The NPG Journal: Vol. 7, No. 8

• NPG
• November 12, 2014
• NPG Journal
• 0 Comments

COMMENTARY  by NPG President Donald Mann

As we approach 2015, President Obama formally takes on the title of a “lame duck” president.

Essentially, he has a 24-month window to further his agenda and set his legacy. With such limited time to make his mark in key areas, the president is eager to get busy – and all eyes are on what he will do regarding the highly-contentious issue of immigration reform.

The nation has been told since late summer that President Obama is going to act alone, and act fast, on immigration now that the mid-term elections are over. The exact details of the action the White House will take still remain a mystery.  However, we don’t need a crystal ball to know that the immigration-related executive directives that will soon be unveiled are going to focus on amnesty/citizenship for millions of illegal aliens now in our country – and make more radical changes to our nation’s long-standing immigration laws.

For NPG members who are fighting for responsible population and immigration policies, President Obama’s upcoming immigration policies will definitely present us with new challenges. However, any unilateral action that goes against the wishes of the majority of Americans will also offer NPG new opportunities.  The intensified debate on immigration will surely give us a broader audience as we continue to educate our fellow citizens regarding the dire consequences of such a dangerous path.

The old adage “numbers don’t lie” is very relevant when it comes to discussing immigration and population growth.  If present trends continue, the Census Bureau projects that the U.S. will have a population of 400 million people by mid-century.  Any presidential decree that grants millions of illegal aliens the right to remain in our country – where they will start families and later bring their relatives – will send those projections soaring.

The average American can easily grasp how radically changing long-standing immigration policies, which have served our nation for decades, will open the doorway for even more people to come into our country – placing greater pressure on our economy, natural resources, infrastructure, and environment. By promoting the facts about immigration-driven population growth, NPG can rally additional Americans to join our ranks on this important issue.

If we can build a larger membership base and expand our already well-established status as a leader in the immigration debate, NPG can gain more traction and influence to propose real solutions – such as our 10 Principles for a Responsible U.S. Population Policy.  As a more powerful organization, NPG can move forward to meet our primary goal since 1972:  to slow, halt, and eventually reverse U.S. population growth.

It has been a huge setback for our nation that immigration policy has become so divisive and politicized in recent years.  It definitely does not serve America’s best interests when one major demographic group has the power to dictate their demands to our national leaders – and our representatives then cave in to their every wish.

When it comes to the critical immigration debate, one very vocal group should not drown out all reasonable discussion – the issue is too important for every American.  The reality is that the only people who will lose by setting irresponsible policies are our children and grandchildren.  We owe it to them – and to every future generation – to leave a livable nation.

In the coming weeks, NPG members will receive their annual membership renewal letter in the mail.  Be on the lookout for yours – and be sure to reply as quickly as possible.  Now more than ever, we need your critical membership – and your loyal financial support – to continue our fight for America’s future!

TEN REASONS RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN SAVE THE PLANET

With all of the debate about climate change, it must be asked:  is the quest for more renewable energy making any headway in the U.S. and the world?  According to Greenpeace International, the answer is “YES!”

A recent Ecowatch story by Kaisa Kosonen notes the ongoing growth and widespread use of solar and wind technologies, which are “reshaping common perceptions of climate change mitigation.” Kosonen’s article highlights 10 quick facts which give credence to those advocating for more investment in – and more use of – renewable energy:

1. There’s now 15 times more solar power and three times more wind power in the world than in 2007.
2. The costs of solar and wind have declined profoundly. Renewables are increasingly the cheapest source of new electricity.
3. Renewables are now mainstream: In the OECD countries, 80 percent of new electricity generation added between now and 2020 is expected to be renewable.
4. Individual countries are already reaching high shares of wind, solar and other renewables. In the U.S., the states of Iowa and South Dakota produced about 24 percent of their electricity with wind in 2012.
5. Any country can now reach high shares of wind, solar power cost-effectively, says the International Energy Agency.
6. Renewable energy now provides 22 percent of the world’s electricity. By 2030, wind energy alone could produce one-fifth of the world’s electricity.
7. Growth rates prove how fast renewables can be deployed and scaled up.
8. Leading investment banks are advising investors to go renewable.
9. Renewable energy delivers for communities and builds resilience. Local, clean solutions, like microgrids running on solar, give poorer smaller communities control over their own energy destiny.
10. 100% renewable energy is the way to go.

Outside the U.S., the move is on to renewables.  According to the article, Sydney – the most populated city in Australia – “is going to switch to 100 percent renewable energy in electricity, heating and cooling by 2030.”  In addition, Oslo, Norway, Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark have all set goals for 100% renewable energy.

Kosonen concludes:  “Renewable sustainable energy sources are no longer the stuff of science fiction.”

The next big question is:  can this progress toward more renewable energy be sustained in the wake of falling oil prices?  That answer has yet to play out.  NPG is a strong advocate of efforts throughout the world to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.  Until our nation adopts policies which work to slow, halt, and eventually reverse population growth, it is vital that we employ every available option to conserve our limited natural resources.

A CLEANER CHESAPEAKE BAY IS WORTH IT!

A new report released in late October found that cleaning up local waterways in the Chesapeake Bay region would provide nearly $130 billion – that’s billion – annually in economic benefits.

Commissioned by the non-profit Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the report came to that surprising value after assessing benefits such as “cleaner water, cleaner air, hurricane and flood protection, recreational opportunities, and fresh, healthy food and seafood.”

William Baker, president of the Foundation, hailed the new Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint recently developed by the region’s states and the District of Columbia. Baker notes:  “The plan includes pollution limits set jointly by the states and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, individual plans developed by each jurisdiction to achieve those limits, and two-year milestones that ensure transparency and accountability.”

However, Baker warned, the new Blueprint “is under attack, both in the courts and in Congress.”

He cites opposition from such powerful interests as The Fertilizer Institute and the American Farm Bureau, as farm runoff (with its rich nitrogen and phosphorus elements) carry much of the blame for the vast “dead zones” in the Bay.  These groups are suing in federal court to stop the Blueprint.  Baker notes:  “They have actually said that if we are successful, other parts of the country might have to reduce pollution, too.  In other words, if the Blueprint improves the health of the Bay, a similar effort could be coming to a watershed near them before too long.  That’s a problem only if you fear clean water.”

In touting the need to stay on target to meet the new goals to boost the Bay’s economic benefits, Baker concluded:  “Clean water is important to the citizens of this region, and clean-up efforts have enjoyed the support of politicians of all stripes.  While we are concerned about the opposition from national lobbying groups, we are confident that the Blueprint will succeed.  The Chesapeake is the nation’s estuary, with Washington, D.C. at the center of the watershed.  Failure to save the Bay is not an option.  So we ask, if not here, where?  And if not now, when?”

With the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed overwhelmed by a huge surge of population growth in recent years, NPG has long been an ardent supporter of protecting and preserving this national treasure.  For more information, see the NPG Forum Paper Revisiting the Chesapeake Bay:  The Effect of Population Growth on America’s Largest Estuary, by Tom Horton.

OBAMA IMMIGRATION ORDER

It seems that the closer we get to President Obama following through on his pledge to act unilaterally on addressing immigration reform, the more the American people are against it.

Noted national pollster Kellyanne Conway commented on how the recent influx of immigrants from Central America has given new life to citizen opposition to the president’s planned action.  Conway told a panel at the Heritage Foundation:  “I have never seen immigration at the level where it is in terms of the American consciousness.  I think what happened at the border very recently has brought into sharp relief some public opinion.”

Reporting in Investor’s Business Daily, John Merline noted:  “President Obama’s push to unilaterally enact changes to the nation’s immigration policies is running into fierce opposition from the public, including a majority of his own party.  According to the latest IBD/TIPP poll, 73% of the public says Obama should work with Congress on reforms.  Just 22% say he should ‘sidestep Congress and act on his own using executive orders.’”

TOP TEN STATES WITH THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE

In early October 24/7 Wall Street reported on a recent study from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which assessed the quality of life in states across America.

The OECD study “compares nine important factors that contribute to well-being,” including:  education, jobs, incomes, safety, health, the environment, civic engagement, accessibility to services, and housing.

The 10 states which topped the list for the best quality of life were:

1. New Hampshire
2. Minnesota
3. Vermont
4. Iowa
5. North Dakota
6. Colorado
7. Massachusetts
8. Maine
9. Washington
10. Wisconsin

Many of the above states had a few singular factors that earned them inclusion on the list, and the 24/7 Wall Street article elaborates on the various positives for each top-ten state.  The national population ranking for each state – with #1 being CA and #50 being WY – include:  NH (42^nd), MN (21^st), VT (49^th), IA (20^th), ND (48^th), CO (22^nd), MA (14^th), ME (41^st), WA (13^th), and WI (20^th).  It is worth noting that many states with a higher-ranking quality of life also enjoy a smaller population size.

PEW RESEARCH:  ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE LIVING IN U.S. LONGER

President Obama often cites the growing ties to the U.S. for illegal alien families as the rationale for opening the doors for eventual amnesty/citizenship – and recent research from the Pew Research Center backs him up.

A study released in early September found that “half of the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants have lived here for at least 13 years and as many as 4 million have U.S.-born children.”

Reporting in The Washington Post, David Nakamura noted:  “In their study, Pew researchers found that the number of undocumented immigrants, estimated at 11.3 million in 2013, has leveled off since the economic recession in 2008.” He continued:  “At the same time, more than 60 percent of the nation’s undocumented immigrants have lived in the United States for at least a decade, up from about 35 percent in 2000….”

The numbers of illegal aliens cited in the Pew study only reaffirm NPG’s long-held position:  whatever unilateral action the White House takes in the coming months to readjust the legal status of undocumented immigrants will do little to correct major inadequacies with current immigration enforcement.  Further accommodations will, in fact, only exacerbate the problem of more people coming into our country illegally in the hopes of paying no price at all for their actions – and our nation’s population will continue to grow exponentially as a result.

NPG NEWS

NEW NPG FORUM PAPER

On November 4^th, NPG released a new Forum Paper titled More Nonsense on Inexhaustible Resources from The Wall Street Journal.

Authored by noted ecologist Leon Kolankiewicz, the Forum paper rejects growing claims that the world’s resources are infinite.  Highlighting ongoing global population growth, the new paper flatly rejects the cornucopian position that the world can “think” its way into renewed supplies of rapidly-dwindling natural resources.  This publication is now available free of charge in NPG’s online Library.

NPG 2015 CALENDARS STILL AVAILABLE

An NPG calendar will make a wonderful gift for friends or family during the upcoming holidays!  Featuring winning images from NPG’s annual Scholarship Contest, the calendar depicts environmental treasures threatened by U.S. population growth.  The calendar is rich with original full-color photos from undergraduate students living all across America.  Each photo is accompanied by commentary related to the challenges our nation faces in protecting our vulnerable environment.  Funds raised through sale of the calendar support our NPG educational efforts.

To display your exclusive copy, calendars are available for your tax-deductible gift to NPG of just $20 – with additional copies available at only $15 each.  Order yours online today, or call our office at 703-370-9510.

QUOTES

“We will never have a perfect world, but it’s not romantic or naïve to work toward a better one”

Steven Pinker
Author

“An Economist/YouGov survey released earlier this month showed 53 percent of Americans disapproved of the president’s handling of immigration – worse than any other policy issue.”

Justin Sink
The Hill

“But for the rest of us trying to do business in ‘flyover country’ – the forsaken regions of the U.S. in between L.A. and Manhattan and in faraway lands like Hawaii and Alaska – a flood of immigrants actually matters.  It means, among other things, more strain on already burdened city, county and state-funded law enforcement and social services agencies; a greater risk of crime and litigation perpetrated against local and regional business ventures; and fewer jobs for American workers, including many 20 to 30-somethings who hold college degrees and mountains of college loan debt, but can’t find their way in the labor market even under current conditions.”

Austin Hill
National Columnist

WHY THE NPG JOURNAL?
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The NPG Journal (offered free to all recipients) exists to give more widespread distribution to timely news stories and articles related to population, immigration, environmental, and political issues that currently affect our daily life – or have the potential to seriously impact our future.

We realize not all news stories covering population issues will reflect NPG policies and goals.  One of our main purposes in creating the NPG Journal is to expose these items to a wider audience, and to draw attention to the fact that many articles speak to immigration and population issues yet fail to address the central cause of many problems:  U.S. population growth.

Ultimately, NPG would like to see writers at all levels make the obvious (to us, at least) connection between environmental and resource problems and the growing number of people in both the United States and the world.  Unfortunately, most do not.  To that end, we comment as necessary to help our readers see those links, in hopes they will continue to speak out on what we deem to be the most pressing issue of our time – population size and growth.

NPG President Donald Mann offers his personal insight and commentary on individual stories, especially those that challenge, confirm and/or complement our NPG Forum papers and research.  The goal of the NPG Journal is to greatly expand NPG’s educational mission.  NPG’s activities continue to emphasize the need for Americans to speak up on population issues and keep our nation – especially our elected leaders on the national, state, and local levels – focused on taking action to help resolve today’s immigration crisis and work to slow, halt, and eventually reverse America’s population growth.

We welcome your feedback to articles posted on the NPG Journal, and urge you to forward to us the e-mail addresses of friends you think would like to receive a complimentary copy of the NPG Journal on a monthly basis.  Contact us today at NPG@NPG.org.