Cities at the tipping point - overpopulation destroying major U.S. cities.

March 6, 2007 | Joe Lynch

[westcoastwillieg]

Cities at the tipping point - overpopulation destroying major U.S. cities.

Ref: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html

Ref: http://www.carryingcapacity.org/

A common fallacy is to equate existing and seemingly open or "unused" spaces with the kind of resources and ecologically productive land needed to support human life under modern conditions. In fact, the criterion for determining whether a region is overpopulated is not land area, but carrying capacity.

Carrying capacity refers to the number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations. The carrying capacity for any given area is not fixed. It can be altered by improved technology, but mostly it is changed for the worse by pressures which accompany a population increase. As the environment is degraded, carrying capacity actually shrinks, leaving the environment no longer able to support even the number of people who could formerly have lived in the area on a sustainable basis. No population can live beyond the environment's carrying capacity for very long.

The average American's "ecological footprint" (the demands an individual endowed with average amounts of resources, i.e., land, water, food, fiber, waste assimilation and disposal, etc. puts on the environment) is about 12 acres, an area far greater than that taken up by one's residence and place of school or work.

The CIA World Factbook lists the total land area of the United States (includes the 50 states and District of Columbia) as 9,161,923 sq km---converted to acres, the total land area of the United States is 2,263,911,173 acres. Dividing total area by the 12 acre ecological footprint per person yields a sustainable population of 188,659,264. Even if we lower the ecological footprint to 10 acres per person the calculation will yield a population of 226,391,117 far lower than our current population of 300 million. By this measure, the United States is overpopulated by well over 70 million people.

While some may quibble with the method used, the math is irrefutable. This back of the envelope calculation is one that every American should be aware of. Immigration is largely responsible for our population growth. Immigrants don't travel by covered wagon anymore, the majority congregate in our cities. The demands on our cities are overwhelming. Anyone who lives in a large city can see the results of overpopulation on their roads, schools, hospitals, courts and jails. While many reasons are given for electrical outages and the high price of oil, the root cause (usually not stated) is simply overpopulation. The amount of energy we require is largely a function of population. Just as two people require more water than one person so it is with energy in a modern society.

By the year 2050, census estimates predict that our population will be almost 500,000,000 and by 2075 may reach ONE BILLION. Behind China and India, the U.S. is the third most populous nation in the world and we’re fast catching up. According to the U.S. Census Bureau our population was 297,821,175 on January 1, 2006 an increase of 2.71 million in only one year. Unless we elect politicians who have the courage to reduce population growth, the future is grim.

[Irontank]

What's the answer?

How about a moratorium on immigration for a while?

[This Just In]

"Unless we elect politicians who have the courage to reduce population growth, the future is grim."

Ofcourse--Politicians governing the womb--sounds like China.

Well, I guess if we don't vote Democrat, we're doomed, unless it's Romney. I'm sorry, I guess he is a "Republican."

[goldstategop]

Where's the MEGA-BARF Alert? Liberals are misanthropes who want humanity extinct. I want it as numberless as the grains of sand on the seashore and the stars in the heavens. I love mankind and desire it to EXPAND without limits.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[ichabod1]

The science is in, discussion is over.

[untenured]

The tipping point toward the environmental disaster du jour is just around the corner, and always will be.

[ichabod1]

You can't be thereal.

[nascarnation]

I visited Atlanta and Phoenix in the early 70s as a young man.
I thought they were two of the most wonderful places in the US.
Now IMHO they are the Chicagos of the SE and SW.

I'll have to pick a new retirement spot, LOL

[voltaires_zit]

While not endorsing the conclusions or methodology of this article, the population numbers going forward are a bit of a problem, especially the "highest series":

http://www.census.gov/population/projections/nation/summary/np-t1.pdf

Year 2100
Middle Series 570,954
Lowest Series 282,706
Highest Series 1,182,390
Zero Immigration Series 377,444

[ichabod1]

How big is YOUR eco-footprint, pal?

[PeterPrinciple]

Where did they get this number:

Answer in the article:

While some may quibble with the method used, the math is irrefutable.

[This Just In]

"Yet the author states that the country is overpopulated by 70 million."

New math. I guess the author never traveled through the Owens Valley, Death Valley, Mojave, the entire state of Nevada........................................................

[teawithmisswilliams]

The average American's "ecological footprint" (the demands an individual endowed with average amounts of resources, i.e., land, water, food, fiber, waste assimilation and disposal, etc. puts on the environment) is about 12 acres, an area far greater than that taken up by one's residence and place of school or work.

Sounds like we should immediately stop all immigration here, doesn't it? After all, they will start consuming like Americans.

I'm sure the good leftie would agree. /sarc.

[EagleUSA]

If we had a country of 300 million hard working, independent people there would be no "overpopulation" problem. But no, we have to have millions and millions of useless gaping mouths, which the rest of us must work hard to feed.
----
Ah yes, very true. But guess WHO does not want it that way? WHO wants lots of DEPENDENT GOVERMENT piglets all slopping out of the taxpayer pig-trough?? Therein lies our problem. Government dependency is the lifeblood of the liberals...be they DemoRat or Republican.

[Pan_Yan]

Unless we elect politicians who have the courage to reduce population growth, the future is grim.

You first.

[goldstategop]

Malthusian garbage recycled by Paul Ehrlich's doom-mongering acolytes. The same people who warn us we'd destroy the planet with our advanced technological civilization - the same one that has eliminated famine, disease and made life easier, pleasant and far more happy than it used to be in olden times. That's what the Left is upset about and it fears there will be more pie for people to share. The liberal notion about shrinking resources is just dead plain wrong!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[RicocheT]

Whole premise is a crock. China has twenty or so cities bigger than NYC or LA. The USA has more arable land and clean water than China. Why does the US have to be the one to impose limits on itself?

[Experiment 6-2-6]

No population can live beyond the environment's carrying capacity for very long.

Um, that's why we have large farms that grow crops.. I thought this person would actually speak intelligently about water availability, which is the true limiting factor in places like Las Vegas or Los Angeles, but that is more a basis on what residents are willing to spend for a gallon of water, rather than not having any water to spare.

Why is it that this loser wants us to revert back to the stone age?

Why am I limited to 12 acres???

[Centurion2000]

The average American's "ecological footprint" (the demands an individual endowed with average amounts of resources, i.e., land, water, food, fiber, waste assimilation and disposal, etc. puts on the environment) is about 12 acres

My foot print is 56 Acres ... kewl.

Find yours here : Earth Day Nazi Ecological Footprint calculator

[Deo volente]

While the population of cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia is actually declining, here in Los Angeles the growth rate is astounding, and most of the newcomers are from south of the border.

The traffic on the freeways here is unbelievable. The 405 from Orange County all the way north through the San Fernando Valley has been reduced to a crawl all day long. Even at 10 PM, it is gridlocked from the airport through West L.A.

Some areas of the city near downtown are jammed with immigrants (illegal??) living in large apartment buildings, and the traffic on surface streets is horrendous.
Century City is a nightmare to traverse on a weekday.

Don't even get me started on housing prices or rents. I'll only say that if you want a one bedroom apartment in a relatively desirable area, you can expect to fork over $1200/month at a minimum. The really nice areas in West L.A. go for about $1600-1800/month.

I've been living here for 35 years, and this area has definitely gone downhill.
The good weather and my job are the only thing keeping me here at the moment.

[ichabod1]

You got me beat, I'm at 49.