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In 1969, President Nixon issued to Congress a "Message on Population."
Referring to the expectation of the time that the U.S. population might
exceed 300 million by the year 2000, he said:
President's Council on Sustainable Development - Population Issues. Between 1972 and the 1994-95 work of the Population and Consumption Task Force of the PCSD no sustained official conversation about U.S. population growth has taken place. Most citizens- and most government officials-assumed incorrectly that below-replacement fertility automatically means immediate zero population growth and that U.S. population is no longer growing. In contrast, immigration has received considerable attention. Several national commissions have reviewed immigration issues, including illegal immigrants and refugees, and published reports and recommendations. The most recent effort, which was chaired by the late Barbara Jordan, is the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. Its work is still under way. The U.S. population grows at 0.7% annually when immigration is not taken into account, compared to an average annual growth rate (also without counting immigration) of not more than 0.2% in all of Europe. The U.S. population grows at approximately 1.0% when immigration is taken into account. In 1994, the United States added nearly 2.0 million people to the population from the excess of births over deaths and, it is estimated, at least 1.0 million people from net migration into the country. This scale of growth adds another Connecticut in population each year, and another California each decade. Only a handful of countries, all of them developing, contribute more to their populations annually. President's Concil on Sustainable Development
Can America Sustain a Population of 500 Million -- Or Even a Billion -- by 2100? Set in 2038, the science fiction book Earth, was written by David Brin in 1990. The story, written before global warming was a well known phenomenon, depicts an overcrowded world of 10 billion people inundated by rising sea levels, with Bangladesh's capital underwater. Holes in the ozone layer make any trip outside life-threatening, and even livestock wear eye covers. Siberia is tropical. The last wildlife is housed in zoo-like "arks," and private cars have been outlawed in favor of bicycles. A glass of pure water costs as much as the monthly rent, and jail time is ordered for anyone throwing away a soda bottle. The 10 billion by 2038 figure predicted by Brin might be just in time, going by U.S. Census Bureau figures. Population activism, tends to focus--laudably--on global growth. But how can a country like the U.S. lecture the world if it's own population is predicted to double to 571 million by 2100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau middle projections (it's high projections say 1 billion). In 1900, when America's doors were wide open to immigration and birth rates were accelerating, there were just 76 million Americans. Today foreign-born Americans consititute a tenth of the population, the highest level since 1930. 40% of New York City residents are foreign-born. The U.S. is the fast-growing industrialized country in the world, growing 1.2% annually. The President's Council on Sustainable Development in 1996 listed moving toward stabilizing U.S. population as one of it's 10 goals. Of the doubling U.S. population, Jay Keller, national field director for Zero Population Growth said, "Such a huge increase could be tremendously damaging. Even with the current population we have a lot of environmental challenges." A doubling would mean a population density of 161.4 people per square mile. While this is only a quarter that of western European countries like England, these countries have surrendered most of their wilderness regions, native forests and unique animal populations. "Some of the European countries have very high population densities, with the consequence that they have to import most of their food and are very dependent on the rest of the world," says Keller. "The United States, by contrast, is still one of the great breadbaskets of the world." In the U.S. 400,000 acres of farmland are lost a year. Under doubling of the population, arable land would go from 400 million acres today to 290 million and the $40 billion the U.S. makes through food exports would be seriously threatened. Keller pointed out that Europe has not only stopped its population growth but actually reversed it. By 2050, Italy's population is expected to shrink from 57 million today to 41 million and Germany's from 82 million now, to 73 million. In the meantime, world population overall grows by 78 million a year, or every three days by the size of the city of San Francisco. 27,000 species of animals and plants are lost annually. According to Peter Ward of Washington University, "Every forest, every valley, every bit of land surface capable of sustaining plant life, as well as much of the plankton in the sea, will have to be turned over to crops if our species is to avert unprecedented global famine." Deforestation at home could reach equally alarming rates. "Imagine every congested, sprawled part of the country right now, then double the number of people," says population activist Roy Beck of Numbers USA. If there were 1 billion Americans living as they do today, Bob Engelman, vice president for research at Population Action International, said " ..Each American generates five tons of the global warming gas carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, so that would mean five billion tons from the U.S. alone, with dire consequences for the climate. There would definitely not be enough water, particularly in places like southern California, Nevada and south Florida. Food security would be a major issue, because urban sprawl would take away much of our remaining prime farmland. Forests could not possibly be stable with that level of population. Major biodiversity would also be lost: 95% of the country's endangered plants are in just three states, California, Florida and Hawaii, which have the highest population growth rates." The environmental impact of the average American is 30 to 50 times that of a citizen in a country like India. The richest fifth of the world's population produces 53% of all carbon dioxide emissions, consumes 80% of the world's natural resources and generates 80% of the pollution and waste. Despite these facts, American media portrays environmental problems--from climate change to urban sprawl, and from species loss to soil erosion--as if they were isolated phenomena, unaffected by factors like rapid population growth. According to Population-Environment Balance: If 92 million households in the U.S. switched three lamps from 75-watt incandescent bulbs to 18-watt compact fluorescents, the savings would amount to 157 billion kilowatt hours over the seven-year lifespan of the bulbs. But in that same seven years, the U.S. would add 20 million new residents, and these additional energy users would soak up another 193 billion kilowatts of electricity in their compact fluorescent lamps. 93% of the United States' increase in energy use since 1970 can be attributed to population growth. By 2050, over 80% of the growth will be attributable to immigrants and their descendants who have settled here since the 1990s, as indicated by Census Bureau figures. 72% were opposed to high immigration in a 1998 Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. A 1993 Hispanic USA Research Group survey showed that 89% of Hispanic Americans strongly support an immediate moratorium on immigration, and 74% feel fewer immigrants should be allowed and stronger restrictions should be enforced. But business groups still lobby for an open door immigration policy to suppress the high wages that would otherwise be demanded in a full-employment economy, and there is no comparable countervailing pressure. And politicians support high immigration levels for fear of alienating large ethnic voting blocks.
The 1999 U.S. population is 272 million, making it the world's third largest country in terms of population, but only 1/4 of a billion compared with China's and India's combined 2 billion. The US land size is about the size of China.
The US is unusual among developed nations in that it's natural increase (births vs deaths) is still high (.06%), plus 1/3 of it's growth is due to immigration. Part of the increase is due to lower mortality rates. Life expectancy in the United States has risen from 47 years in 1900 to 77 years today. Infant mortality: 6 per 1,000.
U.S. population is growing by two and a half million a year. Population has grown from 152 million in 1950 to 270 million today, a 78% increase. The projected population in the year 2025 is 333 million. Among industrialized nations, only New Zealand (0.8%) and Australia (0.7%) have higher natural increases.
In the United States, 71% of women use some form of family planning. The U.S. fertility rate, or average number of births per woman, has dropped to 1.96, below replacement rate. The U.S. has a high teenage pregnancy rate compared to other developed countries. 22% of the US population is under age 15.
The negative effects of population growth in the U.S. are felt throughout the entire world, because of our enormous per capita consumption of resources (footprint). This inequitable use of resources, coupled with the total global lack of enough resources, is causing the ethical dilemma of failure to meet the basic needs of more than a quarter of the Earth's present population. Shortage of natural goods will predictably affect weaker members of society, leading to social disorder. Warren Flint, Sustainability Review - August 7, 2000 - Issue 25
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Projected Population Growth in the United States | |
| 2000 | 275,306,000 |
| 2010 | 299,862,000 |
| 2020 | 324,927,000 |
| 2030 | 351,070,000 |
| 2040 | 377,350,000 |
| 2050 | 403,687,000 |
| 2060 | 432,011,000 |
| 2070 | 463,639,000 |
| 2080 | 497,830,000 |
| 2090 | 533,605,000 |
| 2100 | 570,954,000 |
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US Census Bureau -January 13, 2000 The highest projection has 553 million people in 2050 and 1.2 BILLION in 2100 | |
Literacy rate is 97%. GDP: $28,600, TVs: 776 per 1,000
One in four children in the U.S. is born into poverty. There is a 94% enrollment for primary-school-age children, virtually no risk of polio or vitamin A deficiency, and only 1% of children under 5 are underweight.
U.S. citizens consumes a large share of resources. The average per capita consumption of meat is 260 lbs of meat, the world's highest and 40 times the average in Bangladesh.
In the last 200 years, the United States has lost 50% of its wetlands, 90% of its northwestern old-growth forests, and 99 percent of its tall grass prairie. The 1993 Information Please Environmental Almanac, World Resources Institute, p. 159.
The US is losing over 1 million acres of prime farmland per year, due to a phenomonen known as 'urban sprawl'. American Farmland Trust
-- Population: 270 million -- Kids under 15: 22% . Health -- Life expectancy: 73 years for boys, 80 years for girls -- Infant mortality: 6 babies per 1,000 . Wealth -- GDP: $28,600 -- TVs: 776 per 1,000 . Wisdom -- Literacy: 97%
US Population Count Census Bureau
1999 United States Data Sheet - Basic demographic indicators by state, growth rate, persons per square mile, infant deaths, age group population, income.
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| USA at night - sattelite photo |
In 1996 the nation reached a record high life expectancy at birth of 76.1 years. The final infant mortality rate for 1996 was an all-time low of 7.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Other records set with the release of the statistics for 1996 was the lowest-ever age-adjusted death rate of 491.6 per 100,000 population. The age-adjusted rate, which eliminates the effects of the aging of the population, is usually considered the best indicator of changes in the death rate over time. National Center for Health Statistics
The United States resident population increased by 2.6 million people, although it's rate of growth was less than 1 percent, between July 1, 1997 and July 1, 1998. The population rose from 267.7 million to 270.3 million. The growth rate is consistent with annual growth rates since 1972, which have stayed between 0.9 percent and 1.1 percent. Population Growth Rate Remains Stable, Census Bureau Reports
The nation's total population is projected to reach 275 million by 2000, a
growth of 4.5 percent since 1995, making it the slowest growth period since
the 1930s. Population growth is anticipated to be stable, at a slightly
lower level, from 2000 to 2025. After 2025, the U.S. would grow more slowly
than ever before in its history.
In the next 10 years, America's 50-something population is projected to
expand by 12 million persons, rising from 25.3 million in 1996 to 37.7
million in 2006. This growth would represent more than half the nation's
total population increase during the decade.
"During the next 10 to 15 years, the rate of
population growth of the 65 and over population is projected to be slower
than at any previous time this century," Census Bureau analyst Gregory
Spencer says. However, in the following 20 years, this population group is
projected to grow by 76 percent (from 39.4 million in 2010 to 69.4 million
in 2030) as baby boomers move into the 65 and over age group.
U. S. Census Bureau, March 1996
As Americans prepared to ring in the New Year, the Commerce Department's
Census Bureau today projected the January 1, 1999, population of the United
States to number 271,645,214, up 2,578,000 (1.0 percent) from New Year's
Day, 1998.
The nation's population is projected to grow less during 1999
(2,316,000) than it did during 1998, primarily because of an expected rise
in the number of deaths.
The New Year's Day 1999 population total represents a 9.2 percent
increase over the Census Day (April 1) 1990 total of 248,765,170.
U. S. Census Bureau, Dec 1998
Population and Population Changes by U.S. State
U.S. Census Bureau population and historical population growth
In the America of 2100, Less Elbow Room The U.S. census started yesterday in Alaska. When the world world population growth begins to peak by the end of this century, the latest census projections show the US might have doubled its current size and still be growing. Rising numbers might forestall worker shortages and ease the crises surrounding Medicare and Social Security, but growth would also pressure the environment, exaggerate urban sprawl, and gobble up world food and energy resources. Robert Engelman of Population Action International says "It's important to think about [living with] an entire second United States," what with two cars in traffic for every car now, and solving the puzzle of where twice-the-population is going to live and work. The UN says 61 nations (with about 44% of the world's population) have reached replacement fertility rates (2.1 births per woman). By 2015, this number could grow to 87% and include about 2/3 of the world's population. By 2015, China's popluation will have grown by 18%, France's by only 2%, Italy's by minus 28%, Japan by minus 17%, but the US will have grown 27%, or 49% according the new census projections, Australia by 39% and Canada by 38%. Immigration plays an important role. Nearly 1 million new immigrants a year will be added according to the new census projections. A continued rise in U.S. population could mean paved-over farmland, strained water supplies, and accelerated global warming. Americans put "about 20 to 30 times more carbon in the air than the average resident of a developing country," says Engelman. January 21, 2000 Christian Science Monitor
1974 National Security Study Memo (NSSM)
200
On November 26, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford endorsed the 227 page NSSM
200 report and its recommendations, including that
The Life and Death of NSSM 200 Stephen D. Mumford
KZPG - U.S. Sustainable Population Policy Project USS3P
National Audubon Society Population and Habitat Campaign - National Population Policy
Sierrans for US Population Stabilization
Looking Back: a 20th Century Portrait
of US
One hundred years ago, the United States had 1/4 of it's current population.
The biggest city was Toledo Ohio, not Los Angeles.
"To date, the 20th century has to be the most dynamic in our
history, and these statistics paint a picture of rapid and massive
change," says Census Bureau director Kenneth Prewitt. Today, there are 77
million Americans between the ages of 35 and 54. In 1900, there were only
769,000 married women in the civilian labor force. By 1950, there were 8.6
million. Today, there are 34 million. Today over 60% of married women work
outside the home. California has grown - 100 years ago San Diego and San
Jose were little more than mission outposts. Today, they - along with L.A.
and San Francisco - are among the 15
largest cities. In 1900, New Bedford, Mass; Utica, N.Y.; and Wilkes-Barre,
Pa.,
were among the 75 largest cities in the nation. Today their places have been
taken by Sun Belt cities - Mesa,Ariz.; Tampa, Fla.; and Baton Rouge, La.
Transportation (and air
conditioning) made the rise of the Sun Belt possible. From 1900 to 1999, the
number of cars has grown from 8,000 to 130 million. There were 5.7 million
farms in the country in 1900, and only 2.2 million farms today. In 1900
Uncle Sam took in only
$567 million in tax receipts; the US government took in $1.7 trillion in
taxes in 1999.
The Christian Science Monitor
December 15, 1999
Most Populous U.S. Metro Areas. >From the U.S. Census Bureau: the 10 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas with population figures and percentage increase during the 1990s:
[Portland] A Growing Problem: Hillsboro Wants Farmland for Housing and Will Take its Case to the State. Big business and farmers are coming head to head over land use in the fertile Tualatin Valley west of Portland, Oregon. Intel has announced plans to put 7,600 new jobs in this region's already overcrowded town of Hillsboro. More jobs means more people, but the city is running out of room. "We're basically going to come to a screeching halt in terms of home-building activity," predicts Hillsboro's city manager, Tim Erwert. Recent state laws have severely limited the development of farmland, but that won't stop Intel and other high tech firms from pushing forward. Threatening legal action against local farmers who claim that the farmland is too valuable to be covered over with buildings, Intel argues that workers who live far from their jobs snarl the traffic by commuting, which in turn leads to short tempers. The legal suit filed by Intel will go before a state committee by the end of the year. July 21, 2000 The Oregonian jb
Third wave leads Utah to a record in childbirths: 'Natural increase' in 1999 also is new high for the state, according to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. The figure includes births minus the number of deaths, not population due to net migration. Utah is experiencing a 1.9% growth rate, bring the current population to 2,121,000 people. The baby boomers children are now having children. Out of an increase of 38,500 last year, 4,800 were due to migration.December 18, 1999 The Deseret (UT) News
Las Vegas Leads U.S. Metropolitan Area Growth
Already saddled with pollution, long lines and jammed roads, Las
Vegas' population jumped 55% between 1990 and 1998, its growth spurred by
unprecedented hotel-casino construction. Nationwide, the central cities in
metropolitan areas averaged 3.5% growth, while the area outside the central
cities jumped 12.5% in the 1990s. In the West, central cities averaged 10.6%
growth, while the surrounding area averaged 16.2%. In the South growth was
5.3% in the cities and 18.4% outside, while in the Midwest growth declined
by 0.3% in central cities while their surrounding areas gained 10.0%, and in
the
Northeast growth in central cities fell 2.0% while the surrounding areas
grew 3.7%.
December 17, 1999 AP
Texas is the most polluted state in the union. It is an environmental
disaster zone. Last year Houston surpassed Los Angeles as the smoggiest city
in the U.S. Texas as a whole had more smog alerts in 1999 than any other
state. Texas ranked ahead of all states in the discharge of recognized
carcinogens into the air. It leads the nation in the number of factories
violating clean-water standards. It leads the nation in the injection of
toxic waste into underground wells. And on
and on. The Sierra Club, which knows a little something about the
environment, summed the matter up as follows: "Texas ranks first in toxic releases to the
environment, first in total toxic air emissions from industrial facilities,
first in toxic chemical accidents, and first in cancer-causing pollution."
Spring 2000 source-???
[Chesapeake] Bay Gets Failing Grade, But Progress Is Cited Despite efforts to restore forest buffers along Chesapeake Bay waterways and to boost shad and pollution-filtering oyster fisheries, progress over the last year has been almost non-existent because of the loss of land to sprawl. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation ratesd the bay 28 on a scale of 100 this year, with 100 representing the Chesapeake's pristine state of health when English explorer John Smith sailed into it in the 1600s. William C. Baker, the foundation president said: "Millions of dollars are being spent to restore wetlands and underwater grasses, yet population growth and its ugly stepchild, sprawl, continue to threaten the bay." 90,000 acres of farmlands and forests a year are paved over, resulting in more pollution that works against efforts to stop the loss of wetlands and decrease pollution. The foundation checks indicators such as oysters, shad, underwater grasses, wetlands, forested buffers, toxics, water clarity, dissolved oxygen, striped bass, open lands, blue crab, phosphorus and nitrogen. Only the shad showed improvement, due to the reopening of the Susquehanna River, feeding into the Chesapeake, to fish migration for the first time since the 1800s. Despite all-out efforts for oyster restoration, the oyster population has not been boosted beyond 2% of its abundance in John Smith's time. Other problems cited are the washing of sediment and other algae-producing nutrients into the bay, and the extremely low levels of underwater grass, which blue crabs need to survive. September 21, 2000 Washington Post
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 Breed For America ... click to enlarge |
If every person in China ate an extra chicken, the grain needed to rear the birds would be equivalent to the entire grain exports of Canada. America's annual consumption is 800kgs per person, much of it in the form of feed for cattle in a meat-based diet. Dr. Norman Myers
The U.S. per capita carbon dioxide emissions are 20.5 metric tons versus Japan's of only 9 metric tons and Nigeria's 0.8 metric tons. World Population Prospects, The 1998 Revision, United Nations, 1999; 1998-99 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment
From the
National Wildlife Federation - "A child born today in the United
States for instance, will by the age of 75 years produce 52 tons of garbage,
consume 10 million gallons of water and use 5 times the energy of a child
born in the developing world."
"The United States uses approximately quarter of the world's fossil fuels
and is the largest contributor of carbon dioxide, undesirable combustion
products, and chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals that contribute to greenhouse
warming and attack the Earth's ozone shield."
"The world looks to the United States as a role model. It is hard to ask
developing nations to implement environment saving techniques and stabilize
their population growth when the U.S. is unwilling to do so."
The average Ecological Footprint of those living in the United States is 27 acres per person. Looking at the ecological footprint of each country on a per capita basis, it appears that if the population of the US could simply reduce its consumption so as to attain an Ecological Footprint of one acre per person (equal to that of the lowest impact country, Bangladesh), we would almost exactly match the earth's carrying capacity today. So in answer to the question: "Can we solve the global ecological crisis by reducing consumption?", the answer is yes! But only if all Americans agree to make catastrophic sacrifices, and only for about a week before population eats up the savings. Mark E. Kelley III, PE
Pet food Americans and Europeans together spend $17 billion a year on
pet food, $4 billion more than the estimated yearly additional amount needed
to provide everyone in the world with basic health and nutrition. The
richest 20% of humanity consume 45% of all meat and fish, use 58% of all
energy produced and own 87% of the vehicles. Consumption of fossil fuels has
almost doubled since 1950 (and so has population)
. United Nations Development Program,
1998
(It's not that our use of food is preventing them from
having food, but that we can afford sustainable agriculture and they cannot,
they being short on arable land)
An American born in the 1990s will produce in a lifetime approximately one million kilograms (2.2 million lbs.) of atmospheric wastes, 10 million kgs (22 million lbs.) of liquid wastes, and one million kgs (2.2 million lbs.) of solid wastes. An American will consume 700,000 kgs (1.54 million lbs.) of minerals, and 24 billion BTUs of energy -- equivalent to 4000 barrels of oil. In a lifetime, an average American will eat 25,000 kgs (55,000 lbs.) of animal products, provided in part by slaughtering 2000 animals. The US per-capita consumption rate is ten to 100 times that of most of the world's countries. Compared to Indians, Americans (on a per capita basis) produce 27 times as much carbon dioxide, ... and consume 35 times as much energy. The Environmental Impast of U.S. Babies by Charles A. S. Hall, Ph.D., R. Gil Pontius Jr., Lisa Coleman and Jae-Young Ko
Fisher Headed for Extinction in Sierra Nevada. The fisher, an old-growth forest dwelling carnivore, is headed for extinction. The Forest Service's plan does not provide enough protection to save the fisher from extinction or avoid having the fisher listed as an endangered species. It has been eliminated from the northern and central Sierra, isolating fisher in the southern Sierra from fisher in northern California. This isolation, in combination with a small population size and continued habitat loss, places the southern Sierra population of the fisher in immediate danger of extinction. The fisher is a major predator in the area and may keep rodent populations in check. A relative of the mink and otter, it has a long, slender body with short legs, a long bushy tail, and it runs in a bounding gait, with their front feet leaping forward together, followed by the back feet, and walks on the whole foot, unlike other carnivores. July 19, 2000 Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign
Dramatic Island Fox Decline Urges ESA Listing. For 16,000 years the island fox successfully inhabited the Channel Islands offshore Southern California. In the past five years, four of the six island fox populations have declined by 90%. The San Miguel Island fox has dropped from 400 individuals in 1994 to 50 in 1998 to 15 in 1999. Only five of the remaining foxes are males, which means the genetic diversity of the subspecies even under the most optimistic conditions will be severely depleted. Only one San Miguel Island fox remains in the wild. In the same time period, the Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island fox populations have been reduced to less than 100. In only one year, 1998, the Santa Catalina fox may have declined by up to 90%, the researchers say. The conservation group and the Institute for Wildlife Studies have filed a formal petition with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list the four imperiled subspecies as "endangered" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Canine distemper virus (introduced by domestic dogs), the introduction of habitat-degrading pigs, and the newly begun predation by golden eagles are factors. Recovery efforts require heavy funding. An ESA listing would guarantee that more federal dollars are committed to the fox's survival, which is desperately needed to stave off extinction. MC June 6, 2000 ENN
Groups Demand Safe Haven for Sonoran Pronghorn The fastest land mammal in America may be running out of time, with only 140 of the animals in the United States, says the Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club. A petition has been filed with the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, demanding a critical habitat. The animal is found only in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and the Sonora area of Mexico. The Department of Defense uses the Sonoran Desert for bombing, strafing, ground maneuvers and low-level flights, as part of military training. Grazing and low-flying border patrol heliocopters also threaten the area. December 31, 1999 ENN
Logging, Recreation Called Biggest Threats to National Forests. A coalition of over one hundred forest and grassland conservation activists and organizations collaborated to produce the "National Forest Yearbook 1999." "Logging in old growth and roadless areas, ORVs out of control, lack of attention to wildlife needs, and countless other environmental abuses are degrading our national forests," said Randi Spivak of the American Lands Alliance. Responsible are some current projects in national forests, at the initiative of local Forest Service land managers or with their permission." The most pervasive threat was found to be timber sales approved with too little attention to environmental issues. "Many perverse incentives influence local Forest Service decision makers to identify logging as the solution to every problem." The growing threat that off road vehicles, ski resort expansions and privatization are listed right behind logging as threats to national forests. Inappropriate grazing is another threat. An inadequate USFS budget often deprives conservation programs while promoting a timber sale program. The good news is that new road construction has been banned in thousands of acres of roadless National Forest lands. December 21, 1999 ENS
Seaweed Smothers Marine Life Along Florida Coast. Caulerpa verticillata, a noxious seaweed, has become spread into new habitat off the coast of southern Florida and is choking the coral reef ecosystem that has flourished there for millions of years. Caulerpa generates toxins, which makes it inedible to the herbivorous fish of the reef. Plants and animals of the reef ecosystem that can't move eventually die. Bioversity is threatened by an ever-expanding monoculture of waving seagrass. Intense use of fertilizers, burning of fossil fuels, and sewage treatment plants have doubled the amount of high-nutrient nitrogen being released into the ecosystem in the last several decades, says Brian LaPointe, a marine ecologist. Algae thrives on high levels of nutrients and use up available oxygen and destroy or drive away other marine life. Reefs need low-nutrient situations. "The Everglades restoration, which is expected to cost about $8 billion, is focused solely on reducing the phosphorus runoff from sugar cane farms." ... "The more phosphorus you remove, the more nitrogen is left and that affects the biogeochemistry of the coastal waters." Also, gases from deep-injection sewage wells (there are many in Florida) are suspected to be migrating upward and being released near the surface of the reefs, which is fertilizing the Caulerpa. June 11, 2000 ENN
How Many Humans Can the Earth Support? Dr. David Pimentel, Cornell University
Hunger, Homelessness Rising in U.S. The U.S. Conference of Mayors found that, despite a booming economy, the number of Americans seeking emergency food or shelter rose significantly this year and the trend will likely continue for years to come. In 1999, the demand for emergency food aid grew 18%, and for shelter by 12%. A little over 20% of homeless people have jobs and more than 2/3 of the people seeking emergency food aid are employed. Half of the homeless population in the United States was estimated to be black, 31% white, and 13% Hispanic. December 16, 1999 Reuters
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The US Needs to Raise Fewer Domestic
Animals Source - Pimental |
The U.S. has 930 million hectares of land. Of this, only 11% is used for urbanization, industry, and roads, amounting to about 0.4 ha (1 acre) per person. Only 20% of U.S. land is suitable for crops, amounting to 0.7 ha per person. Another 26% is used to pasture livestock. The rest is either forest, dessert or mountaintops.
Of the 188 million hectares that is suitable for crops, 28 million hectares (0.7%) of that is in reserve, leaving 160 million hectares that is actually in cultivation. Of this, 32 million hectares are growing grains to be exported, 28 million hectares are growing livestock feed grains, 28 million hectares grow domestic food grains, and 72 million hectares grow non-grain foods such as legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
20% of all food produced domestically is exported, which offsets the large trade imbalance due mainly to oil imports.
Much of our crop yield increase in the past has been due to application of fossil-energy based fertilizers and pesticides, but this increase has peaked.
If oil becomes scarcer, crop yield will go down and we will need more farmland.
Soil erosion, varying from 5% to 65% will eat into our farmland reserves. 100 million ha of farmland have been abandoned due to soil erosion in the last 200 years.
Water tables are dropping and less water will re-define maximum crop yields and what sort of food we can grow.
If the current population growth rate continues, the number of people in the U.S. will double by 2060, which will add another 105 million ha in urban area unless sprawling is severely curtailed. Most of this will encroach on already shrinking farmland.
In addition, each new American will require from .08 ha (China's standard) to .7 ha (U.S. standard) of farmland., which would add up to another 128 million ha of land needed for farmland (which we don't have) if current population growth rates and dietary habits continue.
sources for the above: David Pimentel, Professor of Agricultural Sciences, Cornell University
Most types of cultivation are destructive of native plant and animal habitat.
The U.S. already has the most hungry people of any industrialized nation.
What we may be forced to do:
What must be done:
Food, Land, Population, and the U.S. Economy by David Pimentel Cornell University and Mario Giampietro. "The United States is in a privileged situation compared to other nations in the world: the per capita endowment of natural resources is relatively high because of the relatively low population density. At the same time, the United States is seriously risking loosing this privilege if more attention is not given to the control of population growth (including immigration), the sustainable management of natural resources, and the development of alternative energy sources."
Hamburger Producing a quarter pound of hamburger requires 100 gallons
of water, 1.2 lbs. of feed grain and energy equal to a cup of gasoline,
causes the loss of 1.25 lbs. of topsoil and causes greenhouse gas emissions
equivalent to a 6-mile drive in a typical U.S. car.
The average person in the United States consumes 260 lbs. of meat per year,
most of it hamburgers. In Bangladesh, the average is 6.5 lbs. UNFPA:
America's Conservation Efforts Falling Short.
Releasing a new
Department of Agriculture study that shows America's conservation efforts
falling short,
Secretary Dan Glickman today called for a renewed national commitment to
preserving
private land. From 1992 to 1997, nearly 16 million acres of agricultural and
forest land were
developed. We are now losing 3 million acres per year of forest and
agricultural land, double
what was lost each year from 1982 to 1992. Nearly 2 billion tons of soil is
eroding into
waterways each year. Despite significant gains in erosion control during the
past 15 years,
there has been no additional improvement since 1995. Gross wetland losses
have increased
to 54,000 acres annually on agricultural land (Wetland gains are nearly
30,000 acres.) Tree
and forest cover in urban areas is declining at an alarming rate. In the
Chesapeake Bay
region, for example, tree canopy has declined from 51% cover to 37% in the
last 25 years.
December 7, 1999 Reuters
The Coming Global Oil CrisisWorld petroleum output will peak during the first decade of the next century and will decline rapidly thereafter.
Only a quarter of Americans know that oil, coal, and wood generate 70% of our energy. Sierra May/June 99
Spending our Great Inheritance - Then What? Geotimes, July 1998, pages 24-26. By Walter Youngquist. During more than 500 million years, geological processes accumulated a rich bank account for us -- oil. The world is now consuming about 26 billion barrels of oil a year, but in new field discoveries, we are finding less than 6 billion barrels a year. Will suitable alternatives be found?
The Post-Petroleum Paradigm -- and Population "If the fertilizers, partial irrigation [in part provided by oil energy], and pesticides were withdrawn, corn yields, for example, would drop from 130 bushels per acre to about 30 bushels." - Pimental, 1998.
BP Amoco World Energy "In 1998, the United States imported 53 percent of its oil needs. This deficit is growing."
US Overpopulation Based on Petroleum Dependence.
>From the Fossil Fuels Policy Action Institute web page: "Overpopulation is
possible in the U.S. through our seven decades of
our petroleum dependence, yet policies assure or assume non-stop growth of
consumers, cars, etc.." The group's first major project was Alliance for
a Paving Moratorium, which has been expanded to include other
sustainable practices, such as organic farming and sail transport. The
Alliance's goal is to "halt the tremendous environmental, social and
economic damage caused by endless road building." "A paving moratorium would
limit the spread of population, redirect investment from suburbs to inner
cities, and revitalize our economy. Funds would be freed for mass
transportation and to maintain existing roads." The founder of the
Institute, Jan Lundberg, said that the US and the world may noticeably start
running out of easily produced oil by 2010. His term 'petro-food' refers to
petrochemical agriculture, which involves fertilizers and pesticides;
petroleum fuels run tractors and other machinery. Trucks transport food to
all distribution points (supermarkets, etc.) May 22,
2000 EnergyResources email forum
Three U.S. states - North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Texas - have enough harnessable wind energy to supply
national electricity needs. World Watch State of the World, 2000
Driving and gasoline consumption are subsidized in many ways:
Are we willing to apply to traffic congestion what we learned in
Economics 101 -- that subsidizing consumption leads to waste and
shortages, which is exactly what we have and will continue to
have, if pouring pavement is our only answer to congestion?
The Detroit Free Press
July 27, 1999
More on Sustainability, Oil, and Soil - here
The average American uses 70 gallons a day. Water conservation is always appropriate, drought or no drought. There's a cost to every drop of water that you use. Water that runs in our bathtubs and kitchen sinks must be treated before being put back into waterways. Every gallon of treated wastewater has a price tag. River water that flows past water intakes and on down to the sea is not wasted: It sustains aquatic life. Heating water for domestic use requires energy. Water not used is energy not consumed and wastewater not produced. The Washington Post August 29, 1999
American Rivers: Damning the Dams Dams on many North American rivers are causing native freshwater species, including several varieties of fish, mussels, crayfish, frogs, and snails, to go extinct as fast as those living in tropical rainforests. In a study entitled "America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2000" by conservation group American Rivers, 13 American rivers face serious immediate environmental threats, 8 of which are on the list due to dams. Washington's lower Snake River tops the list for the second year, being cited again due to four dams on the river operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. These dams have transformed the once free flowing river into a series of slackwater ponds, thereby bringing salmon and steelhead to the brink of extinction. Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers, says, "We have blocked the flows, straightened the curves and hardened the banks of thousands of miles of waterways. By changing the most fundamental qualities of rivers--their natural shapes and flows--we've made it difficult for them to support life." The National Hydropower Association claims that hydropower dams produce pollution-free power while enhancing biodiversity and improving habitat. However, Anthony Ricciardi, a freshwater biologist at Canada's Dalhousie University, is unimpressed with this assertion, citing that dams pose a major problem for the ecological health of rivers, and contribute to other problems. "We also have to look at water quality, organic and chemical pollution and runoff from streets and yards," he says. "The invasion of exotic species--the zebra mussel for example--is also something that has to be addressed." Ricciardi also points out that if current trend in river and wildlife destruction continue, more species will be lost in the next 100 years then during the past century. July 1, 2000 eMagazine jb
Pillar
of Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last?
World Watch Institute July 1999
Overpumping is sucking out too much of the world's underground fresh water,
with a stable world food supply now dependent on an increasing global water
deficit. 40 percent of the world's food comes from irrigated cropland. But
the productivity of irrigation is in jeopardy from the overpumping of
groundwater, the growing diversion of irrigation water to cities, and the
buildup of salts in the soil. The amount of irrigated land per person is
shrinking.
Many major rivers now run dry for large portions of the year-including the
Yellow in China, the Indus in Pakistan, the Ganges in South Asia, and the
Colorado in the American Southwest. The biggest known losses are in India,
China, the United States, North Africa and Saudi Arabia. The lost water
would be enough to grow 10% of world grain. To meet their food needs, these
countries that are low on water are importing grain.
Irrigation's heavy water demands are also damaging the health of the aquatic
environment-shrinking wetlands, reducing fish populations, and pushing
species toward extinction.
Farmers in California's Imperial Valley are lining canals, recycling farm
runoff and selling the saved water to southern California cities.
As Atlanta Grows, Water Evaporates in Wilting Drought. The Gulf Coast of Florida is experiencing the driest spring in a century. The National Drought Monitor lists the crescent from Tampa to New Orleans as experiencing extreme drought. West Texas and northwest Missouri, as well as parts of the West and Midwest have experienced a similar lack of rain. Yet the Atlanta region is adding nearly 100,000 people a year, more than a million people in those 14 years, most of the growth in suburban areas, where the lawns need watering, swimming pools need filling, air-conditioning demands high reservoir levels for hydroelectric, and people like to take numerous showers. Cotton and peanut farmers in the south are impacted, having to irrigate earlier this year than ever. Water tables are falling, and ponds aren't filling. Some parts of Georgia have received less rain in the last 25 months than at any time in recorded weather history. The regional climate is changing in a profound way, moving from many years of stability with predictable rainfall to a far more variable climate that will veer between years of plenty and years of scarcity, says Dr. David E. Stooksbury, the state climatologist. Watering restrictions are in effect and are likely to be tightened as the drought goes on. Similar water restrictions involving 26 cities and counties were applied during the 1986 drought. Lawns went brown and trees toppled. The state is seriously considering a total watering ban in the northern region if the drought continues. The Atlanta Regional Commission says the demand for water is expected to increase by 50% by 2020, which will never be met without a 10% cutback in water use. June 15, 2000 NY Times
Agriculture and Water Quality Economic Research Service The most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality Inventory (1995), based on assessments by the States, reports that 1/3 of rivers, lakes (excluding the Great Lakes), and estuaries do not fully support a healthy aquatic community or human activities all year round. Agriculture is the leading source of impairment for rivers (affecting 60% of impaired river miles), lakes (50% of impaired lake acres), and the third source of impairment for estuaries (34% of impaired estuary acres), and the leading source of impairment of wetland water quality. Of 49 States reporting sources of groundwater contamination, agriculture was cited as a source in 44. The Great Lakes continue to suffer serious pollution, but agriculture is not one of the leading sources. Soil erosion due to tilling of the soil, addition of nutrients (fertilizers) to the soil, and salination due to irrigation are causes of water impairment due to agriculture.
The United States is responsible for 22% of the world's industrial carbon dioxide emissions, a leading cause of global warming Stabilizing the Atmosphere, Population Action International, p. 33
Bush Makes Mistake on CO2. Contrary to campaign promises, on March 13, 2001 President Bush said his administration would not seek to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Scientists say that carbon dioxide is a key contributor to global warming. Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin said that "the U.S. is missing an opportunity to exert forceful leadership on one of the most serious environmental threats facing humanity in the 21st century. .. Constraining U.S. emissions is essential if the world is to avoid climate change. The U.S. accounts for one-quarter of global CO2 emissions, but more remarkably, accounts for nearly half of the increase in emissions between 1990 and 2000--exceeding the combined emissions growth of all of China, India, Africa, and Latin America. ... It is remarkable that in the past few years, as China's coal-burning has declined sharply, U.S. coal combustion is rising. In the last two years, we have passed China to be the world's number one coal burner. ... Outside the United States, many countries are moving rapidly to pursue a new generation of 21st century energy technologies such as fuel cells, wind turbines, and solar electric generators. The attempt by the Bush administration to return to reliance on coal, a dirty fuel that is a relic of the 19th century would be a costly economic mistake." March 14, 2001 World Watch
Washington will Miss Greenhouse Target. The United States has admitted that it can not, and perhaps will not, reach the greenhouse gas reduction target accepted at the 1998 Kyoto climate conference. In a recent statement by American under-secretary of global affairs Frank Loy the US confirmed that unless Europe gives way and allows the US to purchase "carbon credits" the country, which produces 25% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, will not meet its obligations. According to the Kyoto conference, signing countries agreed that they would cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 7% before 2010. Loy cites that the growing economy in the US prevents reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, and instead wants to excuse American discrepancies by purchasing credits from nations who produce less than this projected amount of carbon dioxide. Tony Juniper of Friends of the Earth responded to this attitude saying, "The US is doing tricks with arithmetic rather than deal[ing] with some of the fundamental problems of profligate use of fossil fuels." Loy did admit, however, that there was growing concern in the US over pollution and global warming. Citing a recent announcement from NASA that a warmer earth is eroding more than 50 billion tons of water a year from the Greenland ice sheet, he confirmed that the American government was dedicated to attempting greenhouse gas reductions. Such statistics, however, feed into the increasing concern that melting ice sheets will have devastating effects on the earth's climate. Research suggests that over the past one hundred years, the sea level has risen about 23 cm, covering once dry low elevation levels. July 22, 2000 London Guardian jb
Indiana among Top States in Generating
Pollution Caused by Rise in Coal-fired Power Generation.
Increased electricity generation by coal-burning power plants
caused 755,000 more tons of nitrogen oxide pollution in 1998
than in 1992, equivalent to that emitted yearly by 37 million cars.
Indiana had a 17% increase in coal fired plants. The increased
smog pollution from Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, North
Carolina, Missouri and Georgia each equaled that from two million
cars. The increased global warming pollution in the nation is equal
to that from 44 million cars. Older power plants are exempted
from the emissions controls enforced by the Clean Air Act passed
in 1970. U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Federal Report on Global Warming Predicts Widespread Impact on U.S. A government report entitled "Climate Change and Our Nation," projects an increase in average U.S. temperatures of between 5 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century and that global warming will produce widespread changes in the U.S. climate in future decades. Drought-like conditions will hit every region of the country, sea levels will rise and urban populations may wilt under searing temperatures. The report predicts disproportionately hotter cities from both global warming and the urban heat-island, more extreme precipitation and faster evaporation, leading to greater frequency of drought and/or floods, extensive damage to some ecosystems, rising sea levels in coastal areas and shrinkage of coastal wetlands, more heat waves, and increased crop yields (but pests, droughts and floods could reduce these yields). Coastal areas, maple-sugar producers, alpine meadows, and ski resorts resorts will suffer. Water will become a key concern: droughts, floods, declining snow packs and water quality, and possibly greater water use conflicts could become even more common problems than they are today. A joint press release from the Environmental Defense, National Environmental Trust, Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists & World Wildlife Fund was also published on this important report. June 12, 2000 CNN
Development, Runoff & Population in LA. As population and pavement grows, the Los Angeles region suffers what is believed to be the nation's worst urban runoff problem. Oily waste, pesticides, metal residue, pet feces and other pollutants wash off streets, roofs and parking lots into channels and drains that flow into beach waters. New building projects across the county will be required to limit urban runoff that flows from roofs, parking lots and other pavement so that it doesn't foul ocean waters, according to a decision by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Only a handful of places in the country, including Phoenix and Florida, have restricted the pollution that flows off urban land. Most of Los Angeles County's 85 cities wanted to reject the runoff standards. On dry summer days, enough runoff to fill the Rose Bowl contaminates beaches within 100 yards or so of river mouths and storm drains. On a rainy day, there is so much contaminated storm water that all beaches are rendered unsafe with bacteria and viruses. January 27, 2000 LA Times
Agressive US Global Warming Policy Would Mean Large Cost Savings and Job Gains. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said that the United States currently accounts for half of all carbon dioxide emissions by western industrialized nation, but the the U.S government has favored using the potential loopholes in the 1997 Kyoto climate treaty, rather than reducing emissions domestically. Other countries are waiting for a leadership signal from the U.S. and "it is a matter of economic self interest." The US could save as much as $43 billion per year on energy costs, and create more than 870,000 new jobs by 2010, while reducing emissions by 14% below 1990 levels, twice the Kyoto specified amount. Recommendations include: incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-saving equipment; elimination of regulatory impediments; new efficiency standards for buildings, cars, household appliances and office equipment; enhanced research and development; and improvements in land-use and infrastructure reductions in subsidies to polluters. Job increases would occur in services, construction, education, manufacturing, transportation and communications, agriculture, and finance. August 10, 1999 Xinhua
Americans produce 430 billion pounds of household trash each year.
Every day, an estimated nine square miles of U.S. rural land is lost to development. How Much is Enough, Alan Durning, p. 148 1996
Please click here to go to WOA!!s 'Sprawl' page.
California: Human Dynamic Swamps State's Building Blocks. . Infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth in California. New road capacity, water supplies, housing stock and, now, even electricity has been exceeded by the demand. A quarter of the population of California was not born in the US. In previous years, the impacts of rapid overall population growth were moderated by the poverty of many new immigrants. Newly arrived, and poor, their average demands on the state's infrastructure were relatively low. If those coming into California had been native-born migrants from Texas and Michigan instead of immigrants from Mexico and Korea, California's infrastructure demands would have surged much sooner, placing the state in worse jeopardy than it is today. Those immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for less than a decade increased from 3.4% to 11.1% of the state's total population from 1970 to 1990. As of 1990, the average per capita electricity consumption by newcomers was 53% below consumption of the native-born population; water consumption was 27% lower; number of cars owned was 39% lower; and the proportion of homeowners was 72% lower. Now the inflow of new immigrants has leveled off, ending three decades of acceleration. Now those same immigrants comprise a bigger portion of the population, and they are more established, their poverty rate has dropped, which translates into large and previously unexpected increases in demand for roadways, housing, water, electricity and other infrastructure. When the lights go out, they go out for everyone, regardless of where they were born or how long they have lived in the state. March 1, 2001 Los Angeles Times
California Power Crisis May Become National Mess . Thursday marked the 31st day of an electricity shortage in California. Members of a U.S. House Energy panel warned that the chronic situation could become a national economic mess unless action is taken to revamp aging transmission lines and build more power generators. The growing demand for electricity is due to an increasing population and a greater use of computers. A deregulation scheme approved by the state in 1996, high natural gas prices, the lack of new power plants due to strict state siting rules, and high demand are found to be responsible for the crisis. Two of the largest utilities - Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric - are near bankruptcy. The economy of California equals 12% of the country's GDP. Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-Louisiana), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee said the power trouble "could be just the first sign of what could be problems all over America." February 16, 2001 Reuters California's population will increase to 49.3 million by the year 2025 -an increase of 18 million, which would be as if all of the state of New York moved in, a result of an anticipated 22 million births, 9 million immigrants, and offset by deaths. U.S. Census Bureau and FAYE FIORE, Times Staff Writer 9/97
California is filling up because of births, immigration and a robust economy that motivates folks to put down roots here. In many respects, it's an old pattern. The state grew by about 10 million in the last 20 years, and by slightly less than that number in the two decades before. The Dallas Morning News
In 1999, California's population jumped by 537,000 to reach 33.5 million in mid-1998. Los Angeles County posted the highest numerical population gain for the 12-month period, adding 125,200 people for a total of 9,649,800. (41% of that increase due to immigration from other countries). Dept. of Finance Jan 27, 1999
10% of California's population lives in rural areas. California's Central Valley, the world's single largest producer of fruits and vegetables.
California is one of the world's most botanically diverse regions, having a wide range of climates and soils.
California: Growth Fights Fill a Vacuum.
By Dan Walters. Driven by high rates of births and foreign
immigration,
California is experiencing one of its longer periods of high-level
population
growth. The state has grown from 24 million Californians in 1980 to
approximately 35 million (expected when the 2000 U.S. Census is tabulated).
6
million people a year are expected to be added to California's population,
reaching 50 million around 2025. Those additional millions will need places
to
live and work, plus water, open space, sewage treatment, clean air,
transportation, education and electric power. These needs will constitute
California's single greatest public policy challenge, yet this challenge
will be
largely ignored by public officials. We address problems such as traffic
congestion, water shortages or school crowding as if they were accidents of
fate, rather than logical and largely predictable consequences. The
California
Planning and Development Report says 50 measures dealing with growth will
appear
on local ballots next month. Measures vary from strict development controls
and
urban development limits in some areas, to pro-growth measures, such as
Sacramento County's ballot measure that would authorize a huge senior
housing
complex outside the county's urban development line. All these growth
conflicts
at the local level results in a policy patchwork which squeezes development
--
which must occur because of population growth -- into communities most
receptive
to growth, whether or not it makes sense overall. Tougher controls in
coastal
areas forces development into inland agricultural valleys, for example, and
contributes to sprawl and transportation congestion.
October 11, 2000 Sacramento Bee
California's Aging Population. In 1995, the number of
people 65 or older was 10.4% of the total population. In 2000, it will be
10.7%, in 2010, 11.4%, and 2020, 14%. The increase is due to the large
number of 'Baby Boomers', born from 1946 to 1964. Who will pay the
taxes?June 1999 Sacramento Bee
Births, Deaths, and Immigration, 1997 to 1998
| Area | 7/1/98 Population (Estimate) |
7/1/97 Population (Estimate) |
Numerical Change |
Percent Change | Births | Deaths | NIM | NDM |
| United States | 270,298,524 | 267,743,595 | 2,554,929 | 1.0 | 3,890,842 | 2,311,727 | 952,938 | 0 |
| California | 32,666,550 | 32,182,118 | 484,432 | 1.5 | 52,6785 | 223,066 | 268,685 | -89,711 |
| NIM = Net International Migration NDM = Net Domestic Migration US Census Bureau | ||||||||
California: Capital Reaches 406,899 or So.
California has 33,145,121 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,
based on 1990 projectons. The the California Department of Finance, which
uses drivers license information, estimates the state's population at one
million more. Sacramento is the 38th largest city (about the same as Fresno
and Las Vegas) in the nation according to new population estimates from the
US Census Bureau. The top three cities remain unchanged: New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago. In California, the biggest cities are Los Angeles (with
3,633,591 residents), San Diego (1,238,974), San Jose (867,675) and San
Francisco (746,777). Sacramento's population grew 3% from 1990 to 1999, and
its suburbs mushroomed.
Neighboring Rocklin grew 83%, to 34,205 last year, making it sixth
fastest-growing city in California. Roseville grew 72% in the same time
period. Galt, another Sacramento County community, grew by 95%, from only
8,954 in 1990. October 20, 2000 Sacramento
Bee
The southern California counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange,
Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego combined are expected to account
for more than half of California's births during the next ten years. Los
Angeles county alone, although projected to decline through 2002, will
account for 29% of the State's births during the ten-year period. CAPS November 17, 2000
Where Bacteria Meet the Beach.
In 1998, California beaches statewide were closed for a total of 3,273 days
- compared
with 745 days in 1991, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Most of the closures were due to sewage spills and urban runoff (muck that
runs off from streets, rooftops and lawns). The growing populations and
aging sewer systems add to the problem. Improved bacteria-level monitoring
and heavy El Nino rainy seasons have also contribute to the increase in
closures. California's 740-mile coast has more than 50,000 visitors and
annually, which generates $14 billion, a fifth of California's total $67.9
billion travel and tourism industry. A new law says that coastal counties
must test ocean water weekly from April to October, to see if bacteria and
pathogen levels are low enough to allow swimming and fishing. June 11, 2000 ENN
Bay Area chooses to Limit Growth. Bay Area voters approved more than a dozen measures to manage rampant growth. Alameda County was stripped of its power to convert most farmland into housing tracts and shopping malls without a vote of the people. Of the 18 growth-related measures in the region, only five lost. Most of the winning measures set or strengthen urban growth boundaries around cities, including San Jose. The Home Builder Association of Northern California said such measures worsen the area's already severe housing shortage by pushing development farther east and south, and neighbors complain because it puts too much traffic on their streets. Throughout California, 35 of 54 measures, 65%, passed, as compared to only half in 1998, according to the California Planning & Development Report. In Arizona and Colorado, two statewide initiatives to limit growth failed by a 2-to-1 ratio. [A Washington Post article said that growth control suffers when the debate can be converted into environmental protection vs. affordable housing. For example, the housing group Habitat for Humanity fought the initiative in Colorado saying that the anti-sprawl measure "threatens our mission and the future of affordable housing in Colorado." Opponents pointed to the growth of housing costs in Portland and in Boulder, Colo., which has a growth boundary. (Advocates pointed out that housing costs in Denver have gone up even faster than in Portland, even though Denver has no growth restrictions.) Opponents attacked Loudoun County's slow-growth efforts as "snob zoning" that would preserve open space for the affluent while driving up housing costs for the less well-off. .... In yet another article from The Tracy Press, Tracy residents voted in favor of slow growth with 56.1% of voters favoring Measure A which amends the city's Growth Management Ordinance by cutting the number of residential building permits that can be issued in half, from a maximum of 1,500 to 750 and an average of 1,200 to 600.] November 9, 2000 San Jose Mercury News
In 1994, net legal immigration added about 816,000 people [about 50% of the growth] to the U.S. The Mexican-born population of the U.S. is eight million - 1/3 of which are undocumented aliens. More than 315,000 undocumented Mexicans are estimated to have entered the U.S. in 1998. Emigration from Mexico to the U.S. is expected to increase by at least 50% in the next 15 years.
Should the U.S. look at immigration globally, that is, immigration has little or no impact on the world environment, or should the U.S. look at immigration locally, where all increases in population have an impact on the U.S. environment. Some will argue that immigrants to the U.S. consume much more than their counterparts left behind in foreign countries. Click here for more on this topic.
WOA!! Do we need your help! This is news we had no time to file properly. We are looking for a 'USA Population' section chief (volunteer) to organize this mess in a more logical fashion. To apply for the job, go ahead and reorganize this page (a wee bit of HTML knowledge required), and email it to me, HTML and all. Please maintain the current web site style.