Smart Growth

Smart Growth, Population, Public Lands, and Climate Change

As the world’s population grows exponentially, the demand for natural resources to sustain life continues to grow faster than our ability to increase production. While some global changes may be cyclical in the context of geologic time, there can be no question that man has an increasing impact. Clean water, clean air, food production, climate change are all affected by population growth.

On a global level, as a society, we must focus on all the available tools to address our impact on our planet and its resources. While the principles of Smart Growth are not the answer to all the issues, adhering to these principles will reduce impacts, while creating more vibrant and livable communities.

On a local level, adhering to the principle of Smart Growth in local and regional planning can protect our public lands from becoming oasis surrounded by smog-choked highways, with subdivisions and homes inappropriately jammed onto their borders, heralding a loss of public access.

For more information on these issues, please go to the links below:

Smart Growth:

www.citizensforsmartgrowth.org

http://www.epa.gov/livablecommunities

http://www.smartgrowth.org/about/default.asp?res=1024

Population:

http://www.populationinstitute.org

http://www.populationconnection.org

http://www.npg.org

Public Lands:

http://www.westernlands.org

http://www.publiclands.org

http://www.wildernesswatch.org

Climate Change:

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange

http://www.environmentaldefense.org