Acharya Prashant explains that the true meaning of minimalism in the current era is the reduction of the human population on Earth. He asserts that the planet has already exceeded its capacity to sustain humanity. We are currently living through a phase of mass extinction where species are vanishing at a rate a thousand times higher than the natural rate, primarily due to human activity rather than natural causes. He notes that while carbon dioxide has been a factor in past extinctions, it is again the driving force behind the current crisis. He argues that reducing material possessions like shoes or clothes is insufficient and even hypocritical if one continues to have multiple children, as the environmental impact of a single human life far outweighs minor lifestyle adjustments.