Alarm sounds on US population boom

The Boston Globe ^ | August 31, 2006 | John Donnelly

[A. Pole]

WASHINGTON -- The United States, now at nearly 300 million people, is the only industrialized country that has experienced strong population growth in the last decade, creating concerns that the boom and Americans' huge appetites for food, water, and land will sharply erode the nation's natural resources in coming years, according to a report released yesterday.

The Northeast remains by far the most densely populated region of the nation, but it also had the slowest population growth in the country during the 1990s

[...]

In contrast, the South and the West were booming, creating new pressure on fragile environments and water sources.

For the first time, the report compared national and regional population trends with environmental indicators, highlighting stresses that growing populations are placing on nature, according to the report and outside analysts.

While some researchers focus on alarming fertility rates in poor countries, which grew by 16.3 percent from 1995 to 2005, the US population grew by 10.6 percent in that period, or 29 million people, the report noted. Europe during that time grew by 504,000 people, or less than 1 percent.

[...]

Americans consume like no other nation -- using three times the amount of water per capita than the world average and nearly 25 percent of the world's energy, despite having 5 percent of the global population; and producing five times more daily waste than the average in poor countries.

[...]

But the booming South and West regions show some of the most dramatic environmental stresses, according to the report. For example, the four fastest-growing states -- Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah -- all have areas of acute water shortages.

[...]

[NorthWoody]

Where must one live to consider I-80 to be "up north"? :-)

I'm even north of I-90!

[FreedomCalls]

How do you figure? While there is a lot of land, the areas with infrastructure are filled. DC's traffic is almost a catastrophe.

There is less than 6 people per square mile of land in Wyoming as compared to 1,134 per square mile of land in New Jersey or 9,316 in DC. I think that there's room for some growth in Wyoming.

[FreedomCalls]

They will come to the cities, which are situated around water. You can't just go out to the country and create one.

Yes you can. That is how most American cities got started. Someone went out into the country and started one.

[reelfoot]

Close the borders, strictly limit legal immigration to people we actually need in this country, repatriate illegals, and revoke temporary work permits.

There will be a concomitant easing of the crowding on our highways, in our schools, in our emergency rooms, in our prisons, and a lessening of the drain on our natural resources.

Throw out any Republicrat/Demican who will not control immigration.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I see the spirit of Paul R. Ehrlich is back.

And still just as full of BS as ever.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I'll put my faith in the creative genius of the human mind guided by a capitalist market system and skip the Logan's Run/Soylent Green solution for now.

You are wise to do so.

Oddly enough we have never been better off in the US and globally.

For the first time in the history of the world we have more people who are overweight then we have people who are starving.

Seemingly no one among the Doom crowd understands what a wonderful thing this is.

We have a healthier, longer living, freer and more prosperous and more peaceful world population then at any other time in history and in the US things life is beyond sweet. Our poor live lives that include luxuries that only the wealthy had for most of history and the ordinary citizen has resources at his fingertips that dwarf those of Kings of past ages.

[Vision]

There's no water in the rural areas? Are the farmers raising pre-dessicated beef?

Are you comparing the amount of water cows need to the amount 5 million people need?

[Vision]

But you're not the average. Every few months there is a story about the children in upstate NY heading out. I see that trend everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I like the country.

[Vision]

Sounds good, build a city, then you can fill it.

[Vision]

Look at a map of cities, they are almost all around some source of water.

[VOA]

America is sparsely populated.

It's gonna' be fun to see what The Sierra Club does when the late
arrivals start squatting in "environmentally sensitive" areas.
Say, Yosemite.
Or in the desert and they start dining on endangered desert tortoise.

[FreedomCalls]

Intersting fact: Dallas, Texas was first started in 1841 when John Neely Bryan arrived in November 1841 with his dog and a Cherokee friend, Ned and decided to stay. Prior to that other people had explored the area or stayed a little bit and left. John Bryan, Ned, and the dog were the first to stay there permanently. And so it started. In 1990 there were 1,852,810 people there. From two men and a dog to 1,852,810 people in only 149 years! That's the way cities are created.

[investigateworld]

Actually, a California computer entrepreneur made a series donation to the Sierra Club in return for a promise they would never address immigration issue.
His name escapes me at the moment, but be certain that knowledge is within the FReepdom.

[Tenacious 1]

[Where must one live to consider I-80 to be "up north"? :-)

I'm even north of I-90!]

That must be pretty far north, eh?

[CottonBall]

All those are excellent ideas for dealing with the high costs of college these days. Plus puts some of the responsibility on the child, so they're more likely to appreciate it and finish college.

[Tenacious 1]

[Look at a map of cities, they are almost all around some source of water.]

Not Indianapolis, IN. We get to claim the honor of being the largest city in the nation not strategically located near a major water way.

We truly live in the biggest small town in America. All the big city amenities with small town values and character.

SSHHhhh. Don't tell anyone, it is a well kept secret so far.

[Invisible Gorilla]

The United States, now at nearly 300 million people, is the only industrialized country that has experienced strong population growth in the last decade,

And we're thriving while they're dying.

[Invisible Gorilla]

America is sparsely populated.

That's a well unknown fact.

[CottonBall]

College tuition is out of control.<

Ain't that the truth. I am surprised anybody at all is able to go to college these days. (Here I go making myself feel old) I remember when my tuition, fees, and books could be had for around $1000 a semester. This was in the 80's at a state university. The costs of college have grown much, much faster than inflation. Who is getting all the money?

[NorthWoody]

Vell, yah, ya know, vy, I'm in Minnesooota dere, yah. Soudeast part o' da state dere, yah.