Negative Population Growth

We are pleased to announce the winners of our
2009 NPG Population Scholarship Contest.

Write a letter to your Congressional Representative explaining that the United States simply has TOO MANY PEOPLE. Ask him/her to work to reverse this problem by helping to create a U.S. Commission on Population Growth. Cite specific areas you feel the Commission should evaluate, and give examples of what can be done to achieve the goal of reducing U.S. population.

Mark Azic

The Honorable Representative Steve Rothman
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Rothman,

    Today, April 22, is Earth Day. Across the nation, politicians are talking about the environment, television stations are promoting “Ways to Go Green”, and civilians are getting together to clean up their parks. While all of these efforts are honorable, none address the biggest threat to our environment – our population.

    The US’s population is now over 300 million people, and set to grow to well over 400 million by 2050. Population growth is a worldwide problem for the environment, as more people mean more demand for resources. However, this is especially true in America. Although Americans make up only a twentieth of the world’s population, we consume nearly a quarter of all its resources. Any increase in our population has a monumental impact on the environment. While florescent light bulbs and wind turbines are important steps towards going green, the best thing that America can do is limit population growth.

    The overcrowding of the US is obvious in our home state of New Jersey. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country – and even more densely populated than the country India. Our schools are overcrowded, our landscape is the victim of urban sprawl, and our level of pollution is hazardous. You and I witness the problems of overcrowding every day, and we know that action needs to be taken.

    There are many ways for policymakers to control population growth. One way is for Congress to finally undertake immigration reform. Immigration is the largest contributor to our population growth; this especially true with regards to illegal immigration. Every year, over a half of a million illegal immigrants settle in the US. Once here, many illegal immigrants compound their effect on the population by having children. Protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, the children of illegal immigrants that are born here are awarded citizenship, and allowed to become permanent settlers. Immigration reform is something that both Democrats and Republicans have discussed, yet failed to act on. Immigration reform is the easiest and most effective way for America to control its population, and it needs to be done.

    Another way in which population growth can be controlled is to target fertility. This can be done by amending tax policies. By eliminating tax benefits for children beyond the second child, policymakers can influence couples to have fewer children. Another idea on how to influence fertility decisions would be to encourage working rights for women. Working women are less likely to have as many children as ones who do not work. Therefore, measures that increase female workplace participation would contribute to population control. For example, women do not receive equal pay as their male counterparts. Such discrimination is not only morally wrong, but also lowers the incentive for women to work. By fighting for measures such as equal pay, policymakers can control our population while also fighting discrimination – two things beneficial to all Americans.

    Decreasing the US’s population will not be easy, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be brought up. Congressman, I implore you to begin the discussion on population growth. Call for the establishment of a US Commission on Population Growth to study the effects of population growth, and what can be done to restrain it. Americans need to understand the threat that population growth poses, and by bringing this issue up you will help do that. If we want to celebrate future Earth Days we need to take action today. Please call for the Commission. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and I hope you share my vigor for this subject.

Sincerely,
Mark Azic

Hillary McMullin

Congressman Dan Maffei
1630 Longworth House Office Building
District of Columbia 20515-3225

Dear Congressman Maffei:

    Overpopulation in the United States is a grave problem that is largely overlooked. The government has generally favored increased population, believing it aids economic growth and upholds America’s reputation as a “melting pot” of cultures. A large population is not necessarily a weakness; however, it eventually reaches a tipping point where it acts as a hindrance to the prosperity of a nation. I believe that the U.S. population has already breached this tipping point. I am writing in the hopes that you will recognize the danger posed by overpopulation and work to bring this issue to the forefront of national politics.

    Thomas Malthus, an English economist, wrote that a population cannot substantially outpace agricultural output and supply of natural resources before undergoing natural factors that decrease the population size. America’s population growth is currently outpacing our supply of natural resources. Farmland is dwindling as housing developments are constructed to serve our bloated numbers. Far from granting us global acceptance, our increasing population has forced us to depend on others for resources. We must take measures to control our population growth before natural forces reduce our numbers in ways that are far more harmful to our society than the measures we employ.

    The most effective way to limit our population growth is to develop a U.S. Commission on Population Growth. This commission will evaluate and take measures that will slow population growth. Subcommittees will specialize in the two main sources of population growth: fertility and immigration.

                1. Fertility: I believe it is wrong for the government to pass laws inhibiting our freedom to reproduce. However, I support a government sponsored advertising campaign that encourages our citizens to limit their family size. This campaign must be well planned and carefully executed to be successful without creating the perception that the government is violating our basic human rights. As part of the campaign, the Commission could offer free contraceptive devices.
                Disincentives to population growth could be evaluated, as well. For example, tax deductions could be offered for the first two children in a family and phased out for any subsequent children. Furthermore, the public school tax could be dependent on family size. This would act as a disincentive toward large families and decrease the tax burden places on other residents of a community. In my opinion, these disincentives would be effective but should only be offered as a last resort, so as not to discriminate unreasonably against children and families.

                2. Immigration: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, legal and illegal immigration has accounted for 61% of the population growth since 1990. By reducing the number of immigrants, we can limit our population growth. I believe it is crucial that the president does not grant citizenship to illegal aliens, which would encourage people to enter the United States illegally. Instead, the federal government should create harsher penalties against those employ or hide illegal aliens. This would decrease the potential for aliens to make a living and would allow the government to locate and subsequently deport these aliens. The commission could remove aliens from the workplace by creating a state-run program that examines workers in factories and other low-wage occupations. Each employer in question would provide a list of employees along with their citizenship. Furthermore, a toll free hotline could be created through the commission that would allow citizens to report any persons they suspect could be aliens.
                The Supreme Court should examine the intent of the citizenship clause in the fourteenth amendment, which declares anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen. Foreign families are taking advantage of this by illegally entering the country to deliver their babies. Children born under such circumstances are termed “anchor babies” because they allow the extended family to remain in this country to raise the child. However, the Supreme Court has never specifically ruled on the legitimacy of birthright citizenship for children born to persons who are in America illegally. If the Court system ruled that this amendment was only intended to apply to legal citizens or immigrants, this problem could be avoided and immigration could be decreased.

    The United States has a reputation as “the land of opportunity” for immigrants searching for more fruitful lives. We do not want to tarnish this reputation, but unless our population growth is restrained, America will not hold opportunity for anyone. Our population must be contained before we cannot escape the consequences that Thomas Malthus described.

Sincerely,
Hillary McMullin

Zachary Al-Nasser

Congressman Gresham Barrett
United States House of Representatives
439 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4003

Dear Representative Barrett:

    Over population is running rampant across the world, creating an unsustainable demand for resources such as food, water, and habitable space. Even in America, this trend is occurring at a rate which will outgrow our resources. America has already become dependent on importing various raw materials, such as petroleum, as we cannot produce enough domestically to maintain self-sufficiency. In order to cope with such a large population, President Obama and 111th Congress should push for the creation of a Commission on Population Growth (henceforth referred to as the CPG). Therefore, I ask that you would support this topic if it comes to a vote in the House of Representatives.

    This commission should look at the various factors contributing to population growth, such as the quality of healthcare, sex education classes, the availability of contraception, and immigration. Sex education classes are currently the most widespread, least effective method of controlling the population. Suffice it to say that, in many southern states, these courses teach about abstinence, and as long as they teach solely abstinence, underage use of contraception will be few and far apart. To reform the system, we must begin teaching about methods of contraception that are more realistic than abstinence. Limiting the number of unwanted pregnancies could easily be curbed by enabling easy access to free contraception and family planning services, both in public schools and at local health clinics. I know that in the area where I live, contraception is nearly impossible to obtain if one cannot afford it. The funding and feasibility of these services would also need to be investigated by the CPG.

    Immigration has long played an important role in American society, as we call ourselves “The Melting Pot.” However, continuously high rates of immigration are the reason for America’s population growth rate; without immigration, we would have a negative population growth. Immigration is putting a strain on many aspects of our society, from our education system to its widespread impact on the workforce. If we are to focus on managing the population, immigration, as opposed to limiting the number of children allowed per couple, would be the easiest and most obvious place to begin.

    The commission should also take into account issues stemming from population growth, such as the strain placed on resources, overcrowding in urban areas, and the ability to educate, maintain, and govern such a large population. According to the Department of Energy, the United States imported nearly two-thirds of all the crude oil it consumed. Around the world, acres upon acres of tropical forest land is being burned away in order to grow more crops. In America, land is constantly being bulldozed and cleared of plant and wildlife in order to support the ever growing population of suburban America. This forces animals out of their natural habitats and into populated areas, such as people’s backyards, as well as into roads and highways, where they cause numerous accidents.

    The United States has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, and it will be necessary to consider the consequences of population growth. To keep track of this increasing population, President Obama and the 111th Congress should create a commission on population growth. It is imperative to control the size of our society in order to secure the stability of our society for future generations, as well as to form a healthy symbiotic relationship with our surrounding wildlife.

Sincerely,
Zachary Y. Al-Nasser

Christi Crump

Congressman Ben Chandler
1504 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1076

Dear Congressman Chandler:

    In 1969 President M. Nixon addressed Congress on the potential problems of unchecked population growth in this country. He has been quoted as saying, “One of the most serious challenges to human density in the last third of this century will be the growth of the population. Whether man’s response to that challenge will be a cause for pride or despair in the year 2000 will depend very much on what we do today.” I tend to feel that even though I may not have agreed with President Nixon and many of the transgressions he was accused and later convicted of, I must admit he hit that issue right on the head. Unfortunately, mankind’s response to this ever-growing problem seems to have caused nothing but despair in the forty years since President Nixon’s Congressional address. From an increasing depletion of our natural resources to a sub-standard public education system to a sluggish economy, the United States’ out of control population growth has gradually contributed to the downfall of this country and our society as a whole.

    But, as the old saying goes, it’s never too late. And it’s not too late to rectify this rising problem and reverse the negative impact it has been having on our country. One way to help curb the population growth in the United States is to form a committee - The United States Commission on Population Growth. The commission should be able to assist the slow down if not outright cessation of the problematic situation through the following areas:
                        -education
                        -legislation

    To curtail this issue, the first act of this Congressional body should be virtually the basic building block of any type of solution for any problem --- education, education, education. The more learned our populace becomes about the drawbacks of unchecked population growth and how it nearly destroys our society, with any luck the more willing the people would be to help in eliminating the concern. The committee could appeal to Congress to allocate federal funds to provide programs in our schools and civic organizations to develop competence and leadership in this troublesome area. The education of our peoples need not stop at the effects the boundless population growth has on our environmental and economic resources but can also be expanded to include sex education and programs on alternatives to traditional parenting for our students so they can weigh their options to make informed choices for their futures.

    In addition to educating the public and our future generations, the Commission could also appeal to Congress to petition for legislation to toughen laws against employers who knowingly employ and support illegal immigrants. It would also be very beneficial to impose legislation that would require all persons seeking medical treatment, education, government assistance, etc. to provide proof of citizenship or proof of an attempt to gain citizenship before any of these programs are made available. The Commission could also petition Congress to impose stricter regulations and standards in the process required for an individual seeking to acquire United State citizenship. I feel the majority of the current U.S. population really do not wish to appear cruel but I also feel that they are also fed up with illegal immigration taking over their country and programs that were intended to help the needy United States citizens going to folks that illegally enter this country to turn out a quick buck. And according to a Negative Population Growth study, *68% of Americans are in agreement on this issue.

     Congressman Chandler, please don’t misunderstand my concern on this issue. Population growth in itself is healthy and essentially vital to a society in order for it to survive. To an extent. However, when *the United States has five percent of the entire world’s population and uses thirty percent of the world’s resources, I feel it becomes time for a dramatic change. The time for change is now. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christi M. Crump

*Denis Hayes, “Economic Power,” Seattle Weekly, November 10, 1993, p. 15
*Negative Population Growth web site

Kristan Middleton

Congressman Wally Herger
242 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Herger,

   As you know, the United States' Census will be taken next year, as is prescribed in the US Constitution. Every ten years, the government attempts to count every person living within its borders. This is undoubtedly a difficult task, but one that is made exponentially harder by America's ballooning population; at the founding of the country, there were less than four million people in America. The country now holds over three hundred million people, and has a growth rate of .883 percent- nearly three million people a year. It is clear to many people that the United States needs to take swift action to slow the growth of our population and to return America to its more beautiful, less-crowded way of life.

    I am urging you to help create a US Commission on Population Growth, to maintain a healthy population that the land and economy can support. The Commission should be a nonpartisan, wide-reaching agency that can monitor population, make suggestions to Congress, and administer population-reducing acts. Be reassured that the Commission would not create laws independent of Congress, but would only do what is necessary to monitor population and suggest solutions to the overcrowding that is occurring in this country.

    The most effective way to reduce population growth is to reduce the fertility rate. This should be done by offering incentives to families who choose to raise only one child. The incentives could take the form of tax cuts, in a system similar to that which exists now. However, instead of receiving tax cuts for each child, the tax cuts a family would receive would be inversely proportional to the number of children the family has. In other words, the fewer children a family has, the more tax cuts it would receive. This kind of monetary incentive would be the most effective and least intrusive way to encourage Americans to reduce the population.

    Additionally, if families choose to raise an inordinate number of children, they could be given a slight increase on their taxes. These two methods, working together to discourage large families and encourage small ones, would effectively slow the growth of population.

     Another way to ensure that the population does not exceed the land's carrying capacity, the United States should take a more aggressive stance against illegal immigrants. By removing such people to their native country, the US would reduce the strain placed on its infrastructure and health and safety systems by illegal aliens. This would also reserve jobs for those living in the country legally, and could reduce violence and crime. In addition to regulating those that enter the country illegally, the United States should institute stricter requirements for immigrants to enter and work in America. Only immigrants with no criminal record and those who plan to work in the United States should be allowed in. Of course, tourists will still be welcome to experience the many aspects and wonders of this great nation.

    The creation of a Commission on Population Growth is something that I believe is necessary to maintain the beauty and quality of life in the United States. By reducing population growth, demand for natural resources will be reduced, allowing for the increased preservation of the ecology. Simply preserving the environment by reducing population growth would have large and beneficial effects on the nation and the world, due to decreased carbon emissions and exploitation of natural resources. A reduction in population growth would also benefit the national economy. There would be a smaller supply of workers, so according to the laws of economics, wages would increase. The benefits of increased wages are clear to everyone, but the US would need to maintain its immigration policy to ensure that an influx of foreign workers does not disrupt the economy. Because of decreased demand for products and services, prices would fall. This, coupled with increased wages, are an obviously great benefit to monitoring our nation's population.

    Please, Congressman, cast aside partisan politics and work with your colleagues to ensure that the quality of life we once enjoyed is returned by creating a US Commission on Population Growth. The need is urgent and the benefits are great.

Sincerely,
Kristan Middleton

Elizabeth Polster

Congresswoman Melissa Bean
432 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Bean:

The issues of resource management, global climate change, and the economy appear before Congress daily. As you work on these issues, please consider the root of many of our nation’s difficulties: population. It is undeniable that the strains on our ecological and economic systems have been caused by a massive population. I urge you to fight for the formation of a U.S. Commission on Population Growth in order to protect our vanishing resources for future generations.

The United States population has quadrupled since 1900. We have had a 83% growth in the U.S. population in the last 50 years, and our nation’s population is suspected to reach at least 420 million by 2050. This growth is tremendously detrimental to the world’s resources. The United States makes up 5% of the world’s population, but consumes 25% of its resources.

The six billion people on Earth today (and the 76 million added to that number every year) are destroying nonrenewable resources. High population growth only hurts society. Overpopulation has caused more pollution, tighter housing markets, water shortage, a strain on infrastructure, and vanishing open space (to name a few of its affects). These problems, in turn, create loss in agricultural production, disappearing resources, and a decline in the health of humans and other animals. Our population makes demands on Earth’s resources that will soon be unrealistic.

For these reasons, I urge you to work to create a U.S. Commission on Population Growth. The purpose of this Commission would be to evaluate America’s growing population in order to ensure sufficient economic and ecological systems for future generations. The Commission would need to assess options such as immigration restriction, fertility control, and resource conservation. I encourage you to hear and represent the American people on this issue. The majority of Americans are opposed to population growth, especially growth through illegal immigration. I urge you to be sensible and not give in to special interest groups when supporting this legislation.

The first option to evaluate is immigration. The main source of America’s population growth is immigration. New immigrants (legal and illegal) constitute more than 1 million of the 3.3 million new people in America every year. Despite this, immigration (and therefore population growth) would be greatly reduced if the U.S. simply maintained strict enforcement of existing rules and penalties. I additionally suggest tougher measures on immigration, such as efficient and effective punishment for illegal immigrants, or regular verification of legal status (during banking transactions, etc.). Measures such as these are in concordance with current congressional bills, and would greatly help the U.S. population problem.

Secondly, fertility control is necessary to restrict our increasing population. I do not advocate government restrictions on fertility or reproduction, but governments can certainly influence people’s decisions about having children through education and non-coercive incentives. For example, the government holds the power to ensure that birth control is universally available, or eliminate family tax benefits for children beyond the second child. It is also necessary to make parents, teenagers, and the most fertile peoples in our society aware of the enormous negative consequences this has on society and the environment.

Thirdly, the government must consider the environment. Overpopulation has a clear negative impact on our world’s resources. Representatives in our federal and state governments have been seeking viable solutions to lower the affects of global climate change for years. They need to realize what this problem actually stems from and encourage our nation to responsibly correct this disastrous problem. Actions such as: emphasizing the benefits of organic farming (which necessitates a lower population); mandating resource conservation; and making the public aware of the toll overpopulation takes on the Earth, will all benefit the environment through population reduction.

For further information, I recommend Negative Population Growth, Inc. This organization offers astonishing but realistic facts and resources on the population, and is dedicated to informing America about the threat of overpopulation. We all see the increasing amount of people clogging roads and businesses, and we all feel the strain of this swollen population - but the American public and government need to know the staggering statistics. I urge you to visit Negative Population Growth’s website (www.npg.org) and further research the damage our population is causing.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Polster