Forgotten on Earth Day: Four Ways Mass Immigration Affects Our Environment

- Urban Sprawl – 80% of U.S. population growth can be attributed to immigration. This population boom has necessitated housing to be built further away from economic centers and increased land costs. The result: longer commutes, higher costs of living, and encroachment on farmland and wildlife habitats.
- Traffic Congestion – Feel like you’re spending more time in the car these days? There are not only more people on the road, but families are also relocating further away from jobs to find affordable housing. As competition for housing and the number of cars on the road increase due to population growth, Americans are driving more – adding more pollution and frustration to our daily lives.
- Freshwater Consumption – Americans are constantly encouraged to conserve water, however population growth has cancelled out all the gains in conservation and is resulting in an overall rate of use that continues to put a severe strain on the nation’s water supply.
- Erosion of Natural Resources – Mass immigration and population growth leads to increased consumption of natural resources. In addition to the depletion of the water supply, energy resources and food are not infinite in the U.S. Continually admitting over 1 million immigrants a year threatens access to these resources for everyone, particularly low wage workers whose jobs are already at risk because of the inflow of cheaper workers from abroad.
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