NPG’s Earth Day Message: Population Must Be Top Environmental Concern

• NPG
• April 22, 2010
• Press Releases
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Declares Population Level of 450 Million will Wipe Out Environmental Gains

Alexandria, VA (April 22, 2010)—Negative Population Growth (NPG) President Don Mann called on America’s elected leaders and policymakers today to use the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day to make a commitment to a national population policy that will rein-in population growth.

Mann noted that failure to make population growth a key part of America’s environmental movement from the beginning has crippled the chances for success of major environmental progress in the past four decades.  Mann warned that, “Without taking immediate action to slow, halt and eventually reverse America’s soaring population we will add as many as 140 million more people to our nation and continue to create social, economic and environmental nightmares.”

Mann continued, “On almost every major issue today we are already up against the wall trying to find solutions for the future.  We can expect that all of these problems will be greatly exacerbated by a massive increase in population.”  He listed government deficits, taxes, transportation, water, energy, urban sprawl and environmental destruction as prime areas where too many people will create future havoc.

Mann focused on the environmental issue by stating, “Without setting realistic and sustainable population goals our nation can only make minimal gains, if any, in the battle to protect the environment.  An almost fifty percent gain in America’s population in just 40 years will mean more air and water pollution and continued destruction of millions of acres of valuable farmland and natural habitat.”

Noting that many of the nation’s top environmental groups shy away from the issue of population growth due to the politically sensitive immigration issue Mann stressed, “Population levels are going to be the driving force in deciding what future progress our nation makes when it comes to protecting our environment, we must all work together to make it a number one issue.”

NPG is a non-profit member-based organization that was founded in 1972 and has been working to get Congress to create a U.S. Commission on Population Growth to address population challenges.