From a "Green Farce" to a Green Future

8/8/2019 From a "Green Farce" to a Green Future

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From a Green Farce to a Green Futur

Refuting False Claims About Immigrants and the Environment

Jorge Madrid October 2010


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From a Green Farceto a Green FutureRefuting False Claims About Immigrants and the

Environment

Jorge Madrid October 2010


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1 Center for American Progress | From a Green Farce to a Green Future

Introduction and summary

Combaing climae change and reorming our broken immigraion sysem are

wo o he greaes challenges acing Congress and he Obama adminisraion.

Legislaion o address hese issues has come up shor hus ar. Boh have been

ercely debaed hroughou he counry and many Americans demand soluions.

In he mids o hese debaes ani-immigran groups are revamping heir eors o

play hese issues agains each oher using misinormaion. Tese voices have long

argued ha immigrans desroy he environmen, accelerae climae change, andundermine U.S. eors o ransiion o a clean and green uure.

Naivis organizaions and hae groups are atemping o drive heir poliical

agenda using environmenal concerns as a cover. And conservaive lawmakers and

opponens o clean energy and climae legislaion who use phony environmenal

argumens as a poliical wedge are promoing hese groups alking poins.

Tese argumens are a green arce. Teyre supposedly presened ou o concern

or he environmen bu are inenionally misleading and dangerously misin-

ormed. Tey presen Americans wih a alse choice beween achieving air and

humane immigraion reorm and climae legislaion ha will respec he environ-

men and lead our counry o a clean and prosperous energy uure.

Immigrans should no be blamed or he naions climae woes. In ac, hey

deserve beter recogniion or he valuable conribuions hey make oward a

greener sociey and economy.

Environmenaliss and advocaes o he green economy mus rejec alse choices

and disracions rom he greaer imperaive o gh he rue causes o polluionand climae change: our dependence on ossil uels and our unsusainable sysems

o energy consumpion.
http://www.newcomm.org/content/view/2138/117/http://www.newcomm.org/content/view/2138/117/


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Tis repor srikes down many o he alse argumens regarding immigrans and

he environmen, provides a clearer picure o immigrans environmenal conri-

buions, and oulines real environmenal soluions ha can cu carbon and curb

climae change. Key ndings include:

Te assumpion ha immigran-driven populaion growh alone drives heU.S. carbon ooprin is alse. Te 10 highes carbon-emiting ciies have an

average immigran populaion below 5 percen, according o a 2008 Brookings

Insiuion sudy.

Te ciies wih he lowes carbon ooprin, on he oher hand, have an average

immigran populaion o 26 percen.

Immigrans, especially recen immigrans, end o lead greener liesyles han

he naive-born and are more likely o use public ransporaion and pracice

susainable habis like compac living, conservaion, and recycling.

Immigrans, who are largely low income, are also more likely o have heir

lives disruped by exreme weaher evens and oher adverse eecs o climae

change.

Addressing climae change and povery on a global scale will help sabilize

immigraion ows rom undeveloped counries.

Immigrans are disproporionaely hur by he diry energy economy and ace

unique environmenal challenges. Consequenly, hey gh or greener solu-

ions, including challenging he use o hazardous pesicides in he agriculural

elds where many immigrans work. A successul campaign by immigran arm

workers during he 1960s led o he banning o he dangerous pesicide DD.

2010 polls o key elecoral saes nd ha immigran-rich communiies over-

whelmingly avor policy ha will creae green jobs and end o suppor congres-

sional candidaes who back eors o gh global warming.

Immigrans are inegral o driving clean energy innovaion. Tey accouned or70 percen o men and women who enered he engineering and science elds

rom 1995 o 2006 and 40 percen o all high-ech venure-backed companies.


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Green farce arguments exposed

Below are some o he mos common allacies spewed by immigraion oppo-

nens. Tey disrac rom ideniying boh problems and soluions o U.S. envi-

ronmenal challenges.

More people do not necessarily equal more problems

A classic green arce argumen agains immigrans ypically sounds like his: Temore people added o a sociey, he more axing i will be on naural resources,

resuling in increased environmenal desrucion. Tis is usually ollowed by a

ypical green arce soluion: ewer people.

Tis argumen may sound reasonable, bu he relaionship described above is

grossly oversimplied.

Te realiy is ha our environmenal impac is no jus deermined by our num-

bers, bu how we use resourceshow we produce and consume energy, and wha

policies we pu in place o shape hese decisions.

Its a matter of consumption

A large number o people can have a relaively modes impac on he environ-

men. Conversely, a smaller group o people can have a signicanly more harm-

ul impac. Tis peculiar relaionship has o do wih our individual consumpion

levels, or per capia consumpion. Large per capia consumpion is associaed wih

increased levels o wealh and developmen, paricularly in he Unied Saes andoher rapidly indusrializing naions.

High consumpion leads o increased greenhouse gas emissions, or GHGs, in

addiion o increased wase polluion. Te scienic communiy overwhelmingly

considers he release o GHGs ino he air o be he main cause o climae change.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/leadership.htmlhttp://climate.nasa.gov/causes/http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/leadership.html


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Te Unied Saes is a prime example o a relaively small number o

people doing a very large amoun o damage. Te Unied Saes has

abou 5 percen o he worlds populaion, bu is he worlds larges

consumer o peroleum (22 percen), he second larges consumer

o he worlds coal (15 percen), and produces 25 percen o global

greenhouse gas emissions. I produces 70 percen more greenhousegasses han he European naions oEU15 even hough i has 23

percen less people.

Populaion numbers aec emissions bu consumpion is by ar he

greaer acor. Moreover, viewing populaion in such all-or-nohing

erms does litle o advance undersandingor acionon his

imporan issue.

Immigrants carbon footprint is low

Anoher argumen opponens like o cie is ha immigrans are wase-

ul and harm he environmen. Bu a closer look shows he evidence

conradics his, oo.

Immigrants live in cities with lower per-person emissions

Ciies wih large immigran populaions do no have he highes levels

o greenhouse gas emissions. Los Angeles, a ciy wih an immigran

populaion o over 40 percen, had he second-lighes per capia

carbon ooprin in he Unied Saes according o a 2008 Brookings

sudy. Te ourh lighes, New York Ciy, has an immigran popula-

ion o 36 percen.

A he same ime, he 10 ciies in Brookings sudy wih he highes

per capia emissions have immigran populaions averaging

5.1 percen.

Residenial densiy and he availabiliy o public ransi are wo o

he chie reasons or a ciys low per capia ooprin, according o he

Brookings repor. Tese characerisics are commonly ound in large

ciies and immigran-rich neighborhoods.

Table 1

Cities with high immigrant

populations are low polluters

Carbon per person and immigrant

population, by city

Lowest emitters

(city)

Carbon per

person

Immig

populatioHonolulu, HI 1.35 25

Los Angeles, CA 1.41 41

Portland, OR 1.44 13

New York, NY 1.49 36

Boise, ID 1.50 5

Seattle, WA 1.55 17

San Jose, CA 1.57 37

San Francisco, CA 1.58 37

El Paso, TX 1.61 26

San Diego, CA 1.63 26

*2000 U.S. Census

Table 2

Cities with high carbon emissionshave low immigrant populations

Carbon per person and immigrant

population, by city

Highest emitters

(city)

Carbon per

person

Immig

populatio

Knoxville, TN 3.13 3

Harrisburg, PA 3.19 5.8

Oklahoma City, OK 3.20 8.5

St. Louis, MO 3.22 5.6

Nashville, TN 3.22 7.1

Louisville, KY 3.23 3.8

Toledo, OH 3.24 3

Cincinnati, OH 3.28 3.8

Indianapolis, IN 3.36 4.6

Lexington-Fayette,

KY3.46 5.9

*2000 U.S. Census
http://cait.wri.org/figures.phphttp://cait.wri.org/figures.phphttp://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=6805http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/11/social-justice-sustainability/http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/05_carbon_footprint_sarzynski.aspxhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/15/1517000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0644000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41/4159000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/3651000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16/1608830.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/5363000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0668000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0667000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4824000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0666000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4740000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4232800.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/4055000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2965000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4752006.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/2148006.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3977000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3915000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/1836003.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/2146027.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/2146027.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/1836003.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3915000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3977000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/2148006.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4752006.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2965000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40/4055000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4232800.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4740000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0666000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4824000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0667000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0668000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/5363000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16/1608830.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/3651000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41/4159000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0644000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/15/1517000.htmlhttp://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/05_carbon_footprint_sarzynski.aspxhttp://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/11/social-justice-sustainability/http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=6805http://cait.wri.org/figures.phphttp://cait.wri.org/figures.php


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As i urns ou, immigrans are acually helping ciies lower heir

carbon ooprin.

Immigrants commute green

Daa show a higher percenage o immigrans versus nonimmi-

grans use alernaive ransporaion and commue greener.

When immigrans use alernaive ranspor here are ewer

vehicles on he road, which in urn means less GHGs and less

rac. Tese populaions also model good behavior or susain-

able ransi habis.

Immigrants live in compact cities

Anoher Brookings sudynoes ha more han hal o all U.S. immigrans live in

high-densiy, large meropolian ciies and suburbs. Tis endency among immi-

grans oward high-densiy, low-carbon living has also been noed by leading

demographer Dowell Myers who wries ha Lainos, who comprise he larges

immigran group in he Unied Saes, lead liesyles compaible wih compac

ciies occupy ewer housing unis and are wice as likely o commue via public

ransi, bicycle, or carpool.

Finally, is less requenly repored ha immigran communiies pracice susain-

able living habis like organic arming and recycling, illusraing lessons ha all

Americans can learn abou living greener.

Immigrants dont cause sprawl

Ye anoher green arce argumen ha s well ino he overpopulaion by

immigrans narraive is ha immigrans cause urban sprawl. Te growing U.S.

populaion is ofen cied as a major cause o unchecked and desrucive suburbanexpansion. Again, his is a shor-sighed and dangerously misleading argumen.

Immigrans do no cause sprawlgeneraions o naional land-use policies and

unsusainable developmen pracices do.

Table 3

Higher percentages of immigrantsvs. nonimmigrants use alternative

transportation

Percentages of immigrants and nonimmigra

who commute daily using bus, subway, bicyc

walking, and carpooling

Daily commute via Immigrant Nonimm

Bus 5.7% 2.1%

Subway or train 4.1% 1.2%

Bicycle* 1.3% .45%

Walking 3.7% 2.7%

Carpool 27% 11.2

Source: 2007 American Community Survey, U.S. Census

*New immigrants since 2000
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/MetroAmericaChapters/immigration.aspxhttp://www.usc.edu/schools/sppd/futures/pdf/demogfutures.pdfhttp://newroutes.org/node/27340http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15429272.htmlhttp://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15429272.htmlhttp://newroutes.org/node/27340http://www.usc.edu/schools/sppd/futures/pdf/demogfutures.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/metro/MetroAmericaChapters/immigration.aspx


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America undoubedly needs o comba unconrolled urban sprawl, which desroys

open space, welands, and armland o develop single-amily rac homes, reail

supersores wih expansive parking los, and suburban ameniies like gol courses.

Te Unied Saes loses 365 acres oopen space every hour o his kind o devel-

opmen. Addiionally, unbridled sprawl aecs he qualiy and supply o waer and

encourages an overreliance on auomobiles.

Bu immigrans aren a aul here. Urban sprawl is he resul o longsanding

inenional naional land use policy. In he pos-WWII baby boomer period he

ederal governmen oered incenives or homeownership and movemen away

rom downown and he urban core. Legislaion like he ederal morgage loan

program o 1949 coupled wih various GI incenives or reurning soldiers made

buying a house aordable and moving o he suburbs an atracive realiy.

Furhering his movemen away rom ciies was he Highway Ac o 1956, which

helped creae 45,000 miles o superhighway neworks ha allowed people o livearher away rom jobs and reail. I made auomobile ravel a common benchmark

o suburban living. Local and regional policies ollowed sui, and he Unied Saes

soon ound isel wih vas expanses o paved suburbia.

We now know ha his kind o developmen is unsusainable. o x hese prob-

lems we need o reconsider how local, regional, and ederal land-use policy aecs

developmen and he environmen. Blaming immigrans akes atenion away

rom he real issue. As already noed, immigrans overwhelmingly end o live

in ciy ceners. Poining he nger a hem or policies ha exised beore hey

arrived is wrong.

Global warming needs global solutions

Climae change is a global issue and ghing is eecs will require bold acion and

parnership on a global scale. Tese hreas will no be solved wih insulaed policy

acion agains immigrans. Furher, curbing climae change and global povery

wih susainable developmen will help relieve immigraion ows o he Unied

Saesno he oher way around.

Te Economistpus i bes: Tere is no such hing as American warming. and he

world will be uterly unable o solve is signican environmenal challenges so long

as problems o global imporance are viewed hrough a narrowly naionalisic lens.
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/DroughtSprawlReport09.pdfhttp://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2009/07/in_praise_of_immigrationhttp://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2009/07/in_praise_of_immigrationhttp://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/DroughtSprawlReport09.pdf


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Noneheless, a darling saisic o he ani-immigran green arce movemen is ha

immigran consumpion levelsand he resuling carbon ooprin o greenhouse

gasesincrease our imes over wha hey would have been had immigrans sayed

in heir counries o origin. Underlying message: Say home and warm your own

counry. Well be jus ne on our own. Tis is alse, wrong, and dangerous.

Te reason ha many immigrans consume less energy in heir own counries is

ha in hese counries elecriciy and uel are simply no available o huge swahs

o he populaion. Addiionally, poor peopleagain, he majoriy o immigrans

are low income and many lived in povery prior o immigraingconsume less

and pollue less. So he ani-immigran green arce argumen is essenially ha

poor people should say poor and coninue o lack basic access o energy.

Tis argumen is morally unsound and ignores a real naional securiy issue.

Povery in undeveloped counries is ofen associaed wih civil insabiliy, disease,

and he rise o oaliarian dicaorshipsall o which conribue o increasedimmigraion o more developed and poliically sable counries like he Unied

Saes (see El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Cuba in he 1980s and 1990s).

Scahing povery in undeveloped counries is also linked o higher birhraes

and climae migraion. Las year more han 20 million people ed regions due o

severe weaher evens relaed o climae change. Tas because poor counries

and heir inhabians are ill equipped o handle rising sea levels, oods, droughs

ha desroy crops and homes, increased pesilence, loss o wildlie habia, and

exreme weaher condiions.

As hese evens coninue climae reugees will be orced ou o heir homes and

likely seek sheler in more developed areas beter equipped o handle climae

impacs. Sudies show ha climae reugees will increase global migraion by1 bil-

lion people by 2050 on our curren rajecory o business as usual.

Likewise, he Deparmen o Deense has assered ha climae change is an

acceleran o insabiliy and numerous decoraed generals consider i a hrea

muliplier ha could conribue o insabiliy and increased migraion.

Higher birhraes and increased migraion are he anihesis o he green arce

movemen and compleely conradic heir own goals. Tese are he end resuls o

an illogical, shor-sighed, and irresponsible argumen.
http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdfhttp://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdfhttp://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdfhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/climate_security.htmlhttp://www.ipinst.org/events/panel-discussions/details/93-climate-change-is-a-threat-multiplier-experts-say.htmlhttp://www.ipinst.org/events/panel-discussions/details/93-climate-change-is-a-threat-multiplier-experts-say.htmlhttp://www.ipinst.org/events/panel-discussions/details/93-climate-change-is-a-threat-multiplier-experts-say.htmlhttp://www.ipinst.org/events/panel-discussions/details/93-climate-change-is-a-threat-multiplier-experts-say.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/climate_security.htmlhttp://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdfhttp://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdfhttp://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdf


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Insead o calling or sealed-up borders environmenal advocaes should be

calling or access o reproducive educaion, healh programs, and soluions o

global povery.

Greenhouse gases dont stop at the border

Wha abou a world where poor counries do no remain poorwhere birhraes

and climae migraion are curbed? Wha i we help hese counries develop so

hey are no longer poor and populous? Tis scenario is also problemaic i no

approached correcly.

Las year developing naions such as China and India produced 53 percen o

global carbon emissions. Tis was largely due o heir use o rapid and unsusain-

able developmen pracices such as burning ossil uels, scaling back emission reg-

ulaions, and engaging in unregulaed carbon-inensive aciviies such as chemicaland cemen producion. I should also be noed ha nearly10 percen o Chinas

emissions were rom manuacuring and exporing producs o he Unied Saes.

I developing counries ollow he same pah as he Unied Saes and oher indus-

rialized naionswih large and unchecked GHG emissionsi could prove

disasrous or he plane. Moreover, GHGs and climae change do no respec

inernaional borders, and all counries will eel heir eecs. Te rapid develop-

men needed o alleviae global povery will devasae he environmen i business

as usual is mainained.

Te overpopulaion and le hem say home argumens sugges ha climae

change and global povery are insulaed issues ha exis wihin erriorial borders.

Green arce proponens claim ha sealing our borders will help our counry solve

is own environmenal problems, and we should leave oher counries o conend

wih heirs. Tis is a dangerous allacy because, again, i disracs rom he bigger

issue. Climae change aecs all counries indiscriminae o high and low emiters.

Is unjus o scapegoa immigrans or he environmenal challenges we ourselves

creaed and hen prescribe ani-immigran policy as a soluion. We should inseadsuppor global soluions: nancing more low-carbon energy projecs in develop-

ing counries; atacking he real causes o climae change (discussed laer in he

repor); and helping he Unied Saes become a leader in he gh agains i.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/emissions-soar-in-china-and-india/#more-59317http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18620-us-still-responsible-for-most-co2-emissions.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/world_bank.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/world_bank.htmlhttp://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18620-us-still-responsible-for-most-co2-emissions.htmlhttp://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/emissions-soar-in-china-and-india/#more-59317


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Immigrants and the fight against

climate change

Tis secion deails he unique environmenal challenges ha immigrans in he

Unied Saes ace, heir lesser-known gh agains polluion and environmenal

injusice, and heir role in supporing green policy and driving he green economy.

Immigrants regularly weather environmental dangers

Immigrans are disproporionaely exposed o manyenvironmenal hazards, espe-cially in heir communiies and workplaces. As a resul heyve eecively ough

or heir environmenal survival or generaions.

Immigrans have jus as much a sake as oher Americans in he gh o curb

climae change. Ofen, immigrans are poor and less able o cope wih long hea

waves and harsh winers, high uiliy bills due o exreme weaher, ood, drough,

and caasrophic climae evens.

For insance, an esimaed 300,000 immigrans lived in areas devasaed by

Hurricane Karina in 2005. Many o hem were undocumened Laino immi-

grans. In he afermah undocumened immigrans could no ge emporary

homes, subsidies, Social Securiy checks, or mail delivery promised o legal resi-

dens displaced by Karina.

Tis pas summer, he Deepwaer Horizon oil drilling rig explosionhe wors

environmenal disaser in U.S. hisorydecimaed he lives o counless black,

Laino, andVienamese immigrans in he Gul o Mexico. Neverheless, immi-

grans rose in suppor o his counry and are risking heir healh in cleanup eors.

Sadly, local auhoriies have racially proled and inimidaed hese immigrans.
http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/07/kettleman-city-toxic-birth-defect-clusterhttp://hrc.berkeley.edu/us.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10433145http://www.colorlines.com/archives/2010/06/louisiana_cops_probe_oil_spill_workers_for_immigrant_gangsters.htmlhttp://www.colorlines.com/archives/2010/06/louisiana_cops_probe_oil_spill_workers_for_immigrant_gangsters.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10433145http://hrc.berkeley.edu/us.htmlhttp://motherjones.com/environment/2010/07/kettleman-city-toxic-birth-defect-cluster


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At risk at home and at work

Immigrans are more likely o be exposed o environmenal hazards in heir

communiies. A 2007 sudyo Caliornias Bay Area ound ha immigrants are

nearlytwice as likely to live within one mile of a oxic Release Invenory, or RI,

aciliy ha he Environmenal Proecion Agency racks. Te same sudy noedha recen immigrans (1980 and laer) have he highes risk o cancer and respi-

raory illnesses rom polluan exposure in heir communiies.

Immigrans are also prone o encouner hazardous work condiions because hey

radiionally work jobs naive-born workers nd undesirable. Eighy-ve percen

o agriculural eld workers are immigrans, or example, which makes hem

more likely o be exposed o oxic pesicides and conaminaed drinking waer.

Tis exposure, in urn, increases heir risks o cancer and Parkinsons disease, and

presens numerous hazards or heir children, including atenion deci disorder

and birh deecs.

Almos hal a cenury ago immigrans were one o he rs communiies o proes

he use o harmul pesicides on ruis and vegeables. An alliance o immigran

and nonimmigran laborers in he Unied Farm Workers Union, or UFW, laid he

groundwork or a collecive bargaining agreemen in 1966 ha included banning

he paricularly harmul pesicide DD. Immigrans bolsered he naional oucry

over he use o harmul pesicides iniiaed by he iconic 1962 environmenal call

o acion Silent Spring, which is ofen cied as he book ha inspired he modern

environmenal movemen. (Unbeknowns o many is he ac ha immigrans

were also oo soldiers in his gh.)

Immigran workers, mohers, ahers, and children have a srong radiion o

seeking eco-riendly soluions and engaging in environmenal acivism precisely

because hey have o deal wih disproporionae degrees o environmenal injus-

ice and he eecs o climae change. Furher, hey undersand ha saeguarding

he plane will proec heir children and amilies rom serious healh hazards.

Immigrants support green policy

Immigrans srongly suppor comprehensive climae and energy legislaion and

hey are engaging in environmenal advocacy in heir own communiies. Lainos,

or example, represen more han hal o he oal U.S. immigran populaion. Tey
http://cjtc.ucsc.edu/docs/bay_final.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Springhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Springhttp://cjtc.ucsc.edu/docs/bay_final.pdf


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overwhelmingly suppor ghing climae change and global warming as well as

policies ha will reinvigorae our economy by creaing green jobs.

A 2010 sudyby he Naional Laino Coaliion on Climae Change nds ha:

Overwhelming majoriies o Laino voers in Florida (80 percen), Nevada (67percen), and Colorado (58 percen) say hey are more likely o voe or a Senae

candidae who suppors proposals or ghing global warming.

Abou hree ou o our Laino voers in Florida (76 percen) and Nevada (74

percen) and abou wo ou o hree Laino voers in Colorado (64 percen)

consider global warming very or somewha serious. Tree ou o our Laino

voers in each sae surveyed say Congress should ake acion now.

Laino voers in Florida, Nevada, and Colorado say by abou hree o one ha

swiching o a clean energy economy will mean more U.S. jobs (66 percen inFlorida, 72 percen in Nevada, and 64 percen in Colorado). More han 8 ou

o 10 Laino voers in each sae rejec he idea ha ghing global warming will

hur he American economy.

Immigrants can help drive the green economy

Our economy needs o run on clean energy and nonpolluing producs o ackle

climae change. Likewise, ransiioning o a clean energy economy can also drive

economic growh. Clean energy indusries are experiencing subsanial growh in

he mids o a poen and persisen recession. Teyre creaing jobs and cuting

polluion while our plane and pockebooks are in peril.

Immigrans are already helping drive he green economy. Tey can help he

Unied Saes become a leader in his secor hrough science and innovaion,

green enrepreneurship, and green-collar jobs.

Science and innovation

A clean energy economy relies on he expansion o cuting-edge echnology and

coninued scienic advancemen. Consequenly, he Unied Saes will need

a ready corps o highly rained, highly skilled scieniss and engineers ha can
http://latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org/news/NLCCC-Latino%20Voters%20on%20Energy%20Policy%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20CO,%20FL%20&%20NV.pdfhttp://www.cleanedge.com/reports/charts-reports-trends2010.phphttp://www.cleanedge.com/reports/charts-reports-trends2010.phphttp://latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org/news/NLCCC-Latino%20Voters%20on%20Energy%20Policy%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20CO,%20FL%20&%20NV.pdf


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perorm he research and developmen necessary or susained innovaion o clean

echnology, producs, and services.

We also need o rain uure engineers and scieniss in his area o remain globally

compeiive. By 2020, or example, clean energy will be one o he worlds bigges

indusries, oaling as much as $2.3 rillion. Rising naions such as China are mak-ing subsanial invesmens in clean energy research and capaciy building, and he

Unied Saes risks alling behind oher counries and losing ou on a share o his

large, emerging secor.

Forunaely weve go he personnel we need o drive he green economy and

susain high-ech innovaion. A 2010 Immigraion Policy Cener sudynds ha

immigrans, while accouning or 12 percen o he U.S. populaion, make up

nearly hal o all scieniss and engineers wih docorae degrees. Tis same sudy

noes ha nearly 70 percen o he men and women who enered he science and

engineering elds rom 1995 o 2006 were immigrans.

Te sudys auhors righully observe: Americas young scieniss and engineers,

especially he ones drawn o emerging indusries like alernaive energy, end o

speak wih an accen.

Green entrepreneurs

Google ounder Sergey Brin, Inel ounder Andrew Grove, and Yahoo! ounder

Jerry Yang are hree o he more amous immigran enrepreneurs in his counry.

Bu heyre cerainly no alone. Immigran enrepreneurs are some o he mos

powerul economic engines or our counry, and hey will coninue o esablish

innovaive companies ha drive economic growh, creae jobs, boos ax revenue,

and help he Unied Saes become a leader in he global green economy.

Te Naional Venure Capial Associaion recenly ound ha immigrans

launched 40 percen o U.S. publicly raded venure-backed companies operaing

in high-echnology manuacuring. Likewise nearly hal o odays privae venure-

backed sarups have immigran ounders. Seveny percen o he more han400,000 jobs creaed by immigran-ounded, venure-backed public companies

are in he high-ech manuacuring secor.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/out_of_running.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/energy-environment/31renew.htmlhttp://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/Richard_Hermans_Green_Economy_062310.pdfhttp://www.nvca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254&Itemid=103http://www.nvca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254&Itemid=103http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/Richard_Hermans_Green_Economy_062310.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/energy-environment/31renew.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/out_of_running.html


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Anoher sudyby he Cener or Urban Fuure ound ha rs-generaion immi-

grans ounded 22 o Los Angeless 100 ases-growing companies, and in New

York Ciy immigrans comprise nearly hal o all sel-employed workers.

Also, or every high-skilled (H-1B) immigran worker hired in his counry a leas

ve new jobs are creaed, according o a sudyby he Naional Foundaion orAmerican Policy.

Yang, whose company is worh close o $40 billion, makes a compelling case or

immigran enrepreneurs: Yahoo! would no be an American company oday i

he Unied Saes had no welcomed my amily and me almos 30 years ago.

Green-collar workers

No all jobs in he green economy will be high ech, however. Some will be green-collar jobs, which leading organizaions like he Apollo Alliance and Green or

All dene as similar o blue-collar jobs bu direcly conribuing o preserving or

enhancing environmenal qualiy. Tese green-collar workers will implemen new

echnologies and bes pracices in he green economy.

radiional jobs in he consrucion, manuacuring, and agriculural secors are

being reooled o produce clean energy, alernaive uels, susainable agriculure

and bio-energy, clean echnology manuacuring, and much more. Tese indus-

ries will need more workers as ederal mandaes are pu in place and consumer

demand increases or more energy ecien homes, renewable energy sources such

as solar panels and wind urbines, and alernaive uel vehicles.

Many immigrans already work in poenial green-collar jobs. Tey comprise 73

percen o landscapers, 51 percen o oce cleaners, and 43 percen o consruc-

ion workers in he greaer Washingon, D.C., area, or example, according o a

sudyby he Pew Cener.

Green-collar workers are on he ron lines o ghing polluion and climae

change by advancing he use o clean energy and environmenally riendly prod-ucs and pracices. Tey will be responsible or making he wind urbines and

solar panels o power he naion wih clean energy, using eco-riendly producs

and cleaners in our businesses and homes, growing our ood and bio-producs

in organic and susainable ways, and implemening waer-saving vegeaion and

landscaping o green our communiies.
http://www.nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/IE-final.pdfhttp://www.nfap.com/pdf/080311h1b.pdfhttp://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article1954694.ecehttp://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/40.pdfhttp://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/40.pdfhttp://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article1954694.ecehttp://www.nfap.com/pdf/080311h1b.pdfhttp://www.nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/IE-final.pdf


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We need leadership and solutions,

not scapegoats

o reierae: Te Unied Saes will only reach meaningul cus in greenhouse

gas emissions and curb he eecs o climae change hrough global parnerships.

Te Unied Saes, as he worlds highes emiter o GHGs, mus lead by example

and no be disraced by hose who wan o creae a poliical wedge beween he

environmenal communiy and advocaes o sensible comprehensive immigraion

reorm. Caving ino such acics hinders our pah o a clean and green uure and

diminishes our sanding as a global leader.

Te acs los in ani-immigran green arce argumens are criical, and hey need

o be undersood and addressed. For insance:

Tiry-eigh percen o U.S. GHG emissions come rombuildings. Commercial and indusrial buildings accoun or as much as 50 percen oU.S.

energy use and residenial buildings accoun or anoher 20 percen. weny-nine percen o U.S. GHG emissions come rom ransporaion. Seveneen percen o global GHG emissions are caused bydeoresaion. Fify-seven percen o global GHG emissions are caused byburning ossil uels. Te Unied Saes mees 85 percen o is energy needs by burning ossil uels.

How muchwe consume is deniely a acor in he above gures. And ha number

is inuenced by populaion and per capia consumpion. Bu more imporan, hese

gures represen a problem in how we consumeand ha relaes o our producion,

consumpion, and disribuion sysems ha are polluing and unsusainable.

Te Unied Saes needs o lead and no scapegoa o solve is own susainabil-

iy challenges as well serve as an example or he res o he developing world.

Draconian ani-immigran policies are no a magic bulle ha will se us on herigh pah.

In shor, we mus ocus on soluions insead o inkering a he margins wih mis-

guided and ill-inormed ani-immigran scapegoaing.
http://www.usgbc.org/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=3124http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec1_3.pdfhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec1_3.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/basicinfo.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/basicinfo.htmhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec1_3.pdfhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec1_3.pdfhttp://www.usgbc.org/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=3124


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What can we do?

Forunaely, he Unied Saes and he res o he world can ake numerous meaningul acions o

conrol our polluion and GHG emissions. Below are ve major seps orward:

1. Ge more energy ecien. Te more energy

we wase he more we have o produce

o mee our needsand ha means more

GHGs. Anaional energy eciency san-

dardwhich would se mandaory annualelecriciy and naural gas consumpion

reducion arges or uiliiescan save 262

million meric ons o greenhouse gas emis-

sions. Tas he equivalen o aking 48 mil-

lion cars o he roads or one year and saving

390 power plans rom being buil.

2. Expand renewable energy. Renewable

sources o energy such as he wind, sun, and

waves have pracically zero GHG emissions.

Remarkably, only 7 percen o our curren

naional energy porolio comes rom renew-

able sources, no couning hydroelecric

power. A good sar or he Unied Saes

would be o se a naional sandard o 25

percen o energy produced o come rom

renewable sources by 2025.

3. Curb deoresaion. rees ac like naurallers ha absorb GHGs and release resh

oxygen. Cuting hem down has real coss.

ropical deoresaion is responsible or

more emissions han all he cars, rucks,

planes, and ships in he world combined.

Te Unied Saesalong wih he res o

he worldmus ransiion o more susain-

able building maerials and enac legislaion

ha proecs oress.

4. Limi ossil uels. We can end our addic-

ion o oil hrough reasonable and cos-

eecive policies. Tese include improved

uel economy sandards, developmen o

advanced bio-uels, incenives or nonpollu-

ing elecric vehicles, and use o naural gas,

which produces ewer emissions han oher

ossil uels. Older coal-red power plans can

be reired wih naional energy eciency and

renewable energy sandards, and we can use

advanced batery sorage and cleaner-burning

naural gas or our ail-sae power.

5. Plan smar ciies. Finally, well-planned or

smar ciies are a vial and ofen overlooked

par o Americas climae soluion. Elemens

o smar ciies, also reerred o as smar

growh, include widely available mass ransi

and walking-bicycle pahs (o curb vehicleravel), compac residenial and commer-

cial developmen (o curb overuse o open

space), and ecien use o elecriciy and

waer hrough neworked resource manage-

men, also called a smar grid.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/03/eers_efficiency.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2009/03/032409.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2009/03/032409.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/weiss2_video.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2008/07/072508.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/markey_bill.htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/2009/07/24/peak-oil-production-business-energy-nelder.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/oilsavings_greatest_hits.htmlhttp://www.uli.org/sitecore/content/ULI2Home/ResearchAndPublications/PolicyPracticePriorityAreas/Infrastructure/~/media/Documents/ResearchAndPublications/PolicyAndPracticePriorityAreas/Infrastructure/Land%20Use%20and%20Driving%20Low%20Res.ashxhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/04/smart_infrastructure.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/04/smart_infrastructure.htmlhttp://www.uli.org/sitecore/content/ULI2Home/ResearchAndPublications/PolicyPracticePriorityAreas/Infrastructure/~/media/Documents/ResearchAndPublications/PolicyAndPracticePriorityAreas/Infrastructure/Land%20Use%20and%20Driving%20Low%20Res.ashxhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/oilsavings_greatest_hits.htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/2009/07/24/peak-oil-production-business-energy-nelder.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/markey_bill.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2008/07/072508.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/weiss2_video.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2009/03/032409.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2009/03/032409.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/03/eers_efficiency.html


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Conclusion

More people do no necessarily equal more sress on he plane, and sopping he

ow o immigrans o his counry will no solve our environmenal challenges.

Blaming immigrans or climae change is a sham. In ac, immigrans acually

live greener han mos Americans and hey can play a criical role in solving our

environmenal challenges.

Hae groups and oher immigraion resricioniss who disguise hemselves as

environmenalisswho argue or zero ne migraion, sealing o our borders, andenorcemen-only iniiaivesmus be silenced wih he acs o preven misguided

policies and o promoe a more reasonable discussion on how o solve our problems.

As he naion moves oward comprehensive reorm o he ederal immigraion

sysem immigrans should be considered allies in he gh agains climae change

and he march oward green policy. In heir roles as enrepreneurs and green-

collar workers hey are asses in our eors o revive he economy and implemen

climae soluions. Tis counry mus examine is own unsusainable sysems o

energy generaion and consumpion raher han blame immigrans. And i needs

o make ough decisions on how o x hese sysems.

Our dialogue abou susainabiliy and climae change should ocus on real prob-

lems and soluions, no allacies. Freeing he naional debae rom disracions and

poliical wedges can help he Unied Saes lead he global charge oward a cleaner

and greener uure.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/immigration_principles.htmlhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/immigration_principles.html


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About the author

Jorge Madrid is a Research Associae wih he energy eam a he Cener or

American Progress. He holds masers degrees in urban planning and public

adminisraion rom he Universiy o Souhern Caliornia and is a ormer gradu-

ae ellow wih he Congressional Hispanic Caucus insiue.


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The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity

for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values.

We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and

international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that

is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

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