U.S. at 300 million: 'Heaven on earth' to 'uncharted territory'

[antowan]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/16/300.million.main/index.html

Forty years ago, Elizabeth Heydanek lived in her "heaven on earth" -- Schaumburg, Illinois.

She chased lightning bugs in her back yard, filled buckets on the porch with tadpoles from a nearby creek, played tag with friends.

Elizabeth was 7 years old in 1967, one of 200 million U.S. residents at the time. As she and her country grew -- the nation will reach the 300 million mark at 7:46 a.m. ET Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau says -- things changed in Schaumburg and the country.

Heydanek had moved to Illinois from New Jersey a year earlier in 1966, a trip made by train. If she and her family were moving now, they would be more likely to be moving to Florida, according to census figures. And they probably would be traveling by car -- there are 237 million vehicles on U.S. roads now compared with just under 100 million 40 years ago.

Intercity passenger train travel has dwindled -- just 0.2% of the amount of intercity travel done by car.

Heydanek said her little Illinois town began to change in 1972, just after the Woodfield Mall opened -- one she said was billed as one of the nation's largest at the time -- bringing in traffic and taking away some of the small-town charm.

Larger commercial properties have opened since, according to a study done at Eastern Connecticut State University, and their locations in Florida, California, Nevada and Virginia are indicative of where the U.S. population is growing and how the suburban sprawl Heydanek found in Illinois has taken over Sunbelt cities.

 

[Creed]

I wonder if the US will ever institute a 1 or 2 child per family limit.As far as I know they don't have any major food or land shortages so they don't need it yet, but just remember the more ppl there are the higher the population growth.

If they decide to do it I wonder if they will implement this policy accross the board or by population density at your location/gross family income/criminal record/immigration status or when your ancestors went there or some other type of classification?

They have a very modern and well developed farming infrastructure and in keeping with farming advances I doubt that that the US will see famine in my lifetime but if nothing is done to limit population growth the day will come when there are more ppl than food.

I realise this is rather off topic but it's just something I wonder about

 

[AntiThesis]

The US infrastructure is very well developed so I doubt they'd ever have to impose population limits. I suppose it's possible they might start to run out of food sometime but they also have such a big market presence that it probably wouldn't dent them too much to bring in food.

Besides, judging from Internaltion obesity figures I don't think we need worry about the US getting all skinny

 

[sludge]

I wonder if the US will ever institute a 1 or 2 child per family limit.As far as I know they don't have any major food or land shortages so they don't need it yet, but just remember the more ppl there are the higher the population growth.

If they decide to do it I wonder if they will implement this policy accross the board or by population density at your location/gross family income/criminal record/immigration status or when your ancestors went there or some other type of classification?

They have a very modern and well developed farming infrastructure and in keeping with farming advances I doubt that that the US will see famine in my lifetime but if nothing is done to limit population growth the day will come when there are more ppl than food.

I realise this is rather off topic but it's just something I wonder about

mmm... Maybe in a few hundred years, I think it sort of depends on their immigration policies.

Their land is very sparsely populated at the moment, their population density is
lower than ours.

Here is a list, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density

They have loads of space to farm on, live on etc.

Anyways, back to that growth thing, AFAIK they are debating whever to change their immigration policies ATM. If they make it more strict, it will definitely slow the growth of their population in a big way.

Besides, judging from Internaltion obesity figures I don't think we need worry about the US getting all skinny

ROFL!!!

 

[antowan]

They have a very modern and well developed farming infrastructure and in keeping with farming advances I doubt that that the US will see famine in my lifetime but if nothing is done to limit population growth the day will come when there are more ppl than food.

I realise this is rather off topic but it's just something I wonder about

Very valid food for thought.

 

[Tassidar]

I wonder if the US will ever institute a 1 or 2 child per family limit.As far as I know they don't have any major food or land shortages so they don't need it yet, but just remember the more ppl there are the higher the population growth.

If they decide to do it I wonder if they will implement this policy accross the board or by population density at your location/gross family income/criminal record/immigration status or when your ancestors went there or some other type of classification?

They have a very modern and well developed farming infrastructure and in keeping with farming advances I doubt that that the US will see famine in my lifetime but if nothing is done to limit population growth the day will come when there are more ppl than food.

I realise this is rather off topic but it's just something I wonder about

I somewhat doubt it. In general the first world is trying to come to grips with declining population growth rates. Many couples are only having one or two children at most. Obviously this is going to create a very top-heavy economy in years to come, with the young having to support a large retired population. Also, as the population growth rate becomes negative, expect economic growth rate to slow, as demand drops off. Australia and many countries in Europe are trying to encourage their people to reproduce.

I have heard (and would be interested in a source), that Soweto has a rapidly declining population growth rate, and many households consist of only one child. Is this true?

 

[supersunbird]

I for one think that a static growth rate is best. We dont need MORE and MORE people, we already cant employ most. Do we want the whole world covered in one big megacity (like Coruscant from Star Wars)?

 

[Leitmotif]

Coruscant is a virtual paradise compared to what we'd get... I'm thinking more in terms of arcologies like Judge Dredd or William Gibson's novels portray.

Actually, there are some pretty cool plans for arcologies around, mostly proposed by Japan... makes sense, considering their population density. Moving to a one-building city wouldn't be much of a difference

I'd love to live in a properly managed arcology...

 

[Darth Garth]

I am thinking ... Chiba City ... me and my trusty deck ... jacking in after selling both of my kidneys to pay TelkomAT&TVerizon for my broadband uplink .