ABSTRACT
Labor transformed the natural abundance into wealth, and population growth soon came to be equated with prosperity. A city that was growing could be confident that its citizens were becoming wealthy, and their prosperity attracted new growth. The loss of amenities and higher taxes to pay for growth reflect pressures foreseen by economist Herman Daly of the Environmental Division of the World Bank. A coalition—including Californians for Population Stabilization; Sierra Club, Population Committee; Population-Environment Balance; Zero Population Growth, west coast coordinator; and the Ministry for Population Concerns—adds a footnote to history. Classical economist David Ricardo, a contemporary of Thomas Malthus, saw that continuing population growth leads to impoverishment because scarce natural resources are an absolute constraint on economic growth. Various observers note a growing sentiment that more than economics or usual business-cycle fluctuations is at stake. Core American values—reverence for country, liberty, self-reliance, family, and community service—all seem under attack.
