Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2008

America's Ecological Future Will Be Determined by
Immigration Choices We Make Today

(Washington DC ) As Americans commemorate Earth Day on April 22, the country's ecology and resource base continue to be imperiled by mass immigration. More than any other factor, population growth in the United States is adding to the stress on our environment, and nearly all of the nation's projected population growth over the next 40 years will be a direct result of current and future immigration.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, U.S. population has grown by more than 100 million people, driven by ever increasing levels of immigration. The Census Bureau projects that our current population of just over 300 million will increase to about 435 million by 2050, exacerbating many of the resource and environmental crises we face in this country.

"It is unrealistic to believe that we can address issues like pollution, urban sprawl, and the depletion of water and other vital resources, while continuing on the population path we have been on over the past several decades," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

FAIR was founded in 1979 to address concerns about the role of immigration in U.S. population growth. On Earth Day 2008, the organization is renewing its call for a rollback of excessive immigration to the United States and a thoughtful consideration of how these policies will affect the long-term environmental health and security of the nation.

"Unless government acts to alleviate the pressure for ever-increasing levels of immigration, Americans will face a future that holds worsening environmental conditions, dwindling resources, and greater dependence on foreign energy sources. This was not the sort of future envisioned by people like the late Senator Gaylord Nelson who initiated the Earth Day celebration," Stein said. "As we observe Earth Day, we call upon our nation's leaders to get off the immigration and population growth spiral that can only lead to further environmental degradation."

From: FAIR