Thread: Population growth and immigration threaten U.S. prosperity

Population growth and immigration threaten U.S. prosperity

9:00 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2012

Regarding a recent Sun op-ed page, it's rare to see two commentaries side by side that perfectly cancel each other out. In one, John Seager notes that the Earth's population is growing at a rate of 80 million people a year ("An Unhappy World Population Day," July 11). In the other, Thomas F. Schaller exhorts us to welcome immigrants even when their "economic pressure forces those of us already here to work harder" ("Hostility toward recent immigrants a long U.S. tradition," July 11).

It might occur to Mr. Schaller that today jobs are a precious commodity, and it's only natural to want them protected.

Unfortunately, the human race has a biological need to expand. Eighteenth-century economist Thomas Robert Malthus explained that "the power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence" that it periodically causes famines and other disasters.

There are over 7 billion on Earth today, and that number is growing. At the same time, it takes fewer and fewer people to grow things and make things. Additionally, any company that can outsource its labor force is eager to do so, creating layoffs and downsizing here in the U.S.

It's true there has always been hostility toward newcomers, but during the Industrial Revolution manufacturers aggressively sought new hands to handle the growing work. And when farm land opened up in the West, railroads sought immigrants to work the land.

But the scenario today is entirely different. It's no secret the world's billions want to migrate to places where life is better — that's commendable. But when America becomes the destination of choice, we have a duty to curtail the practice if for no other reason than that we owe it to our children.

R. E. Nester, Baltimore

Population growth and immigration threaten U.S. prosperity - baltimoresun.com

So true. Even if all we had coming in were good people who simply want what older generations of immigrants wanted (to be one nation with us and live the American Dream) and we all know that's not so, being packed in like sardines everywhere in the country, going without jobs, and seeing every remaining green space paved over (along with the increasing risk of endangering wildlife)for the ever-increasing demand of new homes, schools, businesses, etc. would certainly lower the quality of life. I think if people want to have more than 3 kids it's time to adopt any more they wish to have!!

A growing world population with many coming here and/or wanting to while at the same time we're sending jobs to China and other communist/third world countries as this all moves forward America will see an internal war sadly. I believe there is still time to fix the problem but none of our leaders wish to do so perhaps out of greed or ignorance.

"........we owe it too our children." A wake up call that should have been heeded one and two generations past. Greed motivates many. Too many. I have a friend who still believes that the American farmer will meet the worlds need for food, I wonder who would be able to afford that food. then, there is water, needed to maintain plant and human life. Just not enough water to do all that maintenance.. Scientists began warming of food and water shortages for an over populated world more than 50 years ago.

Originally Posted by kevinssdad

"........we owe it too our children." A wake up call that should have been heeded one and two generations past. Greed motivates many. Too many. I have a friend who still believes that the American farmer will meet the worlds need for food, I wonder who would be able to afford that food. then, there is water, needed to maintain plant and human life. Just not enough water to do all that maintenance.. Scientists began warming of food and water shortages for an over populated world more than 50 years ago.

Well, water-wise I think we could kill two birds (rising ocean waters due to global warming and not enough water for humans to drink) with one stone. If the world populations located nearest the oceans start drinking their water from the ocean (though the osmosis machines for seawater are very expensive, wouldn't that mean that we can stop some of the natural devastation wreaked on the environment?) And also there have been machines invented that literally pull the humidity out of the air and create pure, fresh drinking water out of them!! (at least in places like South FL where there is high humidity that will work).

Food is another matter. I think oldguy is right concerning a war, but I really think it would be if/when the Latinos try to make their move to take over this country. But we are going to win this war if it all boils down to war-we're going to be like "Michael" and "Jason" in that "we're baaack" and we just won't die!!

Water should not be a problem. Over 3/4 of the earth is covered by it. We have the technology and the means to make as much of this water potable as we will ever need regardless of world population. Moreover, most of the health / disease issues in underdeveloped countries are exacerbated by or caused by the lack of potable water. So why don't we go fix this problem? I believe the answer is Politics-Special Interests. Special Interests-Special Interests. Politics-Politics.

The technology already exists to create a combination solar plant that could derive hydrogen from sea water ( a clean alternative fuel that could replace gasoline and natural gas for cars, trucks, etc., ) with desalinized sea water as a by product that could be used for irrigation, aquifer replenishment, etc. Look at your world maps. Some of the driest areas on the planet are bordered by the seas. And we have already proven the ability to build thousands of miles of pipeline that could funnel the water inland as required.

Desalinization plants are very expensive to build and operate, making water very costly.

Carlsbad desalination project cost keeps rising

December 09, 2011 6:39 am • By BRADLEY J. FIKES bfikes@nctimes.com

How much will the Carlsbad desalination project by Poseidon Resources cost? It could be close to a billion dollars, a number that can be inferred by the company's latest request to sell tax-exempt bonds through the state.

Poseidon has asked to sell up to $780 million of the bonds, which I point out in my accompanying story.

I came across the bond information in a very modern way, via Facebook. A post there linked to a Forbes article by water policy specialist Peter Gleick, a longtime foe of the Poseidon project. Gleick mentioned the bond financing request in his article, which predicted the cost was rising to the billion-dollar level. And with it, the cost to customers, through the intended purchaser, the San Diego County Water Authority.

"The company's current estimate is that the cost of delivered desalination water has skyrocketed over the past few years to around $2,000 per acre-foot, which is nearly triple San Diego's current supply costs," Gleick wrote.

Ouch. A hat-tip to Gleick for pointing this out.

Since then, Poseidon has brought down its estimate, at the Water Authority's insistence, to $1,865 an acre-foot. That's still far above that of water San Diego gets from conventional sources. One major supplier, Metropolitan Water District, now charges from $744 an acre-foot for full-service Tier I treated water, while Tier II treated water sells for $869 an acre-foot.

To be sure, Metropolitan is constantly raising the price of its water, but so will Poseidon under the envisioned deal.

Of course, $780 million is still well short of a billion. But that's not the entire cost, because Poseidon also intends to sell equity in the project, according to the Water Authority.

I asked the Water Authority how much Poseidon hoped to raise in equity, but the authority deferred to Poseidon on that question. I wasn't able to reach Poseidon for my story, so I can just make a rough guess: If the equity is any major part of the project's financing, then the cost is indeed creeping up to the billion-dollar range.

To put the new bond request in context, the project was originally presented as costing less than $300 million. But over the years cost estimates have risen, as they virtually always do on large projects. It's still not in Big Dig territory, but watch the escalating estimates.

Balanced against this higher cost is the benefit of having about as reliable a water supply as you can imagine -- no mean consideration in drought-prone Southern California.

After a decade of planning, hearings, design, lawsuits and public deliberation, Poseidon may finally be close to clinching an historic victory with the 50 million gallon a day desalination project. It would be the largest such project on the West Coast.

But Poseidon failed to arrange financing last year, even after completing a deal with nine local cities and water agencies. The prospective bond buyers wouldn't buy it, and without the money, the project couldn't be built. The San Diego County Water Agency, which has heftier resources, as the supplier of the great majority of the water San Diegans drink, could be seen as solid enough to reassure bond buyers.

So after all the heated opposition to the plant on environmental grounds, its fate appears linked to finances. And in the unsettled financial environment of the last few years, who can tell what will happen?

Carlsbad desalination project cost keeps rising

I read somewhere that our country's population has doubled since 1950. Much of that growth can be directly attributed to immigration ....... legal and illegal.

Originally Posted by 4thHorseman

Water should not be a problem. Over 3/4 of the earth is covered by it. We have the technology and the means to make as much of this water potable as we will ever need regardless of world population. Moreover, most of the health / disease issues in underdeveloped countries are exacerbated by or caused by the lack of potable water. So why don't we go fix this problem? I believe the answer is Politics-Special Interests. Special Interests-Special Interests. Politics-Politics.

The technology already exists to create a combination solar plant that could derive hydrogen from sea water ( a clean alternative fuel that could replace gasoline and natural gas for cars, trucks, etc., ) with desalinized sea water as a by product that could be used for irrigation, aquifer replenishment, etc. Look at your world maps. Some of the driest areas on the planet are bordered by the seas. And we have already proven the ability to build thousands of miles of pipeline that could funnel the water inland as required.

That's awesome!! You should write to those in charge of making decisions and share your ideas!