Re: “” Jan. 7 Stephen Mihm column.
Despite a future of diminishing natural resources, climate change, habitat destruction, and suburban sprawl, Professor Mihm seems to think the only way to ensure future economic growth is for Americans to produce more babies.
This is a demographic pyramid scheme that might work for a few years but is not sustainable in the long term. There are more creative means to achieving economic growth such as moving to an increasingly high-tech economy. Instead of more people, we need a better educated workforce that continues to produce more and more valuable products.
Instead of bringing back low tech steel industry and coal mining job, we should be retraining workers to manufacture and maintain products of the future in fields such as medicine, renewable energy, and computers. Real estate developers and pediatricians may not benefit from low birthrates, but a less populous society will mean a healthier planet.
Will Mahoney, M.A., geography, Denver
A low rate of population growth is not “coal in our national stocking.” Human population growth is the driving force behind every crisis the world faces today: climate change, species extinction, dirty water, dirty air, unemployment, oppression of women, war, famine and slavery.
Using the crude bar of reproduction to lever our economies upward is a failed strategy. It leaves the peoples of the world in a crowded heat sink with low wages, and benefits only the wealthy. The mantra of a new economy should be “one woman, one child.” Let our next boom come, not from babies, but from a clean technology.
Susan Williams, Lakewood
Submit a letter to the editor via or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
