What do enviromentalism and anti-immigrant racism have in common? Alot actually if you pay close attention to some of the rhetoric coming from immigration and “green” groups. Many organizations tapped into the 300 millionth birth story as an overpopulation issue. Take the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) for example. They sent emails out…

with the subject “300 Million and Counting!” — complete with the obligatory black-and-white photo of a crowded city street at rush hour: Hell is other people. “Can the U.S. sustain this continued increase in its population or will this growth suffocate a once thriving nation?,”

The real question that begs to be asked though is if these questions would be asked if the immigrants coming into the United States were white/European giving birth to white/European children would the focus be the same? While the U.S. population is growing on a larger scale compared to other nations, the U.S. isn’t the most crowded country in the world.

With thirty-two people per square kilometer, the U.S. ranks 172nd in the world in density. The city of Amsterdam and the nation of South Korea, just to name two, are each more than ten times as dense.

So is it just about numbers or is it about how much fossil fuels people burn, how many care people own, and how many disposable products people consume. Is it about getting people to stop crossing the borders and stop having babies or is it about lifestyle changes?

Via / AlterNet
Image Via / Urban Harvest