Population Pressure

Re “Growing in Wisdom,” Ventura County editorial, March 19.

This editorial leaves me mystified. Ventura County’s expected population growth of 40% over the next 25 years will be managed by smarter land use, improved public transportation and by encouraging desired growth patterns? Really?

You say that our population growth is inevitable. This means continued degradation of our communities from dirtier air, water shortages, accelerated environmental damage, more crowding, quite possibly increased crime, and more traffic and noise. To accommodate the expected population increase without these negative impacts would take more than wisdom. It would take a miracle.

Sadly, our primary response to population pressures is to expand housing and jobs. This is like building more freeways in the hope of reducing traffic congestion. We’ve seen how well that approach works.

Population pressure is a global problem so scary that most of us simply do not want to think about it. But we will be forced to think about it.

If we believe that population increases are inevitable, what is our hope for the future? What legacy do we leave future generations?

One source of hope comes from a recent decision by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which has ruled that a group of children who have challenged timber licensing agreements have standing to sue on behalf of their generation and subsequent generations.

Just as the attitude and behavior of tobacco companies changed quickly and radically because of recent lawsuits by several states, perhaps legal action on behalf of our children and future generations will start us down a path toward a sustainable economy and stable, livable communities.

RAY KING

Ojai