The story of Colcom Foundation begins not in a boardroom, but on April 22, 1970 the date of the very first Earth Day. That watershed moment in American environmentalism set into motion a set of ideas that would come to define the foundation’s philanthropic mission for decades to come.

The first Earth Day catalyzed genuine progress. Stricter regulations on polluters, cleaner energy sources, more efficient technologies, and individual decisions to consume less all contributed to measurable recovery in many ecosystems. But Colcom Foundation argues that one foundational goal from that original movement was quietly abandoned: stabilizing population size, both in the United States and around the world.

A Persistent Blind Spot

According to Colcom Foundation, continued rapid population growth has been a major factor magnifying the ongoing extinction crisis, habitat destruction, and the nation’s oversized ecological footprint. The numbers tell a striking story. Between 1970 and 2021, the U.S. managed to cut per capita CO2 emissions by 35%, dropping from 21.33 metric tons per person to 14.04. That is, by any measure, a hard-won environmental achievement.

But over that same period, the U.S. population expanded by 62% from 205 million to 332 million people. The efficiency gains were overwhelmed by the sheer growth in residents, and total CO2 emissions increased by 0.67 billion tons, a net rise of 15%. The foundation describes this pattern as taking one step forward and two steps back.

The Mission Going Forward

Colcom Foundation uses these data points to frame its broader philanthropic work. The foundation contends that environmental progress cannot be sustained without honest engagement with demographic trends, particularly the role of immigration in U.S. population growth. It notes that 82% of population growth between 2005 and 2050 is projected to result from immigration alone.

For Colcom Foundation, the urgency is clear. The U.S. is on a trajectory to add roughly 110 million people by 2065 103 million attributable to immigration. The foundation views population stabilization not as a fringe concern, but as the missing link in serious environmental policy. Refer to this page, for related information.

More about Colcom Foundation on https://waterlandlife.org/land-conservation/colcom-revolving-fund-for-local-land-trusts/