COLORADO FACES A HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL DILEMMA: WE MUSTSOLVE OUR IMPENDING "HUMAN KATRINA" BEFORE IT MANIFESTS
By Frosty Wooldridge
Fifty years ago Eleanor Roosevelt said: "We must prevent human tragedy rather than run around trying to save ourselves after an event has already occurred.
Unfortunately, history clearly shows that we arrive at catastrophe by failing to act when we should have acted. The opportunity passes us by and the next disaster is always more difficult and compounded than the last one."
Colorado faces a major population crisis by adding six million people within four decades.
But it doesn't end there--California will add 42 million, Arizona adds five million and Texas will add 20 million. Our children inherit escalating consequences.
In 1963, our nation housed 194 million people. By 1965, Senator Teddy Kennedy pushed and passed the Immigration Reform Act. It changed our sustainable immigration numbers from 180,000 annually to 1.1 million per year. Within 41 years, we added 100 million people by October of 2006. US Census Bureau figures show an added 100 million by 2040 or 33 years at current immigration levels. We can expect another added 100 million by 2065.
Results: Colorado grew by 1.3 million people in the 90s. From 1990 to 2000, 46 percent of Colorado's population growth came from immigrants [legal and illegal] and their children. In California, that figure topped 98 percent.
Are Americans overpopulating themselves?
No! The American female averages 2.03 children, which allows for a balanced and sustainable civilization. So what's causing us to grow by 3.1 million annually?
Plain facts: unending legal and illegal immigration from a line that grows by 77 million globally each year!
In other words, no matter how many we immigrate, the line grows by 77 million annually thus defeating any good we hope to realize.
Via political correctness, denial or sheer arrogance, no one will admit that immigration rams this population juggernaut into America's fragile environmental heart.
By avoiding taking action concerning this "Human Katrina" swirling into our country, we force our children of every race, creed and color to become victims.
What do our children face if we continue this Titanic-like course?
Denver's Brown Cloud doubles its toxicity as we add another two million people. Our current water crisis multiplies with an added six million to our state.
Our aquifers cannot withstand the enormous drain on their sources. We face daunting consequences as to drought, irrigating our crops and watering our unrelenting growth.
In the past decade, we lost 1.6 million acres of farmland to concrete, steel and asphalt. Another 3.1 million acres vanishes by 2022 as we continue adding millions of people to the Front Range. Going camping or skiing on weekends creates a 90 mile parking lot on I-70 today. Imagine another six million cars jeopardizing our sanity and recreation plans in a few decades. Species extinction accelerates as we destroy habitat for our wild creatures. As our numbers rise, our quality of life degrades in every sector of our lives.
The cost of living rises with population growth.
The poor escalate beyond assisting their plight. Our natural resources degrade while we throw nature out of balance with our terrific use of oil, natural gas, coal and wood burning.
You can expect dozens of consequences such as lowering our quality of life, compounded energy crisis and accelerated global warming. Examples explode across the planet.
For example: according to Time Magazine, eight million adults die from starvation annually world wide. The World Health Organization says 20,000 children die daily of starvation or starvation related diseases. Are we safe from those problems? No!
Today, Lake Lanier, Georgia cannot offer enough water to five million residents of the Atlanta area. Los Angeles' toxic
air sickens, poisons and kills thousands. We, as a state and nation, walk into the crosshairs of devastating consequences if we remain on this overpopulation course.
Einstein said, "The problems in the world today are so enormous they cannot be solved with the level of thinking that created them."
If you travel to Europe, do you suddenly jump on a plane? No, you plan ahead to arrive with food, clothes and shelter. We must prepare for a successful experience when our children arrive at their future destination.
Every restaurant, movie theater and airplane features a seating limit.
Let's create a "Colorado Carrying Capacity Policy" ; "Colorado Environmental Impact Policy" ; and, finally, "Colorado Sustainable Population Policy". Colorado cannot continue on this deadly overpopulation course!
What ideas do your bring to the table? What creative plans may you suggest that move us toward a viable future?
First of all, the simplest plan would be to enact a 10 year moratorium on all immigration. Call it a time-out so we can gather our own resources toward our own problems and citizens. After that decade, a maximum of 100,000 immigrants a year that benefit our country, and, only if they help maintain a stable population.
We must help overloaded, poor nations to solve their problems in their own countries. We can help them with International Family Planning and farming techniques.
Second, each state may enact "carrying capacity policies" as each state may be able to handle more or less population numbers. A "Water Policy" remains imperative in all our states as to availability and human numbers.
Third, we must move with maximum scientific research for an alternative energy source such as photo-voltaic transfer to electricity to drive the engines of cars and industry. We need to create a six inch chip that can absorb and concentrate sunlight into usable energy on a mass scale.
Fourth, we must lead the world with a "NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY" to bring international attention to the fact that we face a global crisis. We must all solve it together for the betterment of humankind.
How wise for Colorado to be the first state in the nation to act responsibly toward the future of our children and our planet home!
For those of you in political, educational, church and civic arenas--my program, "THE COMING POPULATION CRISIS IN COLORADO: AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT" offers inspiring opportunities to change our future for the better. You may book it for your group to educate, inspire and activate others to work for a viable and sustainable future for all Coloradans and fellow creatures.
Title of the presentation: "COMING POPULATION CRISIS for COLORADO: AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT"
The USA will double its population from 300 million to over 600 million sometime past mid century. It will add 100 million within 33 years by 2040. Demographic predictions show Colorado adds fivemillion people to the Front Range in the next 50 years. California will add 20 million within the next 30 years. Texas will add 12 million by 2025. We are creating an irreversible crisis with unsolvable problems for our children.
"The problems in the world today are so enormous they cannot be solved
with the level of thinking that created them." Einstein
Frosty Wooldridge, former Colorado teacher, has bicycled 100,000 miles on six continents and six times across the United States coast to coast in the past 30 years. He has seen the crisis of overpopulation in Mexico, China, Bangladesh, India and South America.
He presents a clear picture of the future for America if we continue on this Titanic-like course while offering solutions that stand in line with Einstein's appreciation for stepping out of the box. Wooldridge began as a teacher in Brighton, Colorado since 1973 and is the author of seven books. He presents a powerful and compelling program to all audiences laced with humor, compassion and sense of optimism. Wooldridge has been a guest on hundreds of radio and TV programs across the United States.
As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "We must prevent human tragedy rather than run
around trying to save ourselves after an event has already occurred.
Unfortunately, history clearly shows that we arrive at catastrophe by
failing to meet the situation, by failing to act when we should have
acted. The opportunity passes us by and the next disaster is always more
difficult and compounded than the last one."
Excellent reference by writing Lakewood Rotary
jay@carpender.com
Former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm
rlamm@aol.com
Ken Hampshire, President of Advanced Health Group
kenh@advancedhealthgroup.com
Cong.Tom Tancredo with
Cindy.Trevithick@mail.house.gov
Choose the 25 minute program or the 45 minute program that includes dramatic slide show.
Wooldridge distributes information whereby every person in the audience may
take action on a personal level to ensure a viable future for Colorado, New York, Texas, California, our children and the United States.
Thank you,
Frosty Wooldridge
Louisville, CO
www.frostywooldridge.com