In 2014, Texas tied with Florida for being home to the second most refugees in America,

with 4.5 million immigrants. As the number of refugees in Texas continues to multiply, it has
become home to the most refugees in America, accepting people from war-torn countries and
victims of various types of persecution. These millions upon millions of individuals emigrate
from their home countries in search of a safe place to continue their lives; become employed and
give their children opportunities to receive both primary and higher education. The opportunity
to do these things decreases significantly, however, as the number of immigrants steadily
increases. Houstons carrying capacity can be determined by assessing the availability of
resources for each person. Houstons current population is thriving, meaning that there are
adequate resources available to support its 2 million (and growing) inhabitants. Because there are
vast amounts of land around the city, an ample supply of food and agricultural resources, and
water is readily available to businesses and citizens, Houston can logically support an additional
one million refugees to its population.
Before Europeans made contact with Native Americans in the New World, the native
population was composed of hundreds of different tribes, each with different variations of
language and culture. Their civilizations were all similar in that each tribe generally practiced a
variation of animism and were hunter-gatherer societies. At the time of European contact, the
natives fell from a population of millions to that of thousands. Their populations continued to
diminish due to the influx of epidemics and the Europeans attempt to enslave native peoples for
financial gain. Natives attempted to fight back, but the overpowering weaponry and advanced
technology of the Westerners quickly swindled their efforts to push the English and Spanish out
of their land. My refugee group would do well to keep positive relations with the surrounding
Houstonians, and regulate their use of natural resources. We will allow them limited hunting

privileges and interaction with the culture around them. The incursion of one million refugees
from Louisiana will encourage increased relations with Texas. The Louisiana state government
will be very involved with Houstons government to ensure the provision of resources for the
refugees.
The city of Houston relies on agriculture and trade for food supply, and large bodies of
water such as Lake Houston and local rivers as a water source. There is no estimated date for the
end of availability of these resources, but specialists expect water to remain in supply for a
minimum of another half-century. Trade within the United States and across oceans is sufficient
to provide as much food as Houston could need. Should the main rivers and lakes, namely the
San Jacinto River and Lake Houston, dry up, city planners are prepared to rearrange underwater
aquifers and move pumps to siphon more water from substituting bodies, such as the Trinity
River for extended access to drinkable water. As Texas is the national leader of production of
both energy and electricity, and Houston is the petroleum capital of the state, there is ample
supply of power for the current inhabitants and more. As described in Current and Future Issues
on Sustainable Development of Anina Locality in terms of the European country Anina, smart
growth refers to a well-planned use of resources. Although Houston produces a massive amount
of resources, officials have arranged and ensured the availability of supplemental resources for
the coming years.
Houstons position in the demographic transition theory affects the amount of people that
Houston is able to sustain. The first phase of the demographic transition, pre-transitional,
consists of low birth rates and high death rates resulting in low population growth. In the next
phase, transition, death rates decrease and birth rates increase allowing population growth to
increase as well. As Houston is in the third phase of the demographic transition, death rates are

low and birth rates are high, with population growth at its peak. According to Demographic
Differentials in a World System: A Research Note, there is a negative relationship between
periphery, semi-periphery, and core nations and fertility rates. This means that in each of these
types of countries, fertility rates decrease steadily as their prominence increases. In example, the
fertility rates of Chile, a periphery country; China, a semi-periphery country; and Germany, a
core country, decrease respectively. This is due to the heightened development in education and
occupation standards, which make women pregnancies less opportune and significantly less
frequent. Because Houston is one of the most developed cities in a core country, there is less
variance in population size, allowing water and resource needs to change gradually. As Houston
is well equipped to provide for the citizens it has, the city would be able to adjust to additions to
the population and shift with it as it regulates.
Based on my research on carrying capacity and differing growth curves, Houston has
enough resources to support an additional one million inhabitants. This region has experienced
growth exponentially thus far. As its resources limit a population, Houston will cease growth
when it has reached its carrying capacity and can support none else. Factors such as land, food,
water, and energy supply are the citys main confines. The most strangulating of these limiting
factors is water supply. As the development of Houston has experienced little fluctuation, water
loss and potential droughts paralleled the occasions on which it did. As natives did in the
beginnings of the nation, the Louisiana refugees will use irrigation and filtration systems, though
significantly more advanced than those of their predecessors.
As argued by textual evidence of sustainability, developmental theory, and growth curves,
Houston is an ideal setting for the relocation of one million immigrants from Louisiana. With
ready availability of food, water, and land resources, and additional sources such as increased

trade and aquifers as substitutions, Houston has sufficient assets to support the refugees. If you
had enough food to be full and feed your starving neighbor, wouldnt you?