Thread: Excellent Video on Immigration and Overpopulation

This 17 minute video is excellent - a very clear discussion by Roy Beck (NumbersUSA) on immigration and population numbers that would be good to show the uninformed. We all know many concerned but uninvolved Americans - they need to see this:

URL: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...51411393887069

That was a good one, very good

Yes, it is very good. Was posted on another thread around a month ago but maybe some here haven't seen yet.

I read this article about a week ago on the mercury news talking about population growth and how important immigration is to this country for economic growth reasons. I'm confused on what rhetoric is best for this country. It talks about the kinds of problems Europe will face soon because their immigrat population growth isn't as great as ours.

Enjoy

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 000002.htm

Unprecedented challenges arise in nations with shrinking numbers
ZERO POPULATION GROWTH? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
By Stephen Ohlemacher
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - As the U.S. population speeds toward 300 million, the growth is producing headaches for Americans fed up with traffic congestion, sprawl and dwindling natural resources.

But the alternatives are pretty scary, too. Just look at Europe and Japan, which are on the verge of such big population losses that several countries are practically begging women to have babies.

``Europe and Japan are now facing a population problem that is unprecedented in human history -- declining population over time with an increase in the percentage of old people,'' said Bill Butz, president of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington think tank.

Countries have lost people because of wars, disease and natural disasters but never -- at least in modern history -- because women stopped having enough children, Butz said.

The United States is the fastest-growing industrialized nation in the world, adding about 2.8 million people a year. That's a little less than 1 percent, but enough to mitigate the kinds of problems facing Japan and many European countries.

Europe, with 728 million people, saw its population shrink by 74,000 since the beginning of the decade, according to the United Nations. By 2050, it is projected to lose a total of 75 million people.

That ought to give motorists on Germany's autobahn some extra room to change lanes. But experts warn that it could cause labor shortages while straining retirement and health programs, ultimately threatening economic competitiveness.

The problem is that birth rates are so low that there aren't enough young people entering the workforce to support an aging population, said Hans-Peter Kohler, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

``Presumably, many people would not be so concerned about the numbers declining if it wasn't combined with an aging population,'' Kohler said. ``I think it's more the age structure that gives rise to these concerns, and these concerns are well justified.''

Russian President Vladimir Putin is so concerned he recently proposed paying women money to have children. Last year, France increased monthly stipends to parents who take time off work to care for a third child.

When Japan announced in June that its population had shrunk in 2005 for the first time, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said, ``The data must be accepted gravely.''

Last week, Japan announced that it is now the world's most elderly nation, with more than a fifth of its people 65 or older. Italy is second.

On average, women must have 2.1 children in their lifetimes for a society to replenish itself, accounting for infant mortality and other factors. Only one country in Europe -- Albania -- has a fertility rate above 2, according to statistics gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency. Russia's fertility rate is 1.28. In Japan, it's 1.25.

``We're going to have the chance to learn from Europe,'' Butz said. ``For better or worse, they are leading the world into something that has never happened before.''

John Seager, president of Population Connection, predicted that any adverse effects of shrinking populations will be temporary.

``It may be the only good crisis we ever had,'' said Seager, whose group, formerly known as Zero Population Growth, advocates lower birth rates.

America is getting older, too -- the oldest baby boomers turn 60 this year -- and there have been consequences. Private pensions are failing at an alarming rate and Social Security, if left unchanged, is projected to drain the money in its trust fund by 2041.

Twelve percent of the U.S. population is 65 or older, a share that is projected to grow. But two factors keep America younger than Europe: higher fertility rates and immigration.

The United States has a fertility rate of 2.05, about enough to maintain a stable population. The United States also adds people through immigration, something many European countries have shunned.

About 40 percent of U.S. population growth comes from immigration, both legal and illegal, according to the Census Bureau. However, if the fertility rate remains unchanged, all of America's population increase will eventually come from immigration, Butz said.

The immigration issue has preoccupied Washington and much of the country for the past year, with Congress working on legislation that would tighten borders and, perhaps, create an avenue to citizenship for many of the 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants.

Advocates argue that immigrants take jobs that would go unfilled by people born in this country. They note that the number of immigrants in the United States has nearly quadrupled in the past 40 years, to about 36 million, and unemployment remains low.

Opponents accuse immigrants of driving down wages and adding to an increasingly crowded country.

``Population growth kind of cuts both ways,'' said Steven Camarota, research director for the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates tighter restrictions on immigration.

``If you are someone who sells cars for a living, you've got more people to sell cars to,'' he said. ``But if you are someone who drives, you have a lot more cars to contend with.''

A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that 39 percent of adults think U.S. population growth is a major problem, and 57 percent think it will be a major problem in the future.

But even with immigration, the nation's growth rate is slowing. The number of people had been doubling about every half-century, from 75 million in 1900 to 150 million in 1950. The Census Bureau projects it will hit 300 million sometime in October.

By 2050, the United States will have about 395 million people, according to U.N. projections. The Census Bureau forecasts 420 million.

Many developing countries, meanwhile, are facing population explosions. India is projected to add 473 million people by 2050 for a new total of 1.6 billion, sending it past China as the world's most populous country.

Some smaller nations will grow significantly as well, with Uganda projected to more than quadruple its population and Niger projected to more than triple its size.

At the other end is Ukraine, which is projected to lose more than 40 percent of its population, shrinking to 26 million.

China, with its controversial one-child policy, is expected to maintain a stable population for the next four decades, leaving it the second-most-populous country. The United States would remain third.

``Most people would consider moderate population growth preferable to the alternatives,'' said Kohler, the sociology professor. ``I would say that's where the U.S. falls.''

Are you one of those OBL/Amnesty/COSA guys? Who are your other two buddies going to talk with without you there?

One of the best videos I've seen; there's no arguing the facts - at all... Thanks for the link!

Originally Posted by JohnB2012

Are you one of those OBL/Amnesty/COSA guys? Who are your other two buddies going to talk with without you there?

Just sharing an article, see what you guys thought about it, that's all.

Originally Posted by MechEngineer

Originally Posted by JohnB2012

Are you one of those OBL/Amnesty/COSA guys? Who are your other two buddies going to talk with without you there?

Just sharing an article, see what you guys thought about it, that's all.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is so concerned he recently proposed paying women money to have children. Last year, France increased monthly stipends to parents who take time off work to care for a third child.

Here's our answer! We can send all illegals to Russia and France!

Here are some hard facts, people.

It took people on this planet roughly 10,000 years to reach a total population of 2.6 billion. That was in 1955.

The world population today stands at roughly 6.5 billion. AN INCREASE OF 4 BILLION IN JUST 50 YEARS.

The estimate is that in the year 2050 - the world's population will be over 9 billion if the current birth rates stay the same.

What those overpopulated countries don't seem to understand is that, if this explosion continues, sooner or later, THERE WILL BE NO PLACE TO GROW FOOD.

That just common sense - You can't put 10 lbs of grain in a 5 lb bag.

But, nobody is talking to these overpopulating countries about cutting down on their birth rate.

One of the things I got out of this article is that those overpopulated countries are going to move (migrate - invade - conquer) the countries with lesses populations.

God, I'm glad I'm getting older and won't have to see this - I hope.

As an addendum to my earlier post - one thing I want to say.

It is enlightened, mature countries that control population growth because they know that you can't keep kicking out babies without reprecussions.

Most of the overpopulating countries, I, bluntly, consider to be more third world countries with no regard for anything but themselves.

They're stripping the rain forests in the Amazon, which are referred to as the "lungs of the world".

Humanity (people) exhale CO2 which plants clean up. The less plants, the less clean up.

People will start gagging on their own CO2 if the world is denuded of forests to accommodate the population.

People in China already ride around with masks on because their air is so foul.

We need to teach underdeveloped countries the consequences of high birth rates for, at least, these reasons:

It will reduce the need for immigration in overcrowded countries,
It will help slow down the excessive population growth, and
It will help the world's forests handle the CO2 being emitted.

What happens when every developed country like the US runs out of physical room? It will come to resemble a third world country very quickly.

This is all linked together.