Vanishing Elbow Room and Breathing Space: Crowds Flee to Northern Rockies from Packed, “Pandemicked” Cities

By Leon Kolankiewicz

Sadly, in 2020 life is imitating art in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Art: In the Paramount Network’s hit contemporary Western series Yellowstone, set in western Montana’s rugged Rocky Mountains, Kevin Costner plays grizzled old cattle rancher and crusty patriarch John Dutton. For generations, Dutton and his forebears running the vast … Continued

More People, More Noise Pollution Hurts Our Environment

By Admins

Pollution is typically thought of as a visual, chemical, or physical substance that causes environmental harm. Often overlooked is noise pollution, which of course is a staple in densely populated cities, but it’s becoming increasingly problematic as a growing din infiltrates nature and our protected areas such as national parks. And while multiple studies have … Continued

Who Cares About Insects? We All Should If We Care About Nature

By Leon Kolankiewicz

For the past two decades, my NumbersUSA colleagues and I have prepared ten studies reporting on the relationship between immigration-driven U.S. population growth and urban sprawl. In recent years, our research has shown that in general, some 70 to 90 percent of all sprawl is related to population growth. Most of that population is now … Continued

Not Yet a ‘Silent Spring,’ But a Subdued One

By Leon Kolankiewicz

Human Numbers Up, Bird Numbers Down: Not Just a Coincidence Fewer flocks and feathers grace our skies, forests, coasts, grasslands, and deserts these days. A team of scientists writing in the journal Science reports that the number of birds in North America has dwindled by about 30 percent since 1970, or nearly three billion individual … Continued

Population and Immigration Denialism in the Climate Debate

By Leon Kolankiewicz

In today’s polarized America, there are certain “third rail” or “hot potato” issues one just can’t touch without an explosive reaction. They’re too hot to touch, and so most politicians ignore them rather than risk getting burned. Emotionalism, knee-jerk responses, heaping scorn, and scoring cheap political points trump rational deliberation, discussion, and debate. Right and … Continued