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Alert Archive: December 2004


December 2004

Dear BALANCE Supporter,

Greetings from the Board and Staff of Population-Environment Balance! This has been a busy, eventful year. BALANCE has made significant alliances and taken some important strides forward.

Our educational efforts for population stabilization and preservation of the environment continue to expand, and we helped generate pressure against various bills that would have provided amnesty to illegal immigrants.

We hope the holiday season will be a time of rejuvenation for all of us, because in January we will have to take a deep breath, roll up our sleeves, and begin again - - more determined than ever. Everything points to an intensive 2005, a year in which we will need to grapple with the idea of rapid U.S. population growth as the Bigfoot of the World. A candid admission of U.S. population growth's outsized contributions to environmental problems is the first step in seeing clearly how vital population stabilization is to achieving the economic and environment balance we desire for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

BALANCE at Work

Pushing for a moratorium on immigration that exceeds 100,000 per year, BALANCE came out swinging against the Bush Administration's sweeping amnesty proposal. The outcry against the amnesty, which we and our ASAP! Coalition allies helped produce, was so overwhelming that the proposal was eventually sidelined for the 2003-2004 session of Congress. BALANCE strongly opposed all "open border" proposals put forth in 2004, and is ready to do it again. Playing defense is the work we have to do while generating support for real progress.

BALANCE continued to work on building support for Congressman Tom Tancredo's immigration moratorium bill, H.R. 946, "The Mass Immigration Reduction Act of 2003." This is the only bill that would move America toward population stabilization.

We attempted to secure bi-partisan support for a moratorium through targeted outreach. This outreach will continue and intensify as we push for an immigration moratorium in 2005. Even if we don't get a moratorium bill in 2005, pushing for it will help pass "good" immigration reduction bills as well as re-enforce the rationale - the goal of population stabilization - for defeating bad ones.

Population stabilization is essential to the national goals of economic and environmental sustainability. BALANCE is proud to be a leader in reporting on crucially important sustainability issues that are not reported in the Big Media.

BALANCE also has stressed the importance of immigration reduction for national security reasons. An upsurge in the number of illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico (including countries with terrorist connections) has alerted authorities that terrorists are using the borders between Mexico and the United States to enter the United States. The security threat increases with each illegal entry.

In 2004, BALANCE published a series of Alerts! to educate and mobilize members, and the public at large. One Alert, "Mass Immigration: Taking American Jobs," clearly refutes the lie that mass immigration improves U.S. economic success. The fact is that mass immigration, if left unchecked, will be our downfall. Mass immigration costs workers $200 billion through depressed and lost wages, according to Harvard Professor George Borjas.

Another Alert, "Fossil Foolery" spelled out the consequences of the population growth generated by mass immigration for fossil fuels. The United States already imports 60% of its oil and, according to some credible authorities, faces a world situation of "peak" oil production that will drive rapidly increasing prices. The larger the population size, the more vulnerable our country.

A BALANCE Solutions paper, "Mass Immigration Puts U.S. Ecology at Risk," details the impact of mass immigration on the environment, making a compelling argument for an immigration moratorium NOW! Also in 2004, back by popular demand, BALANCE published a revised and graph-filled version of "Know the Facts," one of our more comprehensive publications for people in search of the truth.

In 2004, BALANCE carried out a variety of public and congressional efforts, including a direct mail campaign. As part of our media education campaign, members of the Board and staff appeared in various media including The Washington Post. Media appearances by BALANCE Board and Staff also include the "Lou Dobbs Show" and E Magazine.

"Reform Lite" and "Dim Lite" again became a troublesome issue, as certain groups pushed for immigration management, as opposed to reduction. BALANCE continues to expose the crucial difference between these goals. Only immigration reduction can lead to population stabilization and ecological balance.

Our Alliance for Stabilizing America's Population (ASAP! Coalition) now has more than 50 member organizations involved in pressing for a moratorium on legal immigration, and supporting all immigration reduction bills. This broad-based coalition makes use of a winning strategy: push for a moratorium on legal immigration, and support other "good" reduction bills. ASAP! Coalition continues to move forward in support of a moratorium on the national level and environmentally and fiscally sound legislation locally.

Immigration and Population Growth

It's easy to get caught up in the intricacies of immigration issues and forget why strict limits on immigration are so crucial. The reason is simple - - mass immigration is responsible for 90% (ninety percent!) of the population growth in the United States. The ninety percent includes the annual flow of immigrants and births to all recent immigrants.

One of the highlights of 2004 was the publication of a BALANCE study projecting that the population of the United States would reach 527 million in 2050 if current trends continue. This study was distributed with "A Synopsis: Limits to Growth, The 30-Year Update," which draws the connection between continued population expansion and environmental overload.

Bottom Line: The United States, now at 294 million, is on track to grow to more than 500 million by 2050, if current trends continue. We have the fastest population growth rate in the industrialized world. All other nations, including Canada, are tightening immigration law. Can they all be wrong?

U.S. Population Growth as Bigfoot: The Impact of Population Growth

BALANCE continued in 2004 to emphasize the impact of population growth on environmental resources, living standards, and quality of life. America's "ecological footprint," a way of measuring its use of environmental resources, is huge. U.S. population growth is the Bigfoot of the world, both in terms of resource consumption and pollution production. One example of this may be found in our use of petroleum resources. The United States contains about 5% of the world's population but uses 26% of the annual petroleum production.

  • Water - Every additional person means, on average, the annual consumption of about half a million gallons, 2.5 times the global average. We are using this most vital of all resources in an unsustainable way. The other major threat to the maintenance of the integrity of fresh water resources is pollution by people and industry.

  • Energy - Estimates vary, but it is likely that petroleum production has reached, or will soon reach its peak. Our current economy is dependent on "cheap" oil. In the near future, we can count on only a limited amount of help from renewable energy sources such as wind, water, and solar power, but gains in these areas will be quickly negated if present trends in population growth continue. Similarly, if we make a transition to a hydrogen-based fuel economy (if that technology is economically feasible) the promise of this technology will not be fulfilled if population continues to grow at current rates. The steady increase in population and steady decline in "per capita energy production" is turning the U.S. into an overpopulated, resource-poor third-world country. We must stabilize the population in the U.S. in order to sustain quality of life.

  • Food Production - Grain production rose steadily in the 1960s and 1970s, leveled off in the 1980s, and stagnated after the mid-1990s. Fisheries also enjoyed a rapid increase in catch in the latter half of the 20th century, but peaked at the beginning of the 1990s. With arable land declining and fertilizers and chemical pesticides no longer providing increases in yield, the United States will increasingly have to cut into its surplus (presently we export $40 billion in food products annually) to feed its growing population. There will be no surplus in 40 years if the U.S. population continues to grow.

  • Greenhouse Gases - With about 5 percent of the world's population, the United States is the world's leader in the production of CO2, a principal contributor to global warming. We produce over 5 billion tons of CO2 annually, more than 20% of the global total.

What we cannot anticipate is the possibility that pushing up against the natural limits of the environment will cause the environment to reach a crashing point. Without population stabilization and concentrated effort to establish a sustainable approach to the economy, we will witness unpredictable watershed events in the next few decades, sudden, dramatic shifts in environmental conditions that will result in a much reduced standard of living.

Most people are peripherally aware of the effect of overpopulation in their daily lives - - giving the problem a thought when they are in traffic that is not moving, for example. Only a brave few will talk, much less do anything, about the main cause: mass immigration. The 30th Anniversary Edition of Limits to Growth is apt in its warning: if current trends continue, "The collapse will come very suddenly, much to everyone's surprise".

Ahead for BALANCE in 2005

Priority #1 - Lobby Congress for a five-year moratorium on all legal immigration in excess of 100,000 per year. Even if we do not get the moratorium, pushing for it will help pass immigration reduction bills.

Priority #2 - Oppose all attempts to offer amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Priority #3 - Lobby for enforcement of existing immigration law, including sanctions against employers of illegal aliens and expedited deportation proceedings.

Priority #4 - Support BALANCE, the ASAP! Coalition, and other grassroots activist efforts to limit legal immigration, and work toward population stabilization.

Priority #5 - Work to inform the American public about the crucial importance of limiting immigration and achieving population stabilization.

The year ahead offers many challenges. The second Bush administration will most likely present legislation offering amnesty to a large number of illegal immigrants, recognizing Matricula I.D. cards, and extending social security benefits to illegal aliens. The administration will possibly recommend legislation increasing the already extremely high level of legal immigrants. BALANCE will keep you informed of legislation we oppose while working to support a moratorium on immigration as a necessary step to population stabilization and sustainable use of resources. The year ahead also offers opportunities for success.

BALANCE needs your help in supporting a moratorium on immigration. You are not alone in your opinions. More than one out of every two people in America favor legal immigration levels less than 300,000 a year.

New Year's Resolutions for 2005:

  • Write, email, or FAX your congressman requesting support for a moratorium on immigration and other legislation that will limit immigration, and opposition to legislation that offers amnesties and open borders

  • Sign up for Balance e-alerts by sending us your email address

  • Request the information package for local activists

  • Offer a membership in BALANCE as a gift or encourage one or more friends to join

  • Renew your membership in BALANCE and give tax-deductible donations

Thank you for your hard work and support in 2004. The Board and Staff of BALANCE wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

In Memoriam

Michelle A. Fehler

1979-2004

Population-Environment Balance has lost a dear friend and valuable employee and the nation has lost an avid environmentalist and proponent for population stabilization. Michelle Anne Fehler lost her battle with leukemia on November 26, 2004.

Michelle lived her life with much the same vigor as she approached her work. Her dedication to the cause of finding an ecologically sound approach to national population pressures is evident in every publication, Action Alert, and E-mail that she wrote and every media appearance that she made. Michelle’s tireless outreach work is still coming to fruition in the form of foundation grants and member donations. Even after her passing, we continue to receive communications from members praising Michelle for her work as well as requests for comments and media appearances.

Michelle’s courage and enthusiasm were an inspiration, and her warm and cheerful personality endeared her to everyone she met. Her passing comes as a shock to many and she will be missed by all, especially the Board and staff of Population-Environment Balance.


Population-Environment Balance is a national, non-profit membership organization dedicated to maintaining the quality of life in the United States through population stabilization.
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