The information superhighway as environmental menace

While the information superhighway may provide exciting alternative forms of work, the increase of telecommuting may allow a massive migration to rural regions, which could devastate the environment. Historically, the number of Americans living in rural areas has declined, with 80% currently residing in metropolitan areas, though since the 1990s, new information technology jobs & their elimination of transportation barriers have allowed the trend to reverse. This is unlikely to change, given Americans' love of the single-family detached home surrounded by a natural setting. Large-scale movement of this type will generate massive suburban building & eradicate the open spaces of the rural US. Preventing the building of the electronic superhighway in environmentally sensitive areas is perhaps the most effective short-term solution to this problem, though strengthening land conservation through zoning & changing public attitudes about desirable living conditions will also be necessary. J. MacDowell