Something interesting will happen very soon, probably without a lot of fanfare.

The U.S. population will pass the 300 million mark.

I started writing this on Thursday morning.

According to the U.S. census bureau, as of 7:49 a.m. on Thursday, the U.S. population was 299,961,592.

The bureau says there is one birth every seven seconds, one death every 13 seconds, and one international migrant (net) every 31 seconds.

That means there is a net gain of one person every 11 seconds, translating to a population increase of 7,854 per day.

Based on those numbers, sometime next Tuesday morning there will be 300 million of us.

(We hit 100 million in 1915, 200 million 52 years later in 1967. It took just 39 years for the next milestone. Experts say we'll hit 400 million sometime around 2043.)

Intuitively, over the years, I've noticed the population increase.

Consider things like traffic.

Each year there are more people and more cars. But there are just about the same number of roads.

They build a new road once in awhile, I guess, but not often enough to keep pace with the growing number of cars.

I remember my dad driving at night on county roads when I was a kid. He never had to turn off his bright lights. We pretty much had the road to ourselves.

Now, you're lucky if you can go a half mile before meeting another car.

Consider development.

Think of how Ind. 15N looked just 10 years ago. Think of all the new housing additions popping up all around town.

Now, before I go any further with this, it's important to note that I am not a NIMBY- or BANANA-kind of person and I'm not a member of CAVE.

That's "Not In My Back Yard" or "Build Almost Nothing Anywhere Near Anything" and "Citizens Against Virtually Everything."

I don't oppose growth. Growth is inevitable and positive when managed properly.

To me, growth and progress are akin to a freight train running down the tracks. You can stand on the tracks and try to stop it, you can stand aside and watch it pass you by, or you can get on board.

But at the risk of sounding like some freaky liberal, I must say that the U.S. population reaching 300 million is at least a little unsettling.

And I must not be the only one who is a bit uneasy about it.

Back in 1967, when the nation passed 200 million, it was cause for national celebration.

President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation and there was a big party at the census bureau.

I don't think there's going to be that much jubilation on Tuesday.

I read an article by Andrew Buncombe of the London Independent.

He pointed out some things I hadn't really considered.

One thing he wrote about was Americas onerous level of consumption.

The U.S. has 5 percent of the world's population, yet we use 23 percent of its energy, 15 percent of its meat and 28 percent of its paper.

Those were the examples he cited, but I would guess we probably use more of everything than anyone else.

He also quotes Victoria Markham, the director of the Centre for Environment and Population in New Canaan, Conn. Her outfit recently released a report on global population:

"America is the only industrialized nation in the world experiencing significant population growth. ... The nation's relatively high rates of population growth, natural resource consumption and pollution combine to create the largest environmental impact, felt both within the nation and around the world." She adds: "The U.S. has become a 'super-size' nation, with lifestyles reflected in super-sized appetites for food, houses, land and resource consumption. 'More of more' seems to characterize modern-day America - more people than any generation before us experienced, more natural resources being utilized to support everyday life and more major impacts on the natural systems that support life on earth."

Some folks don't see this as a problem. They think that population growth has only a modest impact on resources and can actually bring benefits.

And some people say that the tools of capitalism - investment, profit, innovation and technology - will always find new resources.

But more people are starting to see consumption of resources at the level of the U.S. as a problem.

It seems to me we Americans are a pretty darn gluttonous lot when it comes to consuming resources. How many of us open a window anymore instead of turning on the air conditioner?

How many of us would even considering downsizing the SUV if gas wasn't $3 per gallon.

And the packaging, my gosh, the packaging. Have you ever seen the package a compact flash card for your camera comes in? It's the size of a clipboard, even though the flash card is smaller than a matchbook.

And what makes matters worse is the fact that other "developing" nations like China and India are learning from us.

They want to overconsume, too.

I don't pretend to be an expert on these matters, but it seems we're playing a zero sum game with consumption of resources.

As China and India use more, that's less left for us and the rest of the world. It makes me wonder if this level of consumption is sustainable. I guess we'll find out over time.

Up until now, I don't think a lot of people - not the least of whom are our esteemed policymakers - have paid much attention.

I'm not advocating a government that regulates how much food we eat or how much energy we use.

But reaching that 300 million milestone might be a good time for Americans to think a little bit about our role as the world's super-consumers. [[In-content Ad]]