THE MOST OVERLOOKED & IGNORED ISSUE IN THE UNITED STATES

By Frosty Wooldridge

America faces crushing issues in 2009, but what crisis do you suppose the media danced around in 2008—to ignore, to deny and to push into oblivion? Let’s not talk about it, let’s avoid it, let’s pretend it’s not happening!

While the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, New York Times, Atlanta Constitution and most other papers reported on gridlock traffic, thousands of accidents daily, air pollution overload, water aquifers drying up and not enough lanes on the highways—along with hundreds of powder puff pieces—they never once reported on the cause.

What cause? You mean we live in a cause and effect world? You mean if I pour too much scalding coffee into a cup, it spills onto my lap? You mean if you don’t repair the brakes on your car that they will fail at some inopportune time? Can it be if you stick your finger into a flame, you will burn yourself? Nah, that can’t be, can it?

You bet your bippy Jack!

So what caused most of the environmental, quality of life, energy and other exploding issues facing Colorado and America?

In 2008, the United States added 3.1 to 3.4 million people net gain. The US jumped from 303 million to 306 million on its way to 400 million by 2035—a mere 26 years from now. They slipped in quietly from other overpopulated states, legally and illegally from other overloaded countries. Both legal and illegal immigration drove the other 2.1 million added persons to the USA in 2008. We added our own 1.0 million from ‘population momentum’.

Hyper-population growth stands behind every environmental crisis facing America, yet none of our leaders or media people address it.

"Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong." George Carlin
While Carlin banged on our funny bone for five decades, other concerned people discuss the more serious side of our dilemma.

"One of the biggest green discussions we have in our home is about how we will never be able to really get control of the destruction of our planet's valuable resources until we realize that we have an enormous responsibility and obligation to control the size of the human population that is expanding at a rate never seen before in our history,” said Jason Alexander (Seinfeld bald guy) “This planet was never intended to support the number of human beings we currently have residing on it. As a result, natural lands and animal populations are disappearing—and rapidly. If we do not start to really understand this harsh reality and reverse it, our planet will not survive. At least not with a quality of life that anyone would wish for.

“So our family talks about responsibility in family planning. We talk about replacing ourselves on this globe, rather than doubling or tripling our numbers. It is not an easy conversation. Life and families and babies are all joyous gifts. But if we do not begin to truly account for our numbers, we will surely create an ecological crisis that will only lead to anguish and despair."

Whether it’s Colorado or California or Cancun—folks—we face humongous consequences playing out across the globe in 2009. I guarantee you each problem you read about zooms in on your state and the United States IF we continue adding sheer population overload. Nothing will be gained by adding population overload and everything will be degraded if we continue on this path.

You’re invited to send this column to all your friends and all your politicians. Send LTE’s to your home town newspapers to address what we face IF we allow continue population growth. Demand they address new ideas that step out of the box. Ask them to consider: “US Sustainable Population Policy”; “US Water Usage Policy”; “US Environmental Impact Policy.” “US Sustainable Immigration Policy of fewer than 100,000 annually.”

Additionally, what ideas do you bring to the table? It’s a collective effort and every person’s input counts. If you like more information, you may look at the websites provided to help you understand this great collective undertaking to move America and your state toward a sustainable and viable future.

Let’s use our collective power to make ‘hyper-population growth’ the new buzz word of 2009 and force it into the national spotlight. Let’s deal with it and stop allowing the media and our leaders to ignore it.

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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. He presents “The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it” to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com