It seems the United States, much like its citizens, is growing bigger:
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts the 300 million mark will be reached in mid-October, 39 years after U.S. population topped 200 million and 91 years after it exceeded 100 million.
This will make the United States No. 3 in population in the world, after China and India.
Most of the growth is taking place in the South and West, according to the Census Bureau. From 2004 to 2005, U.S. population had a natural increase—births minus deaths—of 1.7 million and international migration of 1 million.
The rest of the article goes on to talk about the enviornmental impact we have compared to the rest of the world. As you can imagine, it’s not pretty.
In the areas of land-use, water, biodiversity, forests, fisheries and aquatic resources, Americans are consuming more than they did in the past. The report found:
—Each American occupies 20 percent more developed land—housing, schools, shopping and roads—than 20 years ago.
—Each American uses three times as much water as the world average; over half the original wetlands in the United States have been lost, mainly due to urban and suburban development and agriculture.
—Half the continental United States can no longer support its original vegetation; nearly 1,000 plant and animal species are listed by the U.S. government as endangered or threatened, with 85 percent of those due to habitat loss or alteration.
—The United States consumes nearly 25 percent of the world’s energy, though it has only 5 percent of the world’s population, and has the highest per capita oil consumption worldwide.
—Each American produces about 5 pounds (2.3 kilogram) of trash a day, up from about 3 pounds (1.4 kilogram) in 1960; the current rate is about five times that in developing countries.
I had a little spot on my screen so I mistakenly read your stats as saying that; “Each person in America produces about 5 pounds of hash a day!”
I gotta tell ya, I was impressed.
300 million? That’s pretty scary.
Strange, it didn’t reflect how much more productive we are than everybody else. I can’t imagine why.
My philosophy via Black Flag:
Imagine if 1.1 billion Indians and 1.6 billion Chinese decide they deserve to live like Americans…
did
“Productive”? Ah, yes, you must mean those dollar things. Or perhaps you mean consumer goods. Those things that we can’t have enough of, that make the world a better place for everyone and their grandchildren.
No, I think the 1.6 billion chinese are making those.
They’re also the products of third-world inhabitants toiling in sweat shops, dangerous factories, and other squalid working environments. And an exponentially rising global population will only make things so much better.
I think you’d get an argument from 1.5 billion Chinese.
In the not too distant future there’ll be little ‘production’ of stuff in the west.
And then … will it all fall over?
What we do know is that all civilisations rise and fall.
Stuff. There is so much of it that we don’t really ‘need’.
Twice in my life (30 years ago and 5 years ago) I’ve got rid of a house full of stuff and kept only what I could fit in a van and live comfortably in.
It’s great therapy.
The way things are going in the world there will be a lot less people about in 30 years time … if any at all.
Already we are exporting far less material than we import, particularly from China.
From here it suggests that in 2002 the value of US Exports was $927.5 Billion compared to the value of Imports of $1.727 Trillion, making your Current Account Balance in the red by $829.1 Billion or every American owes nearly $6k to someone (?). In Oz we each owe someone (?) $2.1k.
I have no idea what that means, nor what the long term ramifications of that are but it does sound like you owe some money.
Some grief is gonna come your way sooner or later.
Oh, I like the Big Mac Index too.