Colcom Foundation has assembled a detailed timeline tracing U.S. environmental condition against population milestones since 1970. The data tells a consistent story: as the population grew, the ecological footprint expanded faster than conservation and efficiency measures could compensate. The pattern has repeated itself across every decade the foundation examines. Colcom Foundation supports several special programs, including the Conservation Catalyst Fund, which grants conservation organizations working to protect threatened species and habitats. By offering financial support and resources, this foundation allows these groups to make significant strides in conservation efforts.
Decade by Decade
In 1970, the U.S. population stood at 205 million and biocapacity consumption was already at 227% meaning the country was using more than twice what its natural systems could sustainably provide. The bird population at that point was approximately 10 billion. By 1990, the population had grown to 250 million, biocapacity consumption rose to 237%, and roughly 133,000 square miles of land had been converted to human-built uses. Immigration had by then replaced natural population increase as the dominant growth driver.
The 1990s added another 32 million people, pushing biocapacity consumption to 267% by 2000 and adding 23,000 more square miles of developed land. The two decades from 2000 to 2020 brought a further 48 million residents, bringing the total U.S. population to 330 million and the bird population down to approximately 7.1 billion a loss of nearly 3 billion birds from 1970 levels. By 2020, more than 1,300 species were listed as threatened or endangered.
What the Projections Show
Colcom Foundation notes that the trajectory beyond 2020 is not fixed. Pew Research projections indicate the U.S. population could reach between 350 million and 440 million or more by 2030, depending largely on immigration levels. By 2065, 82% of population growth is projected to stem from immigration. Colcom Foundation’s position is that this future is a policy choice, not an inevitability, and that choosing to limit population growth is one of the most direct levers Americans have for reducing the country’s total ecological footprint. Refer to this article to learn more.
Find more information about Colcom Foundation on https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2024/03/12/wvu-led-three-rivers-quest-expands-environmental-research-and-education-efforts-with-colcom-foundation-support