How Does Immigration Impact The Environment?
U.S. population is exploding like never before. Unbridled population growth has become one of the greatest threats to environmental preservation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the vast majority of population growth in the United States is the result of legal and illegal immigration, plus the higher than replacement fertility rates of most recent immigrants. Due in large part to our present growth-rate of 1.1% per year, immigration-driven growth has huge implications for the future of environmental conservation. As the United States careens toward a population surpassing 400 million by mid-century, it becomes painfully clear that achieving our environmental objectives will largely hinge upon the immigration policies we chose to enact.
Today’s Americans consume nearly 25% of the world’s natural resources. Such high levels of per capita consumption added to overpopulation means an ever-increasing demand for limited resources.
Because of the need to provide for rampant population growth, the United States has experienced accelerated ground water degradation, pollution, the destruction of forests, national parks and natural habitats, along with the over-consumption of precious natural resources. If left unchecked, overpopulation will only lead to more sprawl, more congestion, more pollution, and more degradation. The good news is that by regaining control of its immigration policy, America has the ability to reverse this threatening trend. By taking steps to reduce immigration and slow population growth, America can reduce our population’s devastating impacts on the environment before it is too late.
