The U.S. Population and Its Environmental Consequences: At 300 Million, Do the Numbers Count?

Vicky Markham, Center for Environment and Population (CEP)
Martha Farnsworth Riche, Cornell University

This paper examines U.S. population trends (including growth, density, movement, composition or "make up") and per capita patterns of resource consumption, and how they effect the nation's environment, ecosystems, natural resources, air, land and water. The newly released "U.S. National Report on Population and the Environment" is among the documents used as a discussion document. The new report is a detailed, balanced, easy-to-understand, science-based analysis of major population trends in the U.S. and how they impact the environment, including air, land, water and species. It looks at national, regional and state/local population trends (including growth, density, movement, and per capita resource consumption) and their specific population-environmental impacts. The report is part of a series produced by the Center for Environment and Population (CEP).