A talk about trade-offs in Texas

The Austin chapter of American Conservation Coalition welcomed me to Texas’ capital city on February 21 to talk about the causes and consequences of a sprawling Lone Star State. My 30-minute presentation was followed by an hour-long discussion covering topics such as housing, density, energy sprawl, water access, and the importance of preserving farmland and wildlife habitat.

Among other things, I highlighted the following facts:

• More than 6,600 square miles of Texas open space has been lost to development since 1982.
• Texas has the highest concentration of threatened agricultural land in America.
• The population of Texas has more than doubled since 1982 – from 15 million then to over 30 million today.
• Nearly 90% of Texas’ lost open space since 1982 is related to the state’s explosive population growth.

In a state where 95% of the land is privately owned, the trade-off between unchecked population growth and open space preservation in Texas is clear.

Texas Only: Special Action For Texans.

Also clear is that Texas’ population has grown so much because America’s population did too. The country’s population increased from 179 million in 1960 to 335 million today. Much of that growth happened thanks to immigration. In fact, annual legal immigration levels have tripled since 1960, to say nothing of illegal immigration, which is currently setting all-time records.

Ask yourself: Will a larger population make Texas more or less resilient?

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