Paradise Lost: Case Study of Limited Resources and Population Expansion

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/09/off_road_warriors/

ATVs having nowhere to ride on Cape Cod is one of many problems that have worsened after decades of growth and development (“Off-road warriors,” 5/9/09). In fact, the Cape is one of the best places in the U.S. to observe the effects of rapid population growth. What once was an isolated and untamed place to vacation and experience vast natural beauty has become an extension of the Greater Boston suburbs, with its housing, retail shopping, and endless traffic.

There are irrevocable costs that come with our society’s relentless promotion of growth. The story behind the ATV article is that in many ways parents today cannot provide to their own children the lifestyle they once enjoyed. Unless we learn to live sustainably, with smaller families and a stable population, our children and future generations will miss out on an ever-increasing list of life-enhancing experiences.

Americans also should question the paradigm that communities must always be growing in order to enjoy a better quality of life. Indeed, the opposite is oftentimes true with the attendant higher taxes, housing costs, traffic congestion, and the incessant loss of open spaces.

Henry Barbaro

NECSP Board Member