Earth Day Fact Sheet: Mass Immigration is "Elephant in Room," Ignored by Most Environmental Groups
FAIR is calling on environmental groups to join us in an open, honest public discussion about the impact of immigration on U.S. population growth and the environment.
- FAIR President, Dan Stein
(April 20, 2018, Washington, D.C.) — While many of the nation’s top environmental groups address overpopulation and openly acknowledge that it poses serious issues for the U.S., virtually all refuse to address the major engine that continues to drive U.S. population growth: Immigration. That’s according to a new fact sheet released today by Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Enlightened public policy is crucial to protecting and managing the diverse and delicate ecosystems throughout the United States, but failing to acknowledge the impact of rampant immigration makes it nearly impossible. From 1965 to 2015, the United States population grew by 67 percent, according to Pew Research1. Nearly half of this growth – 47 percent – was fueled by immigration. The same study estimates that 88 percent of the population growth in the United States by 2065 will stem from immigrants and their decedents.
FAIR examined the stances of 20 environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, on immigration and population growth. Of the 20 organizations examined, 11 talked about overpopulation, and 8 addressed it as a problem in the United States. Only 3 groups either acknowledged immigration’s role in U.S. population growth or took a stance on reducing immigration.
The factors that deter open discussion of immigration by these groups are varied. The most common factor, however, is their fear of the controversy often associated with discussing immigration reform.
If environmental groups are sincere about their missions, they can no longer ignore the “elephant in the room.” Immigration policy is, in effect, population policy. Without slowing immigration — which fuels most population growth — every environmental cause is ultimately a lost cause.
“FAIR is calling on environmental groups to join us in an open, honest, public discussion about the impact of immigration on U.S. population growth and the environment,” said FAIR President Dan Stein. “We owe it to our children and grandchildren to take an honest, responsible look at American immigration policy.”