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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
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To: Vision
We have cities.
I really don't understand your post. We go 45 miles to the nearest medium sized city (51k) in 40 minutes, even on a detour of very winding roads in hill country.
If you are disgusted with the megalopolis, you have an entire country from which to choose. My son is in IT, works from a village of about 300 in SoDak and his middle class lifestyle costs perhaps 15% of a similar one on the coast. Our newspapers are full of ads for engineers, med staff, and various technical positions.
There is plenty of room supported by excellent infrastructure and productive people in many types of professions, jobs, endeavors.
81
posted on
08/31/2006 9:09:00 AM PDT
by
reformedliberal
("Eliminate the mullahs and Islam shall disappear in fifty years." Ayatollah Khomeini)
To: Beelzebubba
In some areas, they don't even meter water.
Why should they? Its the globalist control freaks who want to change this.
To: A. Pole
I attended U/Mass Boston several years ago.. The campus is across the street from the Boston Globe.
The big theme back in those days was all about the "limits to growth" and the "Club of Rome" predictions for the future, and a host of other information which was rather conclusive concerning the inability of the planet to sustain human life beyond the 1990s.
Almost everybody that I knew took that stupid Course which had 500 students at a time in each Class.
The only thing around here that won't survive is the Boston Globe and the U/Mass campus which was built with the same sort of craftsmanship and political sponsorship as was the Big Dig!
83
posted on
08/31/2006 9:25:44 AM PDT
by
Radix
(You too can learn to Google at Light Speed, for a small fee.)
To: DBrow
84
posted on
08/31/2006 9:27:41 AM PDT
by
Clintonfatigued
(illegal aliens commit crimes that Americans won't commit)
To: reformedliberal
My son is in IT, works from a village of about 300 in SoDak
Where does he work?
You don't understand my post? It's very simple. Traffic is so bad in most major cities that it's a disaster. And I don't like your attitude that we should keep importing people into this country to fill non-crisis cities because we can; especially while we are going through major cultural wars, illegal immigrant protests aimed at hurting our economy, and jihad.
So my question to you is, what is your agenda?
85
posted on
08/31/2006 9:33:10 AM PDT
by
Vision
(God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline 2Timothy1)
To: Darnright
Have you ever noticed the bias society has against people with large families? There is a not-so-subtle pressure to have the perfect family size.
I think the main issue driving this bias is that, many times, when a family has many kids, they are not capable of supporting their children without using taxpayers' money. It has to do with being seen as irresponsible. With college educations costing between $50,000-$100,000 for a state university, most couples cannot afford to have very many children and pay for all their needs and their education without government handouts (grants are based on income and the number of children in the family). Nine times out of ten, when I see a large family in the grocery store, they are using food stamps. Of course, I'm in California where most of the large families are illegals. I do know some well-off couples that have large families and I have no problem with that because I know they're not forcing others to pay for them.
To: CottonBall
>With college educations costing between $50,000-$100,000 for a state university, most couples cannot afford to have very many children and pay for all their needs and their education without government handouts (grants are based on income and the number of children in the family).<
Heck, with the high college costs today, very few middle class people can send their young people to college, without some kind of help. College tuition is out of control.
87
posted on
08/31/2006 10:02:32 AM PDT
by
Darnright
(http://www.irey.com/)
To: NoFoxholeAthiests
[For my part, my wife and I have 6 kids. I hope to have
six more (Lord willing). The Bible says our children
will "stand in the Gates and defend us from our enemies".
Who will join me in raising Godly children to
make this country great and stand up against Islamo-fascism? :-)]
I have one and one on the way. God willing we will have at least one more. The problem is, they take to long to cook (9 months).
88
posted on
08/31/2006 10:10:53 AM PDT
by
Tenacious 1
(War Monger...In the name of liberty, let's go to war!!!!)
To: AppleButter
That's easy to fix. Get rid of the misguided social service system that attempts to keep old folks alive forever. You can adjust the average age of the population downward by either adding more young people, or eliminating the older people. 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.
To: CottonBall
College can be much cheaper if someone does things like:
1. Starts out at a community college
2. Lives at home while in school
3. Get's scholarships
4. Works part time while in college
5. Has the kids save some money for school during
pre-teen and teen years.
etc.
Don't let college costs scare you away from having
children. ;-)
90
posted on
08/31/2006 11:50:09 AM PDT
by
NoFoxholeAthiests
(Children are a blessing from the Lord)
To: A. Pole
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah never had any water below 3,000 feet, that's why we call it a desert.
91
posted on
08/31/2006 1:53:11 PM PDT
by
Old Professer
(The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
To: aruanan
Unemployment still below 5% and massive growth of population compared to other developed countries?
We're doomed! Sell your stocks! Build your nuke shelter! Don't go outside!
92
posted on
08/31/2006 2:02:35 PM PDT
by
listenhillary
(Only the stupidest of animals fouls it's own nest - Democrats provide a fine example of this)
To: Vision
"They will come to the cities, which are situated around water."
There's no water in the rural areas? Are the farmers raising pre-dessicated beef?
93
posted on
08/31/2006 2:05:28 PM PDT
by
listenhillary
(Only the stupidest of animals fouls it's own nest - Democrats provide a fine example of this)
To: A. Pole
<malthus>
Aaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!
We're all gonna die!
</malthus>
94
posted on
08/31/2006 2:07:00 PM PDT
by
TChris
(Banning DDT wasn't about birds. It was about power.)
To: A. Pole
Population decline causes tons of problems for, and is possibly caused by, welfare nets like Social Security. I'm surprised liberals haven't caught on to this.
95
posted on
08/31/2006 2:10:39 PM PDT
by
Dumb_Ox
(http://kevinjjones.blogspot.com)
To: unixfox
We consume like no other nation, but we also produce like no other nation.
Sometimes I almost find myself wishing that the USSR still existed so the US wasn't the "lone superpower" and some of these whining, hand-wringing whackos would get off America's back. It's lonely at the top, but we're at the top for a bunch of good reasons.
I mean, can't people give it a rest? Doesn't anyone subscribe to the old adage "live and let live" anymore? People just have too much time on their hands to worry about senseless crap.
96
posted on
08/31/2006 2:24:17 PM PDT
by
NorthWoody
(A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. - Theodore Roosevelt)
To: Tenacious 1
Great post. Did I mention that was a great post?
Another good question for them is, "How exactly is the environment "fragile"?" A good share of the southwest is rock, sand and desert flora and fauna. To survive in that harsh environment I'd say the species that live there are anything but fragile.
It's all scare tactics and hype to draw in the sheeple. Most people who read the phrase "fragile environment" in this, or any other, article do so without a critical thought. They just accept it and read on, without realizing they're accepting a ridiculous lie. Another example of a lie repeated often enough becoming truth.
97
posted on
08/31/2006 2:33:54 PM PDT
by
NorthWoody
(A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. - Theodore Roosevelt)
To: Vision
I've been told NJ is almost built out. China and New Jersey have the same population per square mile.
98
posted on
08/31/2006 2:44:15 PM PDT
by
Eclectica
(Para el inglés, prensa 2.)
To: Vision
People stay in rural areas. I'm an example (hometown population is around 225, high school alma mater is pop. 4300, town I live in now is pop. 775), along with many people I've known since childhood. Many have moved to cities/suburbs, but many have not.
Cities are nice places to visit now and then, if one avoids rush hour, but you couldn't pay me enough to ever even think of living in one.
99
posted on
08/31/2006 2:45:15 PM PDT
by
NorthWoody
(A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. - Theodore Roosevelt)
To: A. Pole
The United States, now at nearly 300 million people, is the only industrialized country that has experienced strong population growth in the last decade In other words the only industrialized country that people want to move to, the only industrialized country that holds out hope and promise for the rest of the world, the only industrialized country that people want to bet their future on -- still "the shining city on the hill" in the words of Ronald Reagan.
100
posted on
08/31/2006 2:50:47 PM PDT
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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