To the editor: With almost 40 million inhabitants, California is the most populous state in the United States. To achieve this dubious distinction, we have dammed nearly every river in the state to supply water and power for growth and industry. (“The exodus from California left a huge population gap. Can the Golden State finally recover?”, May 14)
We have overexploited almost all of the state's aquifers.
We have the worst air quality in the country, along with some of the worst traffic.
We have plowed almost every square inch of the once glorious Central Valley and slathered it with pesticides, herbicides and rodenticides.
We have cut down native oak and coniferous forests.
We have virtually destroyed native fish populations and killed California grizzly bears, our state symbol.
Our cities are becoming uninhabitable and our neighborhoods are becoming unfriendly.
And yet there are those who lament the fact that we have lost some population lately and think we need more growth.
It seems obvious to me that we have exceeded California's carrying capacity. We are destroying the ecosystems on which our lives depend. This is not sustainable.
Pat Veesart, St. Margaret
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To the editor: This article assumes that flat or negative population growth is a bad thing.
Consider that most of California's problems (air pollution, traffic congestion, water shortages, and housing shortages) were caused by rapid population growth in previous decades. Now is the time for the State to catch up and build infrastructure to support the people who are already here.
Steve Mills, Glendale
