How to Growthbust at Home
Here’s an example of how you can do some growthbusting in your own back yard: I just posted this comment to the state of Colorado’s Draft SWSI 2010 Municipal and Industrial Water Conservation Strategies Report:
In addressing long-term water needs and strategies, the state of Colorado needs to treat population projections not as a fait accompli. Knowing the limitations of our water resource, Colorado has no business doubling its current population – over any time period. Such population growth is not inevitable. It will happen only if the state and its communities continue to pursue economic development strategies that subsidize migration to the state. The strategies focus on attracting business (and in the bargain, population) to the state. The subsidies include economic development incentives and ad campaigns and junkets, but more importantly they sometimes include massive water projects – the cost of which is never completely passed on to the new residences and businesses requiring that water. This must change. If you really want sustainable water policy for the state of Colorado, stop accommodating and subsidizing growth.
If enough people rise up to demand changes in unsustainable, growth-seeking policies in their own communities, eventually perpetual growth will disappear from our DNA and we can have a sustainable world. Think globally; act locally!
Dave Gardner,
Filmmaker
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