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Does Economic Boom in the Research Triangle Forbode Environmental Collapse?
A perspective from Kate Silver
The Research Triangle located in central North Carolina is home to over 2 million residents, 7,000 companies, and 12 universities. More than a third of North Carolina’s population growth over the past decade comes from migration to this region, which is known for its top universities, tech startups, and scientific innovation. Especially after the recent news of the east coast Apple campus and nearly 3,000 projected new jobs, the area is only expected to further expand. The rapid population and job growth may bode well for the North Carolina economy, but will the environment suffer as an external consequence? And will the negative impacts of environmental degradation ultimately outweigh the economic benefits?
Simply put, economic growth drives population growth which drives pollution and environmental degradation. The influx of residents flocking to the triangle for new job opportunities has caused an extreme housing shortage and “sellers market” to take place. This phenomenon has prompted real estate developers to buy massive tracts of land from the limited space available around the Raleigh-Durham area to build new housing developments. Take Wycliff Development for example, a new real estate company that is currently proposing a 225-acre residential development in Garner, NC.
These massive residential developments lead to devastating deforestation, habitat fragmentation, natural resource depletion, and pollution. Such impacts can exacerbate climate change by decreasing the vegetation available to capture carbon and can contaminate local waterways that are used for both drinking and recreation. North Carolina is also home to thousands of endemic species that are put at risk of extinction when new developments are built through their habitats. Anyone who has driven through Cary recognizes the endless cookie-cutter neighborhoods that are plastered on every street corner, a result of rapid residential growth during the last few decades. Are these “Levittown look-alikes” going to overtake what is left of natural beauty in the Triangle?
Extreme population growth also welcomes a plethora of other environmental problems. More people commuting to and from work means increased emissions from the transportation sector contributing to global warming and air pollution. And until the Research Triangle goes fully renewable, this would mean increased usage of fossil fuels to generate electricity, leading to smog, acid rain, and a slew of respiratory and other chronic health issues.
Economic growth stemming from tech industries and manufacturing companies in the Research Triangle may also lead to the increased production of toxic chemical waste. North Carolina has already dealt extensively with carcinogenic chemicals in its waterways, especially after the discovery of GenX, a cancer-causing compound, in the Cape Fear River water basin. Increased industry in the area would likely bring about more instances of harmful pollutants in the environment, leading to detrimental health effects for North Carolina residents.
This isn’t just a hypothetical situation either. In fact, other countries around the world have already begun seeing environmental degradation as a consequence of such population growth and economic development. A study conducted by Hannes Weber and Jennifer Dabbs Sciubba found a strong correlation between population growth and levels of environmental degradation in Europe. They stated in their paper that “population growth as a result of immigration will make it harder for the European Union to achieve its climate goals”, proving how difficult a population boom makes it for governments to mitigate the impacts of climate change and pollution.
However, not all hope is lost. There exist ways that a rapidly growing community can both prevent devastating environmental impacts while maintaining positive economic growth. In an article written for economicshelp.org, economist Tejvan Pettinger discusses the theory of the “U-Shaped curve for economic growth and the environment.”
The graph illustrates that as an economy begins to grow, the environment will deteriorate until economic growth reaches a turning point in which the state of the environment begins to improve. An example Pettinger provides to support this projection is how societies used to burn wood and coal, which are extremely pollutant, prior to transitioning to a more developed economy. Once residents achieve higher incomes, they are able to support technological growth and promote clean, renewable energy alternatives. However, economist Kenneth Arrow argues that this view of environmental economics may be too simplified.
Others argue that the issue at hand has less to do with economic and population growth, and more with how environmental degradation is handled. An article published by the United Nations claims that whether or not the environment is protected is solely up to “humanity’s capacity and willingness to increase resource efficiency in consumption and production”. If local politicians in the Triangle are willing to enact and enforce laws that would prohibit real estate companies from over-developing the region, or policies that encourage sustainable growth, we may be able to achieve an equilibrium state between environment and economy. It is also up to us to make sustainable choices such as using public transportation, carpooling, or advocating for stronger environmental policy. The Triangle is a magnet for tech startups and we should implore these new companies to develop eco-friendly technology and sustainable projects that will benefit our local communities. As the Triangle continues to prosper economically, it’s dire that we take action now to protect the health of the environment and ourselves before it is too late.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
If the author took a systems analysis approach, they would realize that real estate development is not inducing the demand for housing for the region, it’s jobs. I don’t think they’re recommending blocking economic development. So what current development process is contributing the greatest amount to environmental degradation? A lack of density of zoned business and residence, resulting in massive roads required to find services without sitting in traffic.
Increase urban core density, remove single family zoning restrictions, and develop localized service corridors where cars aren’t required, or bake them into mixed use development. Develop neighborhoods that connect to adjacent neighborhoods without requiring access to a four-lane road (i.e. drop the obsession with cul-de-sacs). For magnet employers, require some residential and retail business development within 1 mile, so that separate urban cores can develop as needed. Improve transit reach and frequency.