The Missing Millions of Open Space
100 and Counting…

 

COMMENTARY: by NPG President Donald Mann

            When commenting on the results of the elections earlier this month many pundits noted how there seems to be a growing discontent rolling across the country.
            The displeasure of the electorate is of course heightened by today’s economic recession.  However, the pollsters continue to go to great lengths trying to pinpoint exactly what’s bothering Americans.
            I have a simple answer that I am sure many of my fellow citizens share:  The people are growing more and more frustrated with the lack of leadership in our country.
            I’m not pointing the finger at any one politician or singling out any political party.  I’m simply highlighting the fact that as our nation is confronted by ever-growing crises, our so-called leaders – especially at the federal level – get too easily distracted by minor issues, shy away from making critical decisions and continue to set aside the toughest problems.  Somehow our major problems are all going to be magically resolved in the future as it has become too much to expect today’s leaders to actually act on them.  Of course, all the while they will surely grow even more out of control.
            Today’s problems relating to health care, transportation, water shortages, energy demands, secure borders and immigration control, education, Social Security, etc. all scream for immediate action.  But as this year’s extended health care debate has shown, solutions are not easy to come by – and they have enormous price tags.
            The common thread that ties all of these issues together is population growth.  It’s the greatest crisis we face, yet the one most ignored.  And if you think population problems are bad now, what will they be like in 10, 20 or 40 years if we continue to add tens of millions more people to our U.S. population each decade?
            I followed the national debate on health care quite closely.  There was much said and written about how we structure and pay for a new health care system for the next ten years.  But what about beyond 2019 when there are an additional 35 to 40 million (or maybe even more) Americans trying to access the new system?  Will it work just as efficiently and remain cost neutral?  You have to seriously question whether we are building America’s future on wishful thinking rather than logic and sound policymaking.
            Health care does not stand alone.  We have all watched the energy debate drag on for decades.  We had the first oil embargo during the Nixon administration, the gas lines at service stations during the Carter administration, and the price spikes during the recent Bush administration.  Have we made much progress in putting our nation on a path to reliable energy sources for the future?  The answer is a resounding “NO.”
            California’s leaders finally took a major step last month in addressing its future water needs – but it took a major drought and an impending crisis to force them into action.  And the solution to their problems is years away.  Most of the other states don’t have long-range water plans.  Their ever-rising populations will surely suffer the consequences of this short sightedness sometime in the near future when drought conditions will overwhelm their limited water resources and leave their families and businesses high and dry – literally.
            I bring this topic of lack of leadership up often because I find it amazing that so few of our nation’s leaders show any interest at all in addressing the issues of population growth and sustainability. 
            We have great hopes that our efforts to ignite interest in Congress to establish a U.S. Commission on Population Growth will focus attention on the looming economic, social and environmental crises that pose such a terrific threat to our nation.  Thus far it is proving to be a tough sell.  That’s why we must push even harder.  We must convince just a handful of Congressmen and Senators to take the lead on this issue and then move it along through the legislative process until it becomes reality.  Considering that we are simply asking the 110th Congress to copy what the 91st Congress did in creating the Rockefeller Commission (and even sent each member the text of the original legislation to show them that this is not a complex task), this legislation should be able to be introduced, debated and acted on quite quickly. It may not happen in 2010 but we must be persistent.
            The first legislation to establish a major government role in health care was introduced during the Truman administration – back when America had only 150 million people.  Let’s hope we don’t have to wait that long before our leaders set their sights on responsibly dealing with our nation’s out-of-control population growth.

 

THE MISSING MILLIONS FOR OPEN SPACE

            Is America doing all it can to protect open space in this country for future generations?  It has every intention to – but there’s always the question of money.         
            The New York Times ran an editorial last week that exposed the politics being played with the money that has been authorized – but not always spent – to conserve the open space throughout America that is threatened by development.
            It seems that in 1965 Congress decided to use royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling to invest in the Land and Water Conservation Fund.  The idea worked fine until too many politicians saw the hundreds of millions of dollars in the fund as an easy target for other spending, including deficit reduction.  A $900 million annual authorization that was established in 1977 for open space has shriveled in recent years to as low as $155 million.  Now Senator Baucus (D, MT) and Congressman Nick Rahall (D, WV) are looking to insulate the fund from future poaching.
            As the editorial points out:  “There is plenty of evidence that, even in the midst of a recession, Americans are willing to spend money to protect open space.  According to a tally by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, voters approved two out of three open space bond issues across 11 states last week, including a $400 million ‘Green Acres’ measure in New Jersey.”
            At a time when the federal and state budgets are getting tighter it is important that we don’t sacrifice a decent quality of life for future generations to fulfill today’s wants and needs.  NPG strongly endorses this legislation.  Click here to view editorial.
           

100 AND COUNTING…

            Is there such a thing as an age-ceiling…a limit to how long man can eventually live? 
            In the past, most individuals who made it to their 100th birthday were celebrated as having marked a milestone available to only a very few individuals.  However, that’s all about to change according to a report on life expectancy published in the British medical journal  The Lancet.
            A recent Washington Times article by Gabriella Boston highlights the report’s findings that “more than half of all babies born today will reach their 100th birthdays.”
           Boston notes that, “For the layman, this prediction may conjure a brave new world of hitherto unimaginable human longevity.  For those more at home modeling the world of the future, though, it’s actually seen as a rather modest expectation.”
            In all, the article focuses on how modern science will advance “exponentially” in the century ahead.  Futurist Ray Kurzwell cites the expectation that “information that fits in my cell phone today will fit in a blood cell in a few years.” 
            Supposedly, such hoped-for breakthroughs will be able to tackle problems such as diabetes, obesity, and all forms of chronic disease.
            Is all of this wishful thinking?  Perhaps.  But few argue that just as in recent decades, there are phenomenal new “medical miracles” on the horizon.  And while the costs are high, Dr. Richard Suzman, director of the Division of Behavior and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging states, “It’s a price everyone wants to pay.”
            NPG has long held that it is precisely because major advances are being made in modern-day science that will permit individuals to live far longer than before that it is crucial we act now to set a National Population Policy.  Click here to read the article

 

POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION NEWS

HEALTH CARE FOR ILLEGALS SURVIVES…

            The House vote on the 1,900+ page health care bill was taken at midnight during an unusual Saturday session and the wording of the legislation was constantly being changed right up until the final vote.  Those who were intent on making sure illegal aliens were not totally excluded from its provisions took advantage of the confusion.  NumbersUSA noted that in the final bill there was some language to prevent illegal aliens from directly receiving taxpayer-funded care but there were also many loopholes.  Specifically, the House bill does not require identity and citizenship verification for eligibility for Medicaid, does not require identity and citizenship verification to receive “affordability credits” used to purchase health care coverage through the health insurance “exchange,” and does not bar illegal aliens from the health insurance “exchange.”
            America presently has the greatest health care system in the world and the ability for illegal aliens to freely access it has consistently been a huge enticement in their quest to cross our borders, defy our laws, and take advantage of the quality of life our great nation offers.  Leaving such open language in the House bill is a travesty.  We urge all NPG members to contact their U.S. Senators to make sure this problem is resolved when that body addresses this important issue.

 

TEXT…TWEET…GET THE MESSAGE OUT!

            William N. Ryerson who heads up the Population Media Center and Population Institute in Vermont is a firm believer in taking advantage of high tech advancements to help spread the population message.  That is why he recently issued the “Ryerson Challenge.”
            The goal is to emulate Twitter with its limit of 140 characters or less to find a concise way to communicate to the general public.  The challenge called for those interested to tell him in 25 words or less why reducing population growth is essential to sustainability.  NPG applauds his actions especially as we work to reach a younger generation and get them involved in the population debate.  We will publish the winners of the Ryerson Challenge and their compact messages in a future issue of our NPG Journal.

 

GIVE THAT FILM AN AWARD!

            Films have always been an effective way to reach a broad audience and many films related to environmental issues have been instrumental in using a simple story to teach a valuable lesson.
            Such seems to be the case with the new movie HOME which Switzerland has selected as its entry for the 82nd Academy Awards. 
            HOME is billed as a tragicomedy about one family’s battle against an environmental assault.  It focuses on the dynamic changes a family experiences when their once-idyllic world, miles from anywhere, is invaded by construction of a superhighway.  A press release regarding the film notes that the film is “As much an ode to the sweetness of family life as a gnawing commentary on the ever-receding space on earth for natural living.”
            HOME enjoyed its world premier at the Cannes Film Festival in June and will open in New York on November 27th followed by national release.  Let’s hope it proves to be a great success.

 

THIS IS WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

            An article from WSJ.com from October 27, 2009, tells of a recent effort by Governor Jim Douglas of Vermont who made a swing through Asia last week selling green cards.  That’s right, the cards that permit non-citizens to work in the United States.
            Douglas and other Vermont businessmen were taking advantage of a program passed in 1993 which “allows states to sell green cards to investors who invest $500,000 in ‘economically depressed’ areas.”   In the past the program was confined to the tourism industry but Vermont received permission to expand it to manufacturing and service businesses.  Congress actually voted in October to give the program a three-year extension.  Any wonder why it’s so hard to get control of immigration?  It still appears that if you have money you can buy your way into all this country has to offer.

 

UNKEPT PROMISES…

            Politicians and promises don’t have a good record of working well together –especially in this age of political correctness.
            For all that Americans have heard in recent years about the critical need for a border fence to protect our southern border, the reality of such a barrier is still a long way off.  In early October, Congress stripped a provision from a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would require 300 more miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.  Their logic was that the money would be better spent on “alternative security measures.”
            The Associated Press noted that “If the amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint (R, SC) had remained in the bill, tall fencing to stop illegal immigrants and smugglers on foot would have been installed along 700 miles of border – a plan that many officials and residents along the border have opposed.”
            DeMint’s effort in pushing the amendment was to keep the DHS from counting 300 miles of low-rise vehicle barriers and virtual fencing – featuring technologies such as cameras and sensors, as part of the 700 miles of fencing that the U.S. government had promised to build.  In voicing his disappointment on the setback of his efforts, Senator DeMint stated, “Virtual fencing won’t solve the problem, and we need a real fence to deter the real problems of illegal immigration, terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking.”

 

SHOW ME THE MONEY! -- A COMPLETE COUNT FOR CALIFORNIA

            It did not receive much notice when it happened back in June, but California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proved that he’s well-attuned to making sure his state gets its fair share of federal dollars after the 2010 Census.
            Issuing an Executive Order, the Governor announced the creation of the “California Complete Count Committee” that will represent the diverse population, geography and organizations in California.
            According to the press statement issued by Governor Schwarzenegger’s office, “Members will offer their expertise and insights to develop a robust outreach strategy that leverages and capitalizes on existing outreach and community touch points, all in an effort to avoid an undercount and the possible loss of a congressional seat.  Election Data Services has reported that California may lose congressional representation for the first time in its 150 year history.”
            Commenting on his move the Governor stated:  “Every Californian counts.  The Census determines how the distribution of more than $300 billion in federal funds goes to local, state and tribal governments each year in California.  We must reach out to all Californians across the state to make certain everyone is counted so that California gets its fair share of federal dollars and representation in Congress.”

 

NPG NOTES

KEEP MAILING THOSE POSTCARDS!

            Our efforts to recruit Senators and Congressmen to sponsor or endorse our push for creation of a U.S. Commission on Population Growth continues to gain momentum as we work to get more and more members to be in direct contact with their elected officials. 
            A few weeks ago we mailed pre-addressed and pre-stamped postcards to NPG members in 8 states requesting they sign and drop them immediately into the mail to help us continue to build a grassroots campaign and spark interest on this issue on Capitol Hill.  They were also asked to sign and return a confirmation that they had carried out our request, and if possible, return a special contribution to help fund this effort.
            The goods news is that hundreds of postcards have already arrived in Members’ offices and we have received enough funds to expand this effort to additional states.   If you receive a packet in the coming weeks, please act on it immediately as we want to create a steady stream of “citizen appeals” to back this legislation throughout the coming months.
            Please note:  If you have already received your postcard mailing and sent them on to your Senator and Congressman, we are very interested in getting a copy of the response you receive from them.  Please fax it to 703-370-9514 or put a duplicate in the mail to NPG, 2861 Duke St. #36, Alexandria, VA 22314.  Thank you.

 

QUOTES

            “The priority that people give to pollution and environmental concerns and a whole host of other issues is down because of the economy and because of the focus on other things.”

Andrew Kohut
Director of the Pew Research Center

 

            “A clear majority of people in Mexico, 56 percent, thought giving legal status to illegal immigrants in the United States would make it more likely that people they know would go to the United States illegally.  Just 17 percent thought it would make Mexicans less likely to go illegally.”

Zogby International Survey
Mid-October 2009

 

            “If someone could have observed the Earth from space two centuries ago, he or she would have seen the light from just two concentrations of a million or more people—London and Beijing.  Today there are 450 such shining cities—and they are the economic, governmental, cultural and technological power plants of a global urban age.”

IBM Ad
“Conversations for a Smarter Planet”

 

            “In the United States we’ve traditionally engineered our way out of water shortages by diverting more from rivers, building dams or drilling groundwater wells.  But many rivers, including the Colorado and the Rio Grande, already dry up each year.  The dam-building era from the 1930s to the 1960s tamed so many rivers that only 60 in the country remain free-flowing.  Meanwhile, we’re pumping so much water from wells that the levels in aquifers are plummeting.  We’re running out of technological fixes.”

Robert Glennon, author
Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and
What to Do About It.

 

            “All the exasperating difficult environmental challenges we face today, large and small, are consequences of the explosive growth, during the past century or so, of the increasingly complex apparatus of modern civilization, and that growth has been engendered and nurtured and driven and amplified by oil, without which it could not have occurred.  Most of the major environmental problems we currently face are the result of oil’s prodigious abundance during the twentieth century; most of the problems we will face going forward will be the result of oil’s increasing scarcity and cost during the twenty-first.”

David Owen, author
Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller,
Living Closer and Driving Less Are the
Keys to Sustainability.

 

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 so many articles speak to immigration and population issues but often fail to address the central cause of many problems – TOO MANY PEOPLE. 

            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 and its negative impacts on our environment, resources and quality of life.

            NPG President Donald Mann offers his personal insight and commentary on individual stories, especially those that challenge, confirm and/or complement our NPG Research and Forum Papers.  The goal of the NPG Journal is to greatly expand NPG’s educational programs.  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 level – focused on taking action to help resolve today’s immigration crisis and work to halt, and eventually reverse America’s out-of-control population growth.

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

 

ABOUT NPG:

            Negative Population Growth, Inc. (NPG) is a national nonprofit membership organization with over 30,000 members nationwide.  It was founded in 1972 to educate the American public and political leaders about the devastating effects of overpopulation on our environment, resources, and standard of living.  We believe that our nation is already vastly overpopulated in terms of the long-range carrying capacity of its resources and environment.