High Immigration Rates Make America’s Biodiversity Crisis Worse

by Henry Barbaro

The Convention on Biological Diversity’s 16th “Conference of the Parties” (aka, COP-16) is a global event that took place in Cali, Colombia from October 21 to November 1, 2024. The goal of the bi-annual conference is for governments from around the world to deliberate on the most effective strategies for halting and reversing the alarming loss of biodiversity globally.

As an international treaty (fully adopted in 1993), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognizes that the conservation of biodiversity is “a common concern of humankind.”  But while there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to future generations, the number of species are going extinct faster than at any time in history.

Among the main reasons for biodiversity loss are invasive species, pesticides, over-hunting, and pollution.  But nothing compares to habitat loss — from clear-cutting, burning, damming, draining, and/or bulldozing the natural environment — to make way for expanding human populations.  This includes the fragmentation and disconnection of entire wildlife ecosystems, where animals can no longer move between larger habitat areas.

At the last conference in 2022 (COP-15 in Montreal), an international agreement was made to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030.  Although the U.S. has not joined the CBD, President Biden honored this agreement by launching the “30 by 30” conservation plan, which directs federal officials to protect 30% of the country’s lands and oceans by 2030.  The permanent protection of these areas will preserve their respective ecosystem services and cultural benefits (e.g., contact with nature, spiritual rejuvenation).  The plan is considered to be a crucial step toward stopping our nation’s biodiversity crisis by preserving America’s most biologically rich ecosystems.

Unfortunately, the Administration’s efforts to save America’s beleaguered wildlife are being sabotaged by our reckless immigration policies.  The U.S. Census Bureau projects that America’s population will soar by another 50 million by the Year 2060, with 90% due to immigration.  This dramatic increase in numbers will continue to convert much of our remaining habitat areas into more urban sprawl and lands used for natural resource extraction (mining, timber, agriculture, water supplies).  Growth like this dashes any hope of the “30 by 30” plan becoming a reality.

As the world bears witness to the planet’s sixth mass extinction (caused by the march of humanity) no country is exempt from the obligation to protect its biodiversity.  This means that if America is going to do its part, then we must reduce our immigration rate.