Friday, March 20, 1998
Speaker discusses population growth
More than 30 people gathered in a small, crowded room last night to learn about an issue that is often overlooked, but one that may have serious implications on society.Peter Kostmayer, executive director for Zero Population Growth and who served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, talked with students and faculty about the future of the world if population would continue to grow at an exponential rate.
Peter Kostmayer, Executive Director of Zero Population Growth, speaks to the Penn State Student Chapter of the American Water Resources Association last night. Kostmayer spoke about the politics of population and the environment. (Collegian Photo/Nethra Sirdhara Ankam - click for full size image)
"It is a matter of quality of life," he said. "We
can support a large population on the Earth, but the question
to ask is: 'Are we better off because of it?' "
We are not better off, Kostmayer said, because although our economy
may benefit from a larger population, environmental costs must
be paid, such as ozone depletion, pollution and global warming.
"The Earth can only take so much," said Patty Craig
(graduate-environmental pollution control).
In addition to controlling the general population, Zero Population
Growth focuses on other population problems such as teenage pregnancy,
Kostmayer said.
"This is a very difficult issue for Americans because it
involves sex," he said.
Locally, population growth is a big problem in Centre County as
well, Kostmayer said. Because the population in Centre County
grows at a rate of 2 percent, it will take 36 years for the population
in this county to double, he said.
Kostmayer said it is difficult for people, especially students,
to fully understand the consequences of population growth because
they are more focused on issues that affect them today.
--by Christopher Antonacci
