Growth and the environment
Impact on agriculture
Water wars and other social issues
Depleting California's resources
Human density and mammal extinction
Economics, community and planning
California's potential for economic growth
Impact on social services
History and politics
Politics of growth
State history and growth
Chicanos, labor and the vote
The Asian influence
GROWTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Impact on agriculture
UC Davis political scientist Al Sokolow is a leading researcher of the effects of population growth and urbanization on California agriculture, particularly the conversion of farmland. He can discuss trends in farmland loss trends; state and local government efforts to protect farmland, farmer-urban neighbor interactions; and particular protection policies and tools, including agricultural easements and the Williamson Act. His expertise extends to other states' agricultural-growth issues and farmland protection policies. He is conducting a national study with the American Farmland Trust on the impacts and effectiveness of agricultural easement programs. Contact: Al Sokolow, Human and Community Development, (530) 752-0979, [email protected].
Water wars and other social issues
UC Davis sociologist John Walton can talk about the history and issues behind Los Angeles securing water sources from the Owens Valley. An expert on the political economy of development, Walton can also discuss the broader sociological issues behind the state's growth and the social rebellions it has produced. He is the author of "Western Times and Water Wars: State, Culture and Rebellion in California" (1992), which received an award from the California Historical Society. Contact: John Walton, Sociology, (831) 659-1519, [email protected].
Depleting California's resources
American studies professor Michael L. Smith can discuss how rates of consumption, not just sheer numbers of people, are affecting California's natural resources. Smith, an American historian who specializes in the social role of technology, teaches about and researches the relationship between social and natural environments. He is author of "Pacific Visions: California Scientists and the Environment, 1850-1915" (1987). Contact: Michael L. Smith, American Studies, (530) 752-7196
