California's population will double in 38 years due to immigration

[Clarkie1]

We barely have enough fresh water in this state as it is for drinking, farming, and our few remaining natural ecosystems.

This problem must be addressed. Suggestions?

[candy]

1. Get outta town,and fast!

[Warren DeMontague]

14. No.

The East Coast, for example, is truly an under-populated mecca of low population density and sustainability.

Sarcasm off.

I'll take my chances with California, thanks.

[candy]

24. Don't blame you----I live in a suburb just west of Boston---

and the loss of green spaces is astonishing----overbuilding in the last 7 years is out of control.

Hideous pseudo colonial townhouses with aluminum siding, squeezed into very small lots.

These sell for about $700,000.00 and they don't have an ounce of character.

[El Supremo]

2. Don't worry.

Mexico's economy will be so much better (relatively speaking) than California's by then that we'll all be moving there.

[BamaLefty]

3. Damn, that is great!

We will win every Prez election! :P

[Zynx]

6. Except for Texas and the Southeast keep growing.

[AmandaRuth]

4. well i am sure the rich will just retreat behind gated

walled communities with their own private security force. Safe pure water may cost a little more, but, really what else are they gonna spend their money on? The rest of the state may well look like a third world country, or maybe a feudal society.

[cally]

5. I would like to read the study

because I doubt it's possible. As the population increases, housing prices will increase. As we get more crowded, Cali becomes less attractive. I don't believe the study. It may be just a projection based on past growth which isn't credible.

[Clarkie1]

9. Source

First heard figure from this person/organization which is doing great work.

http://www.californiawild.org/Calendar.html

Ouick google search showed this probable source:

http://www.capsweb.org/newsroom/press_releases/WPAW_2002.html

[Constitution]

7. More electors and representatives after 2010. n/t

[Bridget Burke]

8. Where's your source?

Need more information.

Suggestion: Ship out the old xenophobes whose greatest good is "my tax dollar." Replace them with young people who want to work.

[Clarkie1]

10. Not everyone concerned about the greatest threat to our survival is a

"xenophobe"

or a racist.

It's a serious problem that requires serious discussion.

[Radical Activist]

12. Why do you care more about that problem as it effects California?

Instead of viewing it as a global problem that effects people in all nations? Sooner or later everyone is going to have to deal with overpopulation, even if we try to close our borders.

[Bridget Burke]

23. Then provide some serious sources.

Or accept the labels.

[Radical Activist]

11. Stop watering your stupid lawns

Then come up with an immigration plan that makes it easier for new immigrants to move somewhere besides the borders states. If I were undocumented I would want to stay with people in a similar situation that spoke my language. That makes it unlikely for illegal immigrants to move to new places besides CA and TX.

Start making more immigrants legal so they can pay taxes that will support the building of the infrastructure improvements that will be needed to support the increase in population. Making them legal will remove the incentive for corporations that are importing cheap illegal immigrant labor because they will have to start paying regular wages again.

Figuring out a way to make ocean water drinkable in an efficient way would be a good idea too.

Overpopulation is a global problem. We cannot avoid the problem by shutting our borders and pretending it's a problem that only other nations will have to confront. We will have to confront the issue weather we allow immigration or not.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Yeah, Chicago- home of the river they dye green every St. Patty's day-

is now going to lecture California on ecological sustainability.

[Radical Activist]

16. The dye used is perfectly safe

and that river is green pretty much all year round anyway.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. No doubt. For the record, I agree with you.

I think trying to "stop" immigration is like trying to hold back the tide. Far better, in my mind, to attempt to address the systems and situations which lead to large wealth discrepancies, and to work to improve the standard of living for all people globally.

Which isn't to say there aren't also way too many people on the planet, period, a situation which clearly calls for better access to birth control... but unfortunately if I mention the fact that the Pope, for example, isn't a whole hell of a lot of help in that department I will quite likely be accused of "Christian Bashing".

[AirAmFan]

13. Equiv. headline, much less alarming: CA Pop. growing at less than 1.9

percent a year due to immigration.

Never knew the "Rule of 72" could be such fun, or have such political implications!

[Nordic]

17. how about getting rid of Catholicism

and talking about some family planning.

Flame away.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. What? There are too many people on the planet?

Say it isn't so.

Don't you know? Birth control is sinful. Why, its initials are "B.C."--- as in, "Bothers Christ"

Clearly the answer is for everyone to just stop f*cking. Eat some graham crackers instead, or watch one of those videos with the singing vegetables.

[Traction]

18. It won't get a chance to double

Remember, by 38 years, I'm sure we'll elect a hard-line anti-immigrant president that will seal the borders. He'll be so far-right he'll make Bush look like Ted Kennedy. Mark my words, I'm afraid it will happen. Or, we could just wind up in a nuke war and lose 3 billion people worldwide.

[w4rma]

25. Hopefully a liberal president will crack down on *illegal* immigration

before then. As for legal immigration, I'm not sure what, if anything, needs to be changed on that.

[foreigncorrespondent]

19. Over here in Australia...

...Perth and most of Western Australia has the right idea. They use bore water for watering gardens and lawns and bathing in. The water is a little harder, but if you add softners to your bath, it actually isn't so bad.

In South Australia a lot of people have tanks on their property for their drinking water. Granted the water in Adelaide isn't so great, but it is a good way to save water.

Does California do this kind of thing anywhere?

I know a lot of the water companies here in Victoria are offering people money back offers for installing water saving devices in their homes.

It is sad that it has become so bad for fresh water now. My sister lives in a small coastal tourist trap here in Victoria. Now here in Melbourne we are in stage two water restrictions, but where my sister is, they aren't under any sort of restrictions. Anyway she was telling me that the home opposite her is a holiday home for this family. Anyway most weekends these people come up from Melbourne and bloody well wash their cars and then hose the lawn down. Now why do that?

My sister said last summer that she realized how bad the water situation was here in Melbourne and so the only things she would water was her lemon tree, apart from that nothing. Her husband uses a special wash glove to wash the cars with. You don't use any soap to wash the car, just soak the glove in some water and wipe it over the car.

We call people here in Melbourne who waste water "water wallies." Anyway there is an elderly couple living opposite me, and the husband was out a few weeks ago watering his garden while it was rainging.

Anyway, sorry for rambling on. I just hate people who waste water.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. See, but the difference is, many Americans take pride in being

environmental ignoramuses. It's a badge of honor. Driving a f*cking 3 mpg H2 or a massively oversized truck is a status symbol... It says, "I don't care about the planet! The planet only exists as something for ME to stand on top of!"