Americans feel they are environmentally responsible: Not!

By Frosty Wooldridge

Most Americans think themselves environmentally astute.  Millions recycle cans, bottles and plastics.  Millions more recycle newspapers, cardboard boxes and oil.  “Going green” explodes across America as a 21^st century passion to save our planet.

Reality: only 30 percent of Americans recycle on a regular basis.  Less than ten states offer deposit-return laws on pop, water and beer containers.  Almost zero recycling occurs for cans and tins bought out of grocery stores.  Water conservation remains a standing joke.  Gasoline consumption continues in eight and six cylinder cars and trucks as if there is no tomorrow or Peak Oil.  Smoke stacks pour billions of tons of carbon and particulate into the air.  Rivers on most continents pour their toxic waters into our oceans. Americans continue to “Roundup and Weed Begone” their yards by the millions of gallons of toxins that drip into ground water reservoirs and rivers.

My long time friend Joe Guzzardi, a native Californian and senior writing fellow at California’s for Population Stabilization, www.CapsWeb.org, brings a much more sobering view of conservation and environment in America.  Please give my readers a better view on our long term population predicament:

“Going green is all the rage,” said Guzzardi. “Consider the environment before printing out this email” is one of many cautionary notes office administrators sound to encourage their employees to respect our diminishing resources. During Earth Day, more than any other, Americans acknowledge the importance of recycling and using alternative public transportation. On college campuses, engaged students spread warnings about the negative long term consequences of excessive consumption.

“But preserving our precious space is a challenge that requires full time attention especially since popular culture celebrates procreation. Famous celebrities’ baby bumps are pictured on tabloids with fawning headlines. Conversely, discussions that stress the importance of limiting children to replacement level or lower are taboo.

“Yet, although family planning is considered politically incorrect, nothing is greener. The basic science is beyond dispute: the more children born, the more toxic carbon dioxide emissions are eventually created.

“Three years ago, the Optimum Population Trust commissioned the London School of Economics to study childbirth and its long term environmental impact. The report concluded that meeting the unfulfilled birth control needs of women who indicated a desire to limit reproduction would reduce unintended births by 72 percent and cut the projected 2050 world population by half a billion to 8.6 billion. Extending its calculations, the LSE concluded 12 billion fewer “people-years” would be lived and 34 gigatons of CO2 that would otherwise be generated could be saved. In short, condoms and other safe birth control methods represent the maximum green.

“One reason so few intelligent debates about overpopulation occur is that the mind can’t grasp the staggering numbers at the issue’s core like billions and gigatons. To break population growth into more digestible bites, consider California and the data contained in the 1940 and 2010 U.S Bureau of the Census reports. For natives like me who remember California back when, the findings are stunning.

“Comparing the 1940 census to today, a host of negatives appears obvious. Seven decades ago, only six California cities had populations of 100,000 or more: Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. But overpopulation which is fueled in large part by another unmentionable, over-immigration, has created 6 cities in 2010 with populations greater than 100,000. In 1940, California was the nation’s fifth-largest state. As California approaches 40 million people, it’s the most populated and the most adversely impacted by sprawl and pollution. According to Forbes Magazine, California has four of the top five dirtiest cities in America including three in the once pristine San Joaquin Valley: Bakersfield, Modesto and Fresno.

“As a result of California’s unsustainable population increases the Golden State, once synonymous with unspoiled beaches, vineyards and the magnificent Sierra Nevada now has the nation’s most densely urbanized areas.

“California ranks in the top three nationwide when measured by population density: Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland and San Jose. In Los Angeles, an average 7,000 residents live on each square mile-—people on top of people. Even tiny Delano with its 54,000 residents ranks fourth with 5,500 humans per square mile, higher in density than New York/Newark.

“Unchecked population growth makes every social challenge harder to resolve. Each time a new person is added to the existing population, the crises facing education, crime, medical care and mass transit have fewer solutions.

“There’s good news to report, however. After years of conservationists pounding away about limiting population, a key demographic may finally have gotten the message.

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Vital Statistics reported that the teen birthrate declined 9 percent between 2009 and 2010 to 34 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.  A CDC spokesman called the drop “phenomenal.”

“The climb back to population stability is still uphill. But teen awareness is a first, important step to a smaller and greener society.”

In the end, human overpopulation continues at breakneck speed around the world and in the United States. We remain on course to add 138 million people to the USA within 38 years. It’s not sustainable as to water, clean air, energy and resources.  Check out the follow two videos to graphically show you where we are headed.

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In a five minute astoundingly simple yet brilliant video, “Immigration, Poverty, and Gum Balls”, Roy Beck, director of www.numbersusa.ORG, graphically illustrates the impact of overpopulation.  Take five minutes to see for yourself:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE&feature=player_embedded

“Immigration by the numbers—off the chart”by Roy Beck

This 10 minute demonstration shows Americans the results of unending mass immigration on the quality of life and sustainability for future generations: in a word “Mind boggling!”  www.NumbersUSA.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ

This is the best website to start:  www.numbersusa.org; watch Roy Beck’s “Immigration by the Numbers” at 14 minutes. Bi-partisan and very effective. Become a faxer of pre-written letters to your reps to make positive  change.

Visit www.TheSocialContract.comfor the best information on what we face as a civilization as to overpopulation, energy, immigration and much more.

Canada www.immigrationwatchcanada.org; in Australia www.population.org.auand[email protected]; in Great Britain www.populationmatters.org; and dozens of other sites accessed at www.frostywooldridge.com.   In Florida, www.flimen.org.

Must see DVD: “Blind Spot” www.snagfilms.com/films/title/blind_spot/, This movie illustrates America’s future without oil, water and other resources to keep this civilization functioning. It’s a brilliant educational movie! www.blindspotdoc.com

Must see: Rapid Population Decline, seven minute video by Dr. Jack Alpert-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTWduFB_RX0

Must see and funny: www.growthbusters.org; www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSTrW_dARc
Dave Gardner’s Polar Bear in Bedroom:

growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565

Check out this link with Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester Brown and panel discussion:

www.upnorthmedia.org/watchupnorthtv.asp?SDBFid=1631

Tomorrow’s Americaproject on www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.

Producer: GEORGE A. COLBURNwww.tomorrowsamerica.com

DC: 202-258-4887

Email: [email protected]

Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.comfor more discussions on America’s predicament.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.starbrightmediacorp.com

www.tomorrowsamerica.com

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents – from the Arctic to the South Pole – as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. His latest book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, click: http://www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com