Alarm sounds on US population boom

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

[Brilliant]

I've been sounding this alarm for years. No one cares.

[YellowRoseofTx]

It ain't due to births I'm sure.

It's a factor.....the illegals are reproducing as fast as they can.

[Lonely NY Conservative]

America's competitiveness is derived from its human capital. The fact that the rate of growth in our population has and will continue to exceed that of Europe is the precise reason why we have regularly outpaced them economically over the past 25 years.

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. I'm also convinced we will reach that mark through a mix of our higher fertility rates (vis-a-vis Europe) and, like it or not, immigration.

[Kozak]

Since we now have nearly 20 million illegals in the US it's more like 2/3rds.......

[DungeonMaster]

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

Sure there are a few small areas that are densely populated, but as a country we are sparsely populated. Just look at our population per mile compared to a lot of other areas in the world.

A friend of mine moved to Atlanta 6 or 7 years ago when they had 2.5 million people. Now they have 4+ million. A 50 percent gain over 7 years makes a big mess, but it is a localilzed mess, not a national situation.

In most of the country everyone from the food growers to the grocery store managers would be orgasmic about the idea of 10 percent more food sales.

[RexBeach]

Actually, as I recall, 20 years ago the US still had only 5-percent of the world's population, but was consuming more than 30% of the world's energy. So, we're making some progress in energy use.

I think this is a made up story, but then it appears in "The Boston Globe." A newspaper not known for its affection for America.

I am so glad that I left Massachusetts 28 years ago. It's chock full of whiners and moaners and crooks and tax raisers.

For you Freepers still residing in the Commonwealth, I admire your pluck and you have my sympathy.

[b4its2late]

True. Redo:

It ain't due to legal citizens births I'm sure.

[samson1097]

[The U.S. is] using three times the amount of water per capita than the world average

I assume that the per capita is brought down by the majority of Africa that doesn't have enough drinking water. That fact that we have and use drinking water and can water the lawn doesn't mean we are wasteful. It just means we are fortune enough (because of our amazing country and the people in it) to be able to do that.

Also, the worlds water usage per capita is brought down by the French who conserve water by showering very rarely.

[Atlas Sneezed]

For example, the four fastest-growing states -- Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah -- all have areas of acute water shortages.

---

In some areas, they don't even meter water. In most others, the rates are well below real market value for some major users.

There is NO water shortage, there is a non-market pricing problem.

(You price ice cream at 5 cents a gallon, and there will be a "shortage," too.)

[Cloverfarm]

DH the farmer would say "They all gotta eat ..." :-)

[Alouette]

Americans consume like no other nation -- using three times the amount of water per capita than the world average

That reminds me, I have to take my car to the car wash.

[CottonBall]

Let me guess, the liberals are going to begin a new round of "we're overpopulated, so concerned Americans should limit their families to 2 children".

That's about where the fertility rate is for U.S. women - 2.17 children on average in 2005. They will have to stop the illegals from overbreeding in order to have any effect. It'll be easier just to send them home.

[DManA]

A booming population isn't the problem. Problem is it's booming in the desert.

In contrast, the South and the West were booming

[Ditto]

We would have a population growth of less than replacement if we didn't have immigration, legal and illegal, which accounts for three-fourths of all U.S. population growth.

Huh?

[ruination]

There ARE things that are worth keeping and not selling.

[roaddog727]

A population boom in th US is not a bad thing if you look at the way things are going in Europe and the rest of the world.

We need to defend and fight for our resources the only way is through direct competition with other growing populations (ie. Chinese, Indian, Arabic).

[lucysmom]

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.

Perhaps we will have China's pollution riots too.

[LadyNavyVet]

Exactly. The leftists always point out that we use such-and-such percent of the global fill-in-the-blank supply, while conveniently neglecting to mention how much of the world's GNP we produce using that oil, water, etc. Of course telling the whole truth makes Americans look efficient, not eeeevil. Can't have that.

[Vision]

But people don't stay in the rural areas. They will come to the cities, which are situated around water. You can't just go out to the country and create one.

I don't care what the rest of the world is like, most of them are hellholes IMO.

[Darnright]

>That's about where the fertility rate is for U.S. women - 2.17 children on average in 2005.<

That's not an accident. Back in the late 60's/early 70's, there was a concerted effort to modify behavior, to "save" the world from overpopulation. Students were told it was their responsibility, in order to save the planet, to have only 2 children. Many, many people bought into this. Coupled with birth control, the American family norm ratcheted down to 2.17.

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.

Women today have less time for child raising, because it's very difficult to survive on only one breadwinner. This also factors into why fertility is at a low.