Last January I decided to start an annual update of the world's population and of resources critical to human survival. Some data, like population estimates and grain production, are relatively easy to check on. For other data the quality of the information is quite uneven, or statistics are only updated every few years. That said, the tables below contain the best guesses of where we are with population, fisheries, forests, grain and fresh water. For all these resources, the amount available per person is going down as a result of the continued increase in human population. That is because the resource is essentially fixed (Internal Renewable Water Resources), because growth in the resource is leveling off (world grain production), or because of decline in the resource (overharvested fish and forests).

POPULATION World Population Clock - US Census Bureau-Mid-year estimates:
http://blue.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/popclockw

MARINE FISHERIES FAO State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000:
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X8002E/X8002E00.HTM

FORESTS FAO State of the World's Forests 2001:
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/Y0900E/Y0900E00.HTM

GLOBAL GRAIN HARVESTS USDA Grain: World Markets and Trade (in metric tons, PDF file):
http://ffas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2002/01-02/all.pdf

INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES
World Resources: http://www.wri.org/wri/wr-98-99/
and US Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html
Countries and populations with less than 1000 cubic meters of internal renewable water resources (rainfall). The 1000 cubic meters includes water required for meeting a person's food, domestic and industrial needs. Lack of rainfall can be made up by taking water from rivers running through a country, by pumping groundwater or by importing grain instead of growing it.

Bio Regional Quiz: So far, has this December been warmer than average, cooler than average or just about average for Columbia?

Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks
DEER HUNT AT ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK - January 4 & 5. Park will be CLOSED!!! BIRDING AT EAGLE BLUFFS: Columbia Audubon Society - Saturday, January 5, 2002 10:00 am. If weather permits, there will be short walks. Otherwise, from cars, checking for raptors and lingering waterfowl. Meet at the Katy Trail parking lot in McBaine. contact Jean Leonatti, 443-5123, jleonatti@cmaaa.net. for more info
WINTER SEEDING FORUM NATURE AREA: Wild Ones - Jan 11 (http://wildones.missouri.org/calendar.html)
WINTER HIKE: Native Plant Society - Jan 18 at Three Creeks State Forest - Meet at the North entrance of Three Creeks at 1:00 pm (Inclement weather date Jan 25)
OZARK GLADES: Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Tues Jan 28, 7 pm, Daniel Boone Regional Library - Conf Room A. Slide show and discussion by park naturalists will highlight unique features found in the park, efforts to protect glade environments, and programs for public participation in these crucial efforts.
SEEDLING ORDER FORMS AVAILABLE: Mid November through April, order seedlings of native trees through the Conservation Department. Information at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/forest/nursery/seedling/
SHARE THE HARVEST: Missouri Department of Conservation sponsors a program to help hunters donate deer to local food banks. Have your deer processed at an approved facility, donate the processed meat to a local food bank and MDC helps with a $25 processing coupon. http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/deer/share/

MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL 882-7116; call for information
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EXEC COM 882-7116; call for information
RECYCLING COMMITTEE 882-3091; call for information
STUDENT SIERRA CLUB 882-7116; call for information

Organization Meetings and Contact Information BONNE FEMME WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP; 874-1637 or email phoeniwolf@yahoo.com
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING; 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
CHOUTEAU GROTTO; http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE; 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; 874-6271 or http://www.ci.columbia.mo.us/dept/pubw/
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE STATE PARK; 474-7429 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Meet 4th Tuesdays, 7 pm
GREENBELT COALITION; 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI HEARTWOOD; 443-6832 or http://www.heartwood.org/MO/ Meet Tuesdays, 7:30 pm -1027 E. Walnut.
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY; npshawth@hotmail.com Meet every other second Monday (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) at 7:00 p.m., usually at MDC Fish and Wildlife Research Center, 1110 S. College Ave., Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK; 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/
PEDNET COALITION; email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK; 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION; (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB; 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
SMART GROWTH COALITION; tomvmoran@yahoo.com Meet 1st Wednesdays, 7:15 pm, Boone County Government Bldg.
WILD ONES; 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays. Call for location

Answer to BioRegional Quiz: So far, this December has been slightly warmer, at 34.5 ¡F, than the 30 year (1971-2000) average of 32.0 ¡F. December 2001 averaged 37.5 ¡F, December 2000 was 19.8 ¡ F, and December 1999 was 36.2 ¡F. The coldest winters were 1977/78 and 1904/05 at 24.3 ¡F. The snowiest winter was 1960 at 49.4Ó. The greatest 24 hour snowfall was 19.7Ó on January 19, 1995. Check out the Missouri Cimate Center for more information: http://www.missouri.edu/~moclimat/

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