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Science World, April 10, 2000 by Mona Chiang

Get ready for Census 2000--the largest peacetime count in U.S. history!

Counting the number of people in your family or your homeroom may be easy enough. But suppose you had to count the total number of students and teachers at your school. Or what about a headcount of every person in the entire United States? Starting on April 1, 2000, the U.S. Bureau of the Census will be doing just that!

Imagine how many cartons of milk your school cafeteria needs to quench its thirsty students, or the amount of paper your teacher needs to order for your class. Census results help the federal government decide how many members each state has in the U.S. House of RepresentatiVes, and how to distribute money for educational, environmental, and social programs.

Population figures also help pinpoint areas that need more hospitals and schools, police, and bus routes. Plus, the numbers help experts estimate the amount of waste and pollution each area produces, providing data to help solve these issues.

Ever since 1790, as required in the U.S. Constitution, a census (population count) must be taken once every 10 years. In the first U.S. Census, conducted under President George Washington, U.S. Marshals and their assistants rode on horseback or walked from door to door and from field to pasture. They used notebooks and scraps of paper to record the names of the head of each family and the number of people living in each household.

For Census 2000, approximately 118 million U.S. homes will receive a form with questions on the age, race, and gender of everyone in each household. And one out of each six homes will receive a longer survey with a wide array of questions ranging from what kind of transportation people use to get to work to what type of fuel heats their homes. This additional information lets statisticians examine a small population (or sample) to estimate behavior trends. And for the first time in census history, you can respond by Internet! What if your family doesn't return the form? A census worker may very well knock on your door.

Despite all-out efforts, many people--including the homeless--might not get counted. So the government may not budget them into how it divvies up more than $180 billion in federal money. So for a better quality of life, make sure you're counted!

Check out www.census.gov.

Here are some facts on population, and how the world consumes food and resources

WORLD RESOURCE CONSUMPTION

Although the U.S. makes up only 4.5 percent of the world's population, Americans consume 30 percent of the world's paper and 25 percent of its fossil fuels. What are some possible explanations for our overconsumption?

                           Other
                         developed   Developing
                  U.S.   countries   countries

FOSSIL FUELS      25%       33%         42%
METALS            20%       60%         20%
PAPER             30%       41%         29%
HAZARDOUS WASTE   72%       18%         10%
POPULATION         5%       15%         80%

Source: Worldwatch Institute

U.S. POPULATION GROWTH

This graph shows the steady growth of the U.S. population. The data was obtained from each new census taken every decade. From 1900, how long did it take for the population to double? How long before it tripled? Quadrupled?

1900       76,212,168
1910       92,228,496
1920      106,021,537
1930      123,202,624
1940      132,164,569
1950      151,325,798
1960      179,323,175
1970      203,302,031
1980      226,542,199
1990      248,709,873
2000(*)   272,820,000
2010(*)   299,862,000

(*) estimated

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

WHAT THE WORLD EATS

This map shows the main food staples in different areas of the world. North Americans depend on milk, meat, and wheat. What is the main source of food for countries in Asia and South America?

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Take Action!

TAKE A NUMBER! Take a census of your homeroom. How many members are there in each student's household? Find out what mode of transportation each family member takes to school or work. What can everyone do to become more energy-efficient?