By Henry Barbaro

Unless you have taken extraordinary steps to avoid any media contact, you know that the immigration debate in America continues to rage on. The debate has focused on illegal immigration, and what to do about the 12 million or so illegal immigrants who currently live in the U.S. However, the following is a discussion of both legal and illegal immigration.

For those following the immigration debate, it's important to remember that immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. Recent news coverage of social strife from immigration pressures includes (but is not limited to) England, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, and Israel. Although immigration is not unique to this country, the U.S. receives more immigrants every year (roughly 1.5 million) than any other country in the world. For more than 20 years these elevated rates have soared well beyond U.S. emigration levels. It has been this immense influx of people (i.e., "mass immigration") that has generated widespread discontent across the nation.

Most reasonable people would agree that large-scale (e.g., half a million per year) illegal immigration is bad for any country. By its very nature, it is an unmanaged process that puts burdens on social services and local governments, and has a variety of serious ramifications on the receiving country's society and culture.

Moreover, I believe that mass immigration to any country, even if it conforms to the respective laws of that country, will have negative consequences because it leads to an accelerating population growth rate and is not sustainable. Given what we now know about resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and the plight of future generations, all countries throughout the world should be working toward population stabilization.

It seems that much too often both sides of the immigration debate do not seriously consider the arguments from the "other" side, or they resort to putting derogatory labels on their opposition as a way to obfuscate their opponent's message. If we are to develop a win-win (or at least mutually acceptable) solution to the immigration quagmire, then both sides must acknowledge each other's arguments and concerns.

For example, those who focus primarily on immigrant rights must acknowledge that population growth in the U.S. worsens virtually every environmental problem. As a result, more and more people are trying to share a smaller and smaller pie, and are accelerating the demand to mine our heritage of ancient resources - fossil fuels, forests, metals, groundwater, wildlife habitat, ocean life, soils, estuaries/embayments, big wilderness, floodplains, etc. On the other hand, those opposed to mass immigration must acknowledge that citizens from "sender" countries face serious economic hardships, oftentimes exacerbated by America's international trade policies.

To address both sides' viewpoints, NECSP is working to develop a draft set of universal actions that can be implemented by countries throughout the world. These principles are based on various economic elements that both push people to leave their "sender" countries, as well as those that lure people to "receiving" countries.

Reduce the "Pull" Factors:

Institute stricter sanctions against those who employ illegal immigrants.
Institute legal immigration rates that are roughly equivalent to emigration rates.
Track and enforce against migrants (e.g., students, farm workers) that overstay the time limitations set by the government.

Reduce the "Push" Factors:

Provide financial assistance to "sender" countries for economic development.
Dismantle (or modify) international trade programs (e.g., NAFTA) that hurt economic conditions within "sender" countries.
Support family planning programs within "sender" countries.

In fact, in the spirit of appeasement, and acknowledging a wider spectrum of concerns, I believe NECSP should consider endorsing some form of amnesty for America's current population of illegal immigrants. However, this concept should be predicated on the commitment by the U.S. government that population stabilization would become a national priority, and that the measures listed above would be implemented such that this would be the very last amnesty for many generations to come (rather than granting another one 20 years from now).

As a parting thought, I believe that people can be moral-minded (advocate for social justice) AND be concerned with the quality of life for existing and future generations, biodiversity, and real sustainability here in the U.S. (and throughout the world). To reach this and so many other critical goals, the U.S. must achieve population stabilization.

Henry Barbaro is a NECSP Director. He served as Chairman from 2006 to 2007. Henry lives with his family in Jamaica Plain, Boston MA.

Over in Washingtonville VT, lives a man. He is modest of character, soft-spoken and pleasant. Like many Vermonters, he enjoys the fresh air, the forests and the magical Green Mountains rising all around him. He also happens to be a central figure in the modern grassroots environmental movement in Vermont. His name is George Plumb and he is President of Vermonters for Sustainable Population (VSP).

George has helped found important state environmental organizations like the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council, the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition and the Vermont Earth Institute. He also serves on the board of the New England Coalition for Sustainable Population.

Formed in 2005 by a group of Vermont residents concerned about the population-driven environmental degradation taking place on our planet and in the United States, VSP is an all-volunteer grassroots organization doing amazing work that rivals that of bigger, better funded organizations.

For instance, in May of 2008, VSP released an in-depth report of population pressures affecting the character of Vermont. It included 50 unique indicators related to the 40% increase in the state's population from 1970 to 2007. Unfortunately for Vermont, the majority of these indicators showed negative implications. You can download a PDF of the report by clicking here.

Now, working in conjunction with the Global Population Speak Out (highlighted in last month's Nourished Earth), George is once again making sure VSP is an environmental leader in his beloved state. He has convinced The Bridge, a weekly community newspaper of Montpelier Vermont, to host a public forum on population. It's scheduled for February 19th, 2009, from 12 noon to 2pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Montpelier. They will then devote their March 19 issue to the same topic! This is amazing news!

Maybe this New Year's Eve, we should all make a resolution to be "more like George Plumb". Where would the world be without him?

In this time of Holiday Cheer, please remember to give support to NECSP. Click on Santa Claus to make a tax deductible donation. In these uncertain economic times, its even more important organizations like NECSP garner your support. Afterall, we are the ones trying to provide sustainable alternatives for the future -- not the next bubble, the next widget or the next oil spill.

The Nourished Earth NECSP's Monthly Newsletter of Population Stabilization and Sustainable Living
Volume 6 -- December 2008
In This Issue The Director's Corner Visit us on Facebook George Plumb of VT Stuff Our Stocking Contribute Your Voice Have something to say about sustainable development and stabilized population? Contact Joe Bish at joebish@necsp.org with your ideas. We are very interested in local voices talking about local perspectives.	Happy Holidays from NECSP On behalf of the whole NECSP family, I wish you and yours a fantastic Holiday Season. We have a lot to feel good about as we reflect on our year's work. For a small, grassroots education organization working on the extremely challenging issue of human population, "we have come a long way". We worked on our branding, got a new logo, founded our newsletter, appeared on regional TV & radio, and enjoyed publications in VT, NH, MA, ME & RI. We developed a complex internet presence, instituted an initiative to "Slow Growth" in MA, hired more staff to help get our message out, created the office Executive Director, deepened our relationships with population organizations from across the nation, and -- most importantly -- we found you! New Englanders share a unique identity and we are delighted to have you in the NECSP family! It's only with your support -- whether financial, moral or both -- that we find our strength to fight for a better future. Thank you! Joe Bish Executive Director, NECSP The Director's Corner By Henry Barbaro Unless you have taken extraordinary steps to avoid any media contact, you know that the immigration debate in America continues to rage on. The debate has focused on illegal immigration, and what to do about the 12 million or so illegal immigrants who currently live in the U.S. However, the following is a discussion of both legal and illegal immigration. For those following the immigration debate, it's important to remember that immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. Recent news coverage of social strife from immigration pressures includes (but is not limited to) England, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, and Israel. Although immigration is not unique to this country, the U.S. receives more immigrants every year (roughly 1.5 million) than any other country in the world. For more than 20 years these elevated rates have soared well beyond U.S. emigration levels. It has been this immense influx of people (i.e., "mass immigration") that has generated widespread discontent across the nation. Most reasonable people would agree that large-scale (e.g., half a million per year) illegal immigration is bad for any country. By its very nature, it is an unmanaged process that puts burdens on social services and local governments, and has a variety of serious ramifications on the receiving country's society and culture. Moreover, I believe that mass immigration to any country, even if it conforms to the respective laws of that country, will have negative consequences because it leads to an accelerating population growth rate and is not sustainable. Given what we now know about resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and the plight of future generations, all countries throughout the world should be working toward population stabilization. It seems that much too often both sides of the immigration debate do not seriously consider the arguments from the "other" side, or they resort to putting derogatory labels on their opposition as a way to obfuscate their opponent's message. If we are to develop a win-win (or at least mutually acceptable) solution to the immigration quagmire, then both sides must acknowledge each other's arguments and concerns. For example, those who focus primarily on immigrant rights must acknowledge that population growth in the U.S. worsens virtually every environmental problem. As a result, more and more people are trying to share a smaller and smaller pie, and are accelerating the demand to mine our heritage of ancient resources - fossil fuels, forests, metals, groundwater, wildlife habitat, ocean life, soils, estuaries/embayments, big wilderness, floodplains, etc. On the other hand, those opposed to mass immigration must acknowledge that citizens from "sender" countries face serious economic hardships, oftentimes exacerbated by America's international trade policies. To address both sides' viewpoints, NECSP is working to develop a draft set of universal actions that can be implemented by countries throughout the world. These principles are based on various economic elements that both push people to leave their "sender" countries, as well as those that lure people to "receiving" countries. Reduce the "Pull" Factors: Institute stricter sanctions against those who employ illegal immigrants. Institute legal immigration rates that are roughly equivalent to emigration rates. Track and enforce against migrants (e.g., students, farm workers) that overstay the time limitations set by the government. Reduce the "Push" Factors: Provide financial assistance to "sender" countries for economic development. Dismantle (or modify) international trade programs (e.g., NAFTA) that hurt economic conditions within "sender" countries. Support family planning programs within "sender" countries. In fact, in the spirit of appeasement, and acknowledging a wider spectrum of concerns, I believe NECSP should consider endorsing some form of amnesty for America's current population of illegal immigrants. However, this concept should be predicated on the commitment by the U.S. government that population stabilization would become a national priority, and that the measures listed above would be implemented such that this would be the very last amnesty for many generations to come (rather than granting another one 20 years from now). As a parting thought, I believe that people can be moral-minded (advocate for social justice) AND be concerned with the quality of life for existing and future generations, biodiversity, and real sustainability here in the U.S. (and throughout the world). To reach this and so many other critical goals, the U.S. must achieve population stabilization. Henry Barbaro is a NECSP Director. He served as Chairman from 2006 to 2007. Henry lives with his family in Jamaica Plain, Boston MA. NECSP is now an official FACEBOOK CAUSE. Join our cause and find your old friends -- or make some new ones! Vermonters for Sustainable Population Over in Washingtonville VT, lives a man. He is modest of character, soft-spoken and pleasant. Like many Vermonters, he enjoys the fresh air, the forests and the magical Green Mountains rising all around him. He also happens to be a central figure in the modern grassroots environmental movement in Vermont. His name is George Plumb and he is President of Vermonters for Sustainable Population (VSP). George has helped found important state environmental organizations like the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council, the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition and the Vermont Earth Institute. He also serves on the board of the New England Coalition for Sustainable Population. Formed in 2005 by a group of Vermont residents concerned about the population-driven environmental degradation taking place on our planet and in the United States, VSP is an all-volunteer grassroots organization doing amazing work that rivals that of bigger, better funded organizations. For instance, in May of 2008, VSP released an in-depth report of population pressures affecting the character of Vermont. It included 50 unique indicators related to the 40% increase in the state's population from 1970 to 2007. Unfortunately for Vermont, the majority of these indicators showed negative implications. You can download a PDF of the report by clicking here. Now, working in conjunction with the Global Population Speak Out (highlighted in last month's Nourished Earth), George is once again making sure VSP is an environmental leader in his beloved state. He has convinced The Bridge, a weekly community newspaper of Montpelier Vermont, to host a public forum on population. It's scheduled for February 19th, 2009, from 12 noon to 2pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Montpelier. They will then devote their March 19 issue to the same topic! This is amazing news! Maybe this New Year's Eve, we should all make a resolution to be "more like George Plumb". Where would the world be without him? Stuff Our Stocking! In this time of Holiday Cheer, please remember to give support to NECSP. Click on Santa Claus to make a tax deductible donation. In these uncertain economic times, its even more important organizations like NECSP garner your support. Afterall, we are the ones trying to provide sustainable alternatives for the future -- not the next bubble, the next widget or the next oil spill. Please be generous. Thank you.
Forward The Nourished Earth to a friend \| (603) 283-6686