The Effects of Population Growths on the Environment
             With world population skyrocketing, where is man-kind headed? The current world population is over six billion with the United States population alone numbering over 264 million. Studies on population growths project that by the year 2050 A.D., the U.S. will need to find room for more than 520 million people, almost doubling the current population. How will the environment and the human race itself be affected by this (Jackson 27)?
             First, we as inhabitants, need to know what we are doing to this place we call home, Earth. The consequences to the United States wild lands and all their resources would be overwhelming if the population saw those kinds of staggering numbers. A striking illustration is the national park system: since 1940, the U.S. population has doubled, but park visitation has increased sixteen times. A population increase that measured only half as great as the last fifty years would devastate these areas, diminishing the quality of visitors' experience and reducing resources to unsustainable levels (Jackson 30).
             Recently it was found that MTBE (a gasoline additive that makes engines cleaner-burning, but may also cause cancer in humans) could be leaking into as many as 9,000 community water wells in 31 states from underground storage tanks. This chemical was first added to gas over 20 years ago to enhance octane and later in much larger amounts to help cut down on air pollution. Lately though, the foul-tasting and smelling oxygenate has been found in ground water all over the United States. John Zogorski, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey said, "Very large amounts of MTBE have been used in gasoline during the past 20 years and perhaps 250,000 gallons leaking from underground storage tanks have contained MTBE" (Times 1).
             The drinking water isn't all man has to worry about; what about the water that falls from the sky in...