Population growth and conservation

["Harrold, Eric S" <esharrol@email.uncc.edu>]

 Reece,

This was an issue that I vigorously debated with my student cohort as an
undergraduate at NCSU. I told all the fellow wildlifers, that if a
significant proportion of our society didn't come to recognize the impact of
population growth and its implications for future existence of threatened
and endangered species, all of our conservation efforts would in the end be
futile. 

How can we expect to have early successional grassland species and other
habitat specialists if we continually consume rare and vanishing habitats
for the sake of housing subdivisions, roadways, and economic "obesity"?
Unless something has dramatically changed very recently, there is still a
finite amount of space on our planet. For many species such as RCWs,
Cerulean Warblers, and Bobwhite Quail, the amount of that space that serves
as suitable habitat is going at an alarming rate. 

Until we address population growth, we will only be treating symptoms of the
disease. 

Eric Harrold
Charlotte, NC

-----Original Message-----
From: Reece Mitchell
To: Melvin Hochhalter; Carolina Birds
Sent: 5/8/02 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: My two cents

Don't we all concede that human population is the real problem in
preserving
brids and the rest of the natural world?
If the world population hits 10 Billion by mid-century as predicted, the
demand for space will overwhelm all of our efforts at conservation.
                               Reece Mitchell
                               Flat Rock, NC
                               rmitche2@tds.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Melvin Hochhalter" <mhochhalter@nc.rr.com>
To: "Carolina Birds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 9:33 AM
Subject: My two cents


> I think political issues related to birds are appropriate topics for
this
> list.  However, Will may disagree.  But, before he does, I would like
to
add
> that we all have a share in creating "the problem."  Yeah, we
capitalists
> develop good birding terrain, but we tree-huggers also like our
> suburban/rural isolation.  Maybe we should all donate our property to
the
> Nature Conservancy and move into a high-rise downtown.  Why, in no
time,
> nature would cover up our mess--in some fashion.  7;-)
>
> I really would like to hear (read) some thoughtful discussion on what
we
can
> do besides bashing that would help.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mel Hochhalter
> MelH@nc.rr.com
> Chapel Hill, NC
>
>
>