Short selling is part of price discovery. Some people believe a stock price will go down, and selling it short gives them a way to profit if it does. Remember, they will lose their shirt if the price goes up. Prices are determined on the free market by people battling over whether they think the price will go up or down.
Anyone making illegal short sell trades should be persecuted.

The Club of Rome research from 50 years ago has been shown to be incorrect on every point that we have reached so far. It is so wrong it is ridiculous. In the 50 years since that report, famines have been wiped from the face of the earth.

Global industrial output continues to grow.
https://www.macrotrends.net/2583/industrial-production-historical-chart

Global food growth per capita:
https://ourworldindata.org/food-per-person

Population growth predictions: maybe will peak somewhere in the 2100's
https://ourworldindata.org/future-population-growth#global-population-growth