Washington Post Ignores Fundamental Law of Ecology

 

In fine “Chicken Little” style, the Washington Post (in “The Baby Bust” a July 6 editorial) warned that the U.S. birthrate has “hit a record low.”  The editorial glossed over the fact that the historic low applies only to the arcane “crude birthrate,” and that the Total Fertility Rate – the measure applicable to projecting future population – is 16% higher than it was in 1979.¹ 

 

The Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will double this century.  Yet the Post editors claim that we will be sorry if we don’t get serious about growing our population.  To quote the Post’s last line: “If future generations are to carry on the American vibrancy and dynamism, the country must be prepared to embrace more babies …”

 

This grow forever thinking is no less anti-environment than that of the most callous polluter.  The fundamental law of ecology is that adverse environmental impact increases with population.  The Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will exceed half a billion people during the lifetime of today’s toddlers.  Apparently the Post editors don’t care what our population becomes as long as we keep growing.

 

The Washington Post is an opinion maker.  Its circulation is in the millions, and no doubt its website is visited by millions more.  The editorial should have alarmed and outraged every environmentalist.  It should have resulted in a deluge of letters from the top leadership of the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Society, etc.  It should have resulted in press releases from these organizations. 

 

Unfortunately, all of the major environmental organizations have largely ceded the U.S. population growth issue to the “grow forever” proponents.  Tragically, this surrender will ultimately make a mockery of the efforts to protect the environment.

 

Adapted from an article by Edwin Stennett in the August/September2003 issue of the Montgomery Sierran – newsletter of the Sierra Club, Motgomery County Group, Maryland Chapter.

 

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[1] (Total Fertility Rate estimates the number of births that a thousand women would have during their childbearing years.  For 2002 it was 2,013.  For 1979 it was 1,738.)