This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The environmental alarms continue to go off in Utah. Not only are many of the state's native wildlife species endangered, but so is the quality of life for the state's human residents.
In a state plagued by bad air quality, concern over water resources and debates over the use of public lands, we should all be more concerned by the fact that Utah's population is expected to more than double by 2050.
Utah's population boom will be hard enough on humans, but where does that leave wildlife?
Our state is rich in biodiversity, and many threatened species live in the counties where the human populations are expected to double.
We need to be more concerned about the cost of endless population growth which results in relentless resource consumption.
Investing in universal access to reproductive health care and education to ensure a better future for our families, communities and the environment is a step in the right direction.
A handful of non-profit groups work to raise awareness around these issues, but we need more citizens – including the media and our elected officials – to have the conversation about population sustainability rather than accepting unchecked population growth and sprawl as the inevitable future.
Gray Griffin
Bountiful