NEWS RELEASE

PEERS’ IMMIGRATION REPORT “FORGETS ENVIRONMENT”

Large-scale immigration poses threats to the environment largely overlooked by the House of Lords economic affairs committee, the Optimum Population Trust said today (Tuesday, April 1).

The committee’s report, which found “little or no” benefit for the resident population from current high levels of immigration, was published today. It echoes many of the arguments put forward in recent years by the OPT - notably on pensions, job vacancies and impact on GDP – but devotes relatively little attention to the environmental impacts of mass immigration, which are potentially just as serious as the economic ones and carry their own economic consequences.

Immigration is responsible for at least 70 per cent of the UK’s projected population increase, which will take the UK from 61 million today to 85 million by 2081, according to the latest principal projection from the Office for National Statistics, published last October. The high-variant projection from the ONS says the population could be as much as 109 million in 2081.

Valerie Stevens, OPT chair, said: “The environmental consequences of such a massive population rise are alarming. They include growing water and energy shortages, problems of food production and food insecurity, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, loss of countryside and green space and all the psychological stresses that come with high population densities, overcrowding and loss of tranquillity. Britain is not only a small and crowded island – it is one already beyond the limits of sustainability.”

“Yet apart from a few paragraphs on what it calls ‘wider welfare issues’ [paragraphs 181-185 of report] the committee lays little emphasis on the environment. Even its section on housing, which points out what we have been saying for a long time – that increased population and immigration levels have contributed to higher house prices – deals largely with prices rather than the impact on green space or productive land.”

OPT analysis of the 36,000-word report shows that water, energy, food production and climate change are not mentioned at all, noise and congestion only once and the countryside only twice. The words “environment” or “environmental” are only used four times and “green” only once.

Valerie Stevens added: “For too long many people with environmental concerns about immigration levels have been afraid to speak out for fear of being labelled racist. If the Lords report succeeds in finally exploding this conspiracy of silence, it will be very welcome.

“Unfortunately, their primarily economic brief has had the effect of seriously underplaying the entire environmental dimension – even though environmental problems usually carry severe economic consequences. The Lords make the point that the Government ‘appears not to have considered these [wider welfare] issues at all’* - but it is time somebody did.

“A recent OPT study found that the UK could support a population of only 17 million if it had to provide for itself from its own resources. We urgently need a serious environmental examination of just how many people these islands can sustain.”

*Paragraph 185 of report.

OPT ARCHIVED PRESS RELEASES

• Population growth is national security risk   (19 March 2008)
• Britain overpopulated by 70 per cent   (18 February 2008)
• UK sleepwalking to population nightmare   (23 October 2007)
• Migration figures show UK quality of life falling   (22 August 2007)
• Compulsory birth limits “may become unavoidable”   (11 July 2007)
• World should not give in to mega-cities   (27 June 2007)
• Combat climate change with fewer babies   (7 May 2007)
• Leaders urged to be brave on population   (13 March 2007)
• "Overcrowded" UK can support only 17 million people   (4 December 2006)
• Migration “moving deckchairs on Titanic”   (2 November 2006)
• “UK “in denial about overpopulation”   (31 July 2006)
• “Stop at two children to halt climate change”   (11 July 2006)
• Mass migration "damaging the planet"   (30 May 2006)
• Population growth "bigger threat than climate change"   (20 March 2006)
• Seven million more houses in UK   (14 March 2006)
• Baby shortage "a myth"   (20 February 2006)
• Call for population "Kyoto"   (14 February 2006)
• Is the UK overpopulated? Experts debate population   (8 February 2006)
• Ten million population increase in UK - another 57 Lutons   (20 October2005)
• Planning for Housing Provision (ODPM Consultation Paper): OPT Response   (9 September 2005)
• New government figures show UK needs national population policy   (25 August 2005)
• Britain's major parties "environmentally illiterate" - An OPT analysis of election manifestos shows no mention of human population growth as an issue   (25 April 2005)
• More MPs oppose population growth... but delayed action makes it more difficult to reverse   (8 February 2005)
• Sustainable development needs a sustainable population policy   (6 September 2004)
• Population growth must stop, says OPT   (18 December 2003)
• Call for population stabilisation policies in party manifestos   (23 September 2003)
• UNDP World population projections: OPT calls for a population protocol   (27 February 2003)
• Government house-building plans: the concreting of Britain. OPT calls for a population policy   (28 January 2003)
• Census results: OPT publishes population reduction targets   (29 September 2002)

MEDIA COVERAGE

Media coverage from mid-2002 (excluding most local radio interviews and letters to the press) includes: The Times (Britain better off with half the people, Anthony Browne, Oct 2002), New Statesman (Pop the Pill and think of England, Anthony Browne), BBC Radio 4: You and Yours (Nov 2002), BBC Radio 4: The Westminster Hour (Dec 2002); OpenDemocracy (Mass immigration: a route to environmental collapse, Rosamund McDougall, 22 May 2003); Sunday Times (John Humphreys), The Times ( You don't save the world by having a headache , Magnus Linklater), The Guardian (We should welcome signs of a shrinking population, Martin Woollacott), BBC Radio 4: Talking Politics, BBC TV: Newsnight, Daily Mail, Sunday Times (Attenborough: cut human population, Jonathan Leake) ; The Observer (Juliette Jowit) (Aug 2003), BBC Radio 4: The World Tonight, GP Magazine (29 Sep 2003); BBC World Service (Nov 2003); Hello! magazine, BBC Radio 4 (Dec 2003); Sunday Times Magazine (Richard Girling, 15 Feb 2004); BBC World Service (Mar 2004); Oxford Times (Jul 2004); Free Inquiry magazine, USA (Europe's baby bust - what problem? Rosamund McDougall); The Guardian (Crowd control, Walter Schwarz, 1 Sep 2004); The Independent (Sep 2004); The Fewer the Better New Statesman (David Nicholson-Lord, 8 Nov 04, shortlisted for the David Watt prize); Geographical magazine (Andrew Brackenbury, Mar 2005); New Statesman: Labour can beat the fear factor (25 Apr 2005); The Independent: The green issue that dare not speak its name (David Nicholson-Lord, 20 Jun 2005); The Week (25 Jun 2005); Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail (25 Aug 2005); The Times T2 (29 Aug 2005); New Scientist (1 Oct 2005); BBC Radio 4: Home Planet (27 Sep & 4 Oct 2005); The Guardian, Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, BBC World Service: Europe Today (21 Oct 2005); Guardian: Society (26 Oct 2005); Whatever happened to the teeming millions? (David Nicholson-Lord, Green Futures, Nov 2005); The Independent:Overpopulation "is main threat to planet" (Steve Connor, 7 Jan 2006); The Observer: Is it ethical to have children? (Lucy Siegle, 22 Jan 2006); The Guardian (15 February 2006); BBC Radio Scotland (15 February 2006); BBC Radio 4: Today (16 February 2006); Science and Public Affairs (British Association for the Advancement of Science) (March 2006); Daily Express (2 May 2006); Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Metro, BBC World Service - Network Africa, The Scotsman, Evening News (Edinburgh), Daily Telegraph (Australia), Gulf Times (Qatar), Zee News(India), News24 (South Africa), NewKerala.com, India, Yahoo!News.com, Lanka Business Online (Sri Lanka) (30 May 2006); Dominion Post (New Zealand), DailyIndia.com (New York), Nerve News(India) (31 May 2006); Financial Express (Bangladesh) (01 June 2006); BBC World Service, World Business Review (17/18 June 2006); BBC 1 (Television), Breakfast (20 Jun 2006); Challenge (Green Liberal Democrat magazine, Population - the ghost at the table, David Nicholson-Lord, Summer 2006); Biologist (Institute of Biology, Overpopulation denial is a fatal game, Rosamund McDougall, June 2006); Resurgence (Blind spot, David Nicholson-Lord, July-August 2006); Sky Radio News, Real Radio (Scotland), Colourful Radio (11 July 2006); Guardian (12 July 2006); BBC News Magazine Online (Shrinking office syndrome, 20 July 2006); Daily Mail (22 July 2006); Daily Telegraph (26 July 2006); Daily Express (31 July 2006); BBC Radio 4: The World Tonight, Channel Four: More 4 News, Three Counties Radio (24 August 2006); Daily Express, Three Counties Radio (25 August 2006); Radio Manchester (26 August); The Ecologist (The Numbers Game, David Nicholson-Lord, October 2006); Glasgow Herald (21 Oct 2006); Capital Doctor (Rage, rage against the dying of the light, obituary of Jack Parsons, by Rosamund McDougall, November 2006); Capital Doctor (Hardinian taboo, November 2006); Capital Doctor (Oppressive environments and middle-class flight, David Nicholson-Lord, December 2006); Adbusters (The Great Urban Outdoors, David Nicholson-Lord, Jan/Feb 2007, Big Ideas of 2007); Resurgence (London conundrum, David Nicholson-Lord, March-April, 2007); The Observer (No one is willing to address the accelerating growth in the world's population, Juliette Jowit, 18 March 2007); The Guardian Online (The numbers game, David Pallister, 21 March 2007); BBC News Online (How ethical is my baby? Justin Rowlatt, 30 March 2007); The Ecologist (Population the number one issue, Jonathon Porritt, April 2007); The Independent (How to save the planet, Guy Adams, 19 April 2007); Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4 (6 May 2007); The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Belfast Telegraph, BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Radio: Fox News, CitizenLink, WDC Media News, Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck, National Review Online (all US); The Age (Melbourne), The Australian (7 May 2007); BBC Radio2, Jeremy Vine Show; Daily Grist, LifeSiteNews.com (US); Radio Canberra (8 May 2007); Galway Independent; Action Institute, The Conservative Voice, Alex Jones Show (Radio) (US); New Zealand Herald; Melbourne Talk Radio, Australia (9 May 2007); The Dominion Post, New Zealand; Baptist Press, WorldNetDaily (US) (11 May 2007); Boston Globe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Argus (Fremont, California) (13 May 2007); Sydney Morning Herald, National Post (Canada), Hindustan Times (14 May 2007); CNSNews.com, Crosswalk.com (US) (17 May 2007); The New York Sun (18 May 2007); Restoring the Balance (Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio), Youth Talk Radio (Melbourne, Australia),The Observer (20 May 2007); CFRO Radio, Vancouver (23 May 2007); Indianapolis Star (28 May 2007); Newstalk Radio (Ireland) (30 May 2007); The Guardian (7 June 2007); Sunday Times (10 June 2007); Stuttgarter Nachrichten (13 June 2007); Guardian Online (14 June 2007); Enter Stage Right (US) (18 June 2007); Daily Telegraph, Spiked (27 June 2007); New Statesman (28 June 2007); The Spark, E-debate (Engineers Against Poverty) (Newsletter 10, July 2007); Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4 (5 July 2007); Sunday Times, Australia (7 July 2007); The Independent (10 July 2007); The Guardian (Citizens Arrest, David Nicholson-Lord, 11 July 2007); The Guardian, Daily Mail, BBC4 TV News/World News Today, BBC World Radio, BBC Radio Five Live, BBC News 24, Sky News Radio, LBC Radio, Radio Midlands, Raisingkids News; Melbourne Age, Herald Sun (Australia); Digital Journal (US); Islamic Republic News Agency (Iran) (11 July 2007); The Guardian, Daily Mail, BBC Radio Ulster, Bounty News; Media Matters for America, Huffington Post, Lifesite (US) (12 July 2007); UKParents Lounge; BBC TV Breakfast, BBC Radio Wales, The Times, Kaiser Network News (US) (13 July 2007); Peopleandplanet.net (14 July 2007); Sunday Times; Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times (Populating and perishing, David Nicholson-Lord) (15 July 2007); New York Sun, Lifenews, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (US) (16 July 2007); People’s Media Company (US) (18 July 2007); The Guardian, Nursery World, National Public Radio (US), CNSNews.com (US) (19 July 2007); The Tablet (21 July 2007); The Observer (22 July 2007); CitizenLink (US) (24 July 2007); National Public Radio (US) (25 July 2007); RH Reality Check(US)(27 July 2007); Sunday Times (29 July 2007); FrontPage Magazine (US) (31 July 2007); Radio Newcastle (1 August 2007); Talking Politics, BBC Radio 4 (11 August 2007); The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Metro, New Statesman, Zeenews.com (India)(23 August 2007); Guardian Weekly, Times of India (24 August 2007); Significance (Journal of Royal Statistical Society, The sustainability of populations, Martin Desvaux, September 2007); The Ecologist (September 2007); Newconsumer.com, The Press (York) (4 September 2007); The Guardian (Greens need to grasp the nettle: aren't there just too many people? Madeleine Bunting, 10 September 2007); The Guardian Online (20 September 2007); Costing The Earth, BBC Radio 4 (27 September 2007); One Planet, BBC World Service (14 October 2007); Herald Sun (Melbourne) (19 October 2007); World At One, BBC Radio 4; BBC News 24, Channel 4 News, BBC News Online, Colourful Radio (23 October 2007); The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Daily Express, Daily Mirror (24 October 2007); Daily Telegraph (25 October 2007); Today, BBC Radio 4; The Economist, The Independent (26 October 2007); Financial Times (29 October 2007); The Guardian Online (1 November 2007); Reporting Religion, BBC World Service (4 November 2007); The Independent (6 November 2007); The Observer (Three’s a crowd, Juliette Jowit, 11 November 2007); Spiked (November 2007); Radio Five Live (20 November 2007); National Catholic Register (US) (25 November 2007); Express & Echo, Exeter (26 November 2007); BBC News 24 (27 November 2007); Herald Sun (Australia) (28 November 2007); Daily Mail, Scotland (7 December 2007); Daily Telegraph (12 December 2007); Radio Five Live (13 December 2007); National Review (US) (16 December 2007); The Times (18 December 2007); FrontPage Magazine (US) (19 December 2007); Christian Examiner (US) (January 2008); Sunday Express (Why we’re in a tight spot, Rosamund McDougall), Sunday Times (Budge up back there, the country’s got to squeeze more in yet, Jonathan Leake) (6 January 2008); Liverpool Echo (17 January 2008); The Guardian (29 January 2008); Radio 5 Live (30 January 2008); Spiked (1 February 2008); Geographical Magazine (February 2008); The Guardian (6 February 2008); The Times (8 February 2008); Sunday Express (17 February 2008); Daily Telegraph, Daily Record, Metro, Radio 5 Live, Spiked (18 February 2008); Daily Mirror (21 February 2008); PM, BBC Radio 4 (28 February 2008); The Tablet (8 March 2008); Spiked (18 March 2008); Night Waves, BBC Radio 3 (19 March 2008);

OPT POPULATION POLICY AND PROJECTIONS

For full details see OPT Population policy projections    (To view these, you may need a free Excel Viewer.)

Contact us

MEDIA

• David Nicholson-Lord (Research Associate)
  Tel: (OPT) 07976 370221
• info@optimumpopulation.org

OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

• Andrew Ferguson (Research Coordinator/Ecological footprinting)
  Contact via OPT tel: 07976 370221
• Yvette Willey (Membership Secretary)
  
• Email: Membership Secretary

This website was launched in June 2002

This page updated 1 May 2008