relation to population size, which is ironic because many of those who are in favor of deregulation are also in favor of unlimited "growth". If you are the only person on the planet, you don't need laws and you don't need regulations - they are moot by definition. If there are 10 people on the planet, they could each have a coal burning power plant that is 1% efficient and still have no measurable impact on the environment. The number of people you jam onto the lifeboat is directly proportional to the number of rules and regulations you need to manage the interpersonal relationships, scarcity of resources and the consequences of behavior on the finite environment.