Review of the book: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger 1994). About the author, acknowledgements, index, notes, preface, selected bibliography. LC-93-44501; ISBN 0-275-94570-7 [188 pp. $55.00 Cloth. 88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881.

Zadra, Carey Ann

English

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RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)Volume 7 | Number 4 Article 8September 1996Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law,and the Environment (Praeger 1994)Carey Ann ZadraFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/riskPart of the Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, and the Environmental SciencesCommonsThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the University of New Hampshire – School of Law at University of New HampshireScholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002) by an authorized editor of University ofNew Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact ellen.phillips@law.unh.edu.Repository CitationCarey Ann Zadra, Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger 1994), 7 RISK 385 (1996).Book ReviewsRobert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger1994). About the author, acknowledgements, index, notes, preface, selectedbibliography. LC-93-44501; ISBN 0-275-94570-7 [188 pp. $55.00 Cloth. 88 PostRoad West, Westport CT 06881.]Hardaway initially theorizes that overpopulation will eventuallycause global disasters. Acknowledging that the idea is not new, he refersto Malthus' 1798 predictions. He further argues that escape is onlytemporary and the current picture is not altogether rosy.1Hardaway's style draws the reader in, as does his thought-provoking statistics:2Every one-third of a second, at about the speed a machinegun fires its bullets, the planet earth makes room toaccommodate one additional human being. To provide thatone human being with minimum standards of humandignity, he must be provided annually with fuel and energyresources... 2000 m3 of fresh water... [and] 207 GJ ofenergy... from nonrenewable sources .... His waste productsinclude 355,000 metric tons of phosphorus... 270,000metric tons of methane, 30,000 of sulfur, and 80,000 ofcarbon monoxide....He explains that, in the past, societies coped with overpopulationthrough, e.g., emigration and technology. Present society, however, hasturned to regulation to relieve environmental pressures. In that vein,Hardaway discusses what former EPA Administrator, Lee Thomascalled "the circle game" - an impression given to voters that theenvironment is being improved, when regulation merely transferspollution from one medium to another. 3 He argues that, whilereduction in an air contaminant might be hailed as an environmentalvictory, its simultaneous appearance in, e.g., soil is rarely greeted asdefeat or even acknowledged.Hardaway also argues that regulatory improvements are oftennullified by population increases, even before they go into effect. For1 At2.2 At 17.3 At 43.7 Risk: Health, Safety & Environment 385 [Fall 1996]instance, before states could implement car emission legislation, thenumber of cars on the road increased so much that the legislation'sbenefits were reduced to almost nothing.Hardaway also discusses other factors that he believes to beimportant with regard to population growth such as family planning,abortion, immigration and economic growth. Yet, he offers possiblesolutions, leaving the reader with some basis for optimism.All-in-all, Population, Law, and the Environment suggests that thekey to controlling our future is awareness. In that vein at its close, 4Hardaway refers to a 1992 slogan indicating what some Democratsthought the Presidential campaign was mostly about - "It's theEconomy, Stupid." He then suggests that a sign should be prominentlyposted in the headquarters of environmental groups, saying, "It's thePopulation, Stupid."Carey Ann Zadrat4 At 167.t Ms. Zadra received her B.S. (Biological Science) from the University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee. She is completing work for her J.D. at Franklin Pierce LawCenter (FPLC).

Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger 1994)

University of New Hampshire

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)
Volume 7 | Number 4 Article 8
September 1996
Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law,
and the Environment (Praeger 1994)
Carey Ann Zadra
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/risk
Part of the Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, and the Environmental Sciences
Commons
This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the University of New Hampshire – School of Law at University of New Hampshire
Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002) by an authorized editor of University of
New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact ellen.phillips@law.unh.edu.
Repository Citation
Carey Ann Zadra, Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger 1994), 7 RISK 385 (1996).
Book Reviews
Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger
1994). About the author, acknowledgements, index, notes, preface, selected
bibliography. LC-93-44501; ISBN 0-275-94570-7 [188 pp. $55.00 Cloth. 88 Post
Road West, Westport CT 06881.]
Hardaway initially theorizes that overpopulation will eventually
cause global disasters. Acknowledging that the idea is not new, he refers
to Malthus' 1798 predictions. He further argues that escape is only
temporary and the current picture is not altogether rosy.
1
Hardaway's style draws the reader in, as does his thought-
provoking statistics:
2
Every one-third of a second, at about the speed a machine
gun fires its bullets, the planet earth makes room to
accommodate one additional human being. To provide that
one human being with minimum standards of human
dignity, he must be provided annually with fuel and energy
resources... 2000 m3 of fresh water... [and] 207 GJ of
energy... from nonrenewable sources .... His waste products
include 355,000 metric tons of phosphorus... 270,000
metric tons of methane, 30,000 of sulfur, and 80,000 of
carbon monoxide....
He explains that, in the past, societies coped with overpopulation
through, e.g., emigration and technology. Present society, however, has
turned to regulation to relieve environmental pressures. In that vein,
Hardaway discusses what former EPA Administrator, Lee Thomas
called "the circle game" - an impression given to voters that the
environment is being improved, when regulation merely transfers
pollution from one medium to another. 3 He argues that, while
reduction in an air contaminant might be hailed as an environmental
victory, its simultaneous appearance in, e.g., soil is rarely greeted as
defeat or even acknowledged.
Hardaway also argues that regulatory improvements are often
nullified by population increases, even before they go into effect. For
1 At2.
2 At 17.
3 At 43.
7 Risk: Health, Safety & Environment 385 [Fall 1996]
instance, before states could implement car emission legislation, the
number of cars on the road increased so much that the legislation's
benefits were reduced to almost nothing.
Hardaway also discusses other factors that he believes to be
important with regard to population growth such as family planning,
abortion, immigration and economic growth. Yet, he offers possible
solutions, leaving the reader with some basis for optimism.
All-in-all, Population, Law, and the Environment suggests that the
key to controlling our future is awareness. In that vein at its close,
4
Hardaway refers to a 1992 slogan indicating what some Democrats
thought the Presidential campaign was mostly about - "It's the
Economy, Stupid." He then suggests that a sign should be prominently
posted in the headquarters of environmental groups, saying, "It's the
Population, Stupid."
Carey Ann Zadrat
4 At 167.
t Ms. Zadra received her B.S. (Biological Science) from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is completing work for her J.D. at Franklin Pierce Law
Center (FPLC).


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Review of: Robert M. Hardaway, Population, Law, and the Environment (Praeger 1994)

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