It is survival of the species that counts, and the 'geological' timescales over which it does. Some individuals from that species reproducing is obviously a req

It is survival of the species that counts, and the 'geological' timescales over which it does. Some individuals from that species reproducing is obviously a requirement - but only as a means to an end. Whether individuals reproduce or not, usually doesn't matter much unless you have really small # of individuals left and it's "have babies or go extinct". At this point, one could well argue that our species has a better shot at (longterm) survival when fewer individuals reproduce, vs. when our numbers keep increasing. If so, depopulation would enhance chance of our species' survival.