Skip to comments.
Alarm sounds on US population boom
The Boston Globe ^
| August 31, 2006
| John Donnelly
Posted on 08/31/2006 7:03:11 AM PDT by 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.
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Mexico; US: Arizona; US: California; US: Colorado; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: aliens; borders; census; economy; illegal; immigration; jobs; populationbomb; populationcontrol; scaretactics; weredoomed
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-138 next last
To: Tenacious 1
The fragile environment? Here we go again. I would like the author to tell us what America should do to stunt our growth. Should we: 1) Stop all legal and illegal immigration YES
2) Pass legislation that restricts reproduction via state issued birthing licenses Yes, for anyone who is a net consumer of taxes.
3) Drown female babies at birth NO
4) Offer government sponsered sterilization YES
5) Start deporting illegal immigrants by the millions YES
6) Move part of the American population to another planet Not yet technologically feasible. Needs more study.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS?
To: DungeonMaster; Vision
We have infrastructure in the heartland.
We have good roads, bridges, electric utilities, locks, dams, rivers, coal mines,timber, natural gas plants, oil and gas wells,oil and gas storage, grain storage, railroads, airports, schools, banks, investment brokers, clean air, plentiful clean water, clean air, huge tracts, both public and private, used for recreation, productive crop land,world class hospitals, medical clinics,low crime rates, manufacturing.
The land isn't really *empty*. It is being used to feed the world, provide commodities, as investment, manufacturing and as spacious living areas. People here live in peace, quiet and healthful conditions.
There are other lifestyles than cookie cutter suburbs, high rise condos and high rise public housing.
Is that a gross population increase, or is it net deaths and emigrants?
42
posted on
08/31/2006 7:42:08 AM PDT
by
reformedliberal
("Eliminate the mullahs and Islam shall disappear in fifty years." Ayatollah Khomeini)
To: DungeonMaster
America is sparsely populated.Thank God. Let's keep it that way.
To: A. Pole
Need elbow room. I can see the smoke from my neighbor's chimney.
-- D Boon
44
posted on
08/31/2006 7:44:19 AM PDT
by
RightWhale
(Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
To: A. Pole
Anyone who honestly believes that America (as a whole) is crowded needs to drive back and forth across the country three times. First along I-80 up north, then back across I-70, and finally wind your way through West Texas.
I would encourage them to never put more than a half a tank of gass in their SUV. That way they would get to see the wide open country and meet some of the folks that live in our overcrowded nation.
45
posted on
08/31/2006 7:51:43 AM PDT
by
Tenacious 1
(War Monger...In the name of liberty, let's go to war!!!!)
To: 50sDad
Uhh, maybe you didn't note the sarcasm tag at the end of my post?
Nancy boy? c'mon you can do better than that.
46
posted on
08/31/2006 7:52:41 AM PDT
by
unixfox
(The 13th Amendment Abolished Slavery, The 16th Amendment Reinstated It !)
To: reformedliberal
We have good roads, bridges, electric utilities, locks, dams, rivers, coal mines,timber, natural gas plants, oil and gas wells,oil and gas storage, grain storage, railroads, airports, schools, banks, investment brokers, clean air, plentiful clean water, clean air, huge tracts, both public and private, used for recreation, productive crop land,world class hospitals, medical clinics,low crime rates, manufacturing.
So build another city. But until then, we're packed. It's about an hour drive from Baltimore city to the PA line. There are now developments for the entire span.
47
posted on
08/31/2006 7:53:36 AM PDT
by
Vision
(God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline 2Timothy1)
To: reformedliberal
You know what else is nice about the heartland? A long drive (about 2-4 hours) get's you to a completely different part of the country. In the "densly populated" eastern and western parts of the country, 2-4 hours gets you home from work.
48
posted on
08/31/2006 7:53:44 AM PDT
by
Tenacious 1
(War Monger...In the name of liberty, let's go to war!!!!)
To: A. Pole
Sounds like the *Boston* Glob wants the rest of the nation to enjoy the miserable economic climate that exists in the north east right now...
Only misanthropes think that more people is a bad thing.
49
posted on
08/31/2006 7:55:14 AM PDT
by
Antoninus
(I don't vote for liberals, regardless of party.)
To: Vision; DungeonMaster
There is PLENTY of room left in the world and especially the USA for more people. Everywhere that is green and gray is pretty much open for more settlement.
50
posted on
08/31/2006 7:55:16 AM PDT
by
Centurion2000
(Property tax is feudalism. Income taxes are armed robbery of the minority by the majority.)
To: Brilliant
I've been sounding this alarm for years. No one cares.
Hey, the Shakers listened to you.
51
posted on
08/31/2006 7:56:54 AM PDT
by
Antoninus
(I don't vote for liberals, regardless of party.)
To: DungeonMaster
Seems like wherever you landed some years ago it was bucolic and now there are a dozen new houses right under your window and every house has a loud truck and a barking dog. Why is that? Is it that you located where there was infrastructure?
52
posted on
08/31/2006 7:56:59 AM PDT
by
RightWhale
(Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
To: Darnright
Yes these days seems most families want the one-boy-one-girl family, not like when I grew up with families around the neighborhood of nine, ten, eleven, and twelve children.
53
posted on
08/31/2006 7:57:24 AM PDT
by
Rummyfan
To: A. Pole
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. Ahhh....I love being an American. This Boston Globe article is suppose to poke a stick in our eye because we are blessed and happy to be here but if you've ever been in a 3rd world country and imagined yourself and your family as citizens there...........well.
To: A. Pole
The birth rate among non-immigrant Americans is below replacement levels. Any growth has been due to immigration and births to immigrants. Anyone who wants to curb growth and yet allow unlimited immigration is on both sides of the issue.
55
posted on
08/31/2006 7:59:29 AM PDT
by
John Jorsett
(scam never sleeps)
To: Lonely NY Conservative
America's competitiveness is derived from its human capital. This is one of those inane statements Big Business boosters like to toss around without having a clue what it actually means. "Competitiveness" has no meaning at all. Competitive in what? Total output? Per-capita output? Per-capita wealth? Quality of life? World Soccer Cup victories?
America's vibrant economy has nothing to do with the number of people. It has everything to do with the amount of capital we have to invest. Not that bogus "human capital" stuff but REAL capital. Technology. The more capital per worker, the more productive the worker and thus the more affluent the nation.
I am convinced that we need a population approaching 500 million by 2050 if we hope to remain the global economic superpower given the expected growth of China and India.
Now you have gone beyond inane into full-blown stupidity. Low population = higher wages = higher per-capita income = higher wealth = higher standard of living. It has been that way all throughout economic history.
To: AppleButter
Thank God. Let's keep it that way.
The Judeo-Christian God said, "Be fruitful and multiply." He did not say, "Let the land be sparsely populated."
You sound like a devotee of the Canaanite religion. Perhaps this is the "god" you're thanking?
57
posted on
08/31/2006 8:03:28 AM PDT
by
Antoninus
(I don't vote for liberals, regardless of party.)
To: daybreakcoming
Which begs the question, at least with me: "What are we supposed to do, ship our excess water to Africa? Water is rather a localized phenomena....People of Africa - - MOVE TO WHERE THE WATER IS!
58
posted on
08/31/2006 8:05:04 AM PDT
by
duckbutt
( If you let a smile be your umbrella, then most likely your butt will get soaking wet.)
To: A. Pole
More proof that liberals simply want all of mankind to die off to leave more room for weeds.
Which Russians and Germans and Japanese are managing nicely. We'll pass, thank you very much.
59
posted on
08/31/2006 8:08:12 AM PDT
by
JasonC
To: AppleButter
Low population = higher wages = higher per-capita income = higher wealth = higher standard of living. It has been that way all throughout economic history.
It also = aging population = immense strain on social service systems = demand for "outside sources" of cheap labor = cultural change = civilizational collapse (at least in the case of Europe.)
Way to trade short-term luxury for long-term destruction. An ant and the grasshopper story if ever there was one.
60
posted on
08/31/2006 8:08:30 AM PDT
by
Antoninus
(I don't vote for liberals, regardless of party.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-138 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson