Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

and a high incidence of infectious disease (usuallyfrom contaminated drinking water and weakened diseaseresistance from undernutrition and malnutrition).Good news. Between 1965 and 2004, the world’s infantmortality rate dropped from 20 per 1,000 livebirths to 7 in developed countries and from 118 to 61in developing countries. Bad news. At least 8 millioninfants (most in developing countries) die of preventablecauses during their first year of life—an averageof 22,000 mostly unnecessary infant deaths perday. This is equivalent to 55 jumbo jets, each loadedwith 400 infants under age 1, crashing each day withno survivors!The U.S. infant mortality rate declined from 165 in1900 to 7 in 2004. This sharp decline was a major factorin the marked increase in U.S. average life expectancyduring this period.Still some 40 countries had lower infant mortalityrates than the United States in 2004. Three factors keepthe U.S. infant mortality rate higher than it could be:inadequate health care for poor women during pregnancyand for their babies after birth, drug addiction among pregnantwomen, and a high teenage birth rate.Number of legal immigrants (thousands)2,0001,8001,6001,4001,2001,00080060040020001820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000Year19071914New lawsrestrictimmigrationGreatDepression2010Figure 10-13 Legal immigration to the United States, 1820–2001.The large increase in immigration since 1989 resulted mostly fromthe Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which grantedlegal status to illegal immigrants who could show they had beenliving in the country for several years. (Data from U.S. Immigrationand Naturalization Service)Case Study: Should the United StatesEncourage or Discourage Immigration?Immigration has played and continues to play a majorrole in the growth and cultural diversity of the U.S.population.Only a few countries such as Canada, Australia, andthe United States encourage immigration. And internationalmigration to developed countries absorbsonly about 1% of the annual population growth in developingcountriesSince 1820 the United States has admitted almosttwice as many immigrants as all other countries combined!However, the number of legal immigrants (includingrefugees) has varied during different periodsbecause of changes in immigration laws and rates ofeconomic growth (Figure 10-13). Currently, immigrationaccounts for about 41% of the country’s annualpopulation growth.Between 1820 and 1960, most legal immigrants tothe United States came from Europe. Since 1960, mosthave come from Latin America (51%) and Asia (30%),followed by Europe (13%).What is the largest minority group in the UnitedStates? Answer: Latinos (67% of them from Mexico)made up 14% of the U.S. population in 2003. By 2050Latinos are projected to make up one of every fourpeople in the United States.In 1995, the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reformrecommended reducing the number of legal immigrantsfrom about 900,000 to 700,000 per year for atransition period and then to 550,000 a year. Some analystswant to limit legal immigration to about 20% of thecountry’s annual population growth. They would acceptimmigrants only if they can support themselves,arguing that providing immigrants with public servicesmakes the United States a magnet for the world’s poor.There is also support for sharply reducing illegalimmigration. But some are concerned that a crackdownon the country’s 8–10 million illegal immigrants canalso lead to discrimination against legal immigrants.Proponents of reducing immigration argue that itwould allow the United States to stabilize its populationsooner and help reduce the country’s enormousenvironmental impact. The public strongly supportsreducing U.S. immigration levels. A January 2002Gallup poll found that 58% of the people polled believedthat immigration rates should be reduced (upfrom 45% in January 2001). A 1993 Hispanic ResearchGroup survey found that 89% of Hispanic Americanssupported an immediate moratorium on immigration.Others oppose reducing current levels of legal immigration.They argue that this would diminish thehistorical role of the United States as a place of opportunityfor the world’s poor and oppressed. In addition,immigrants pay taxes, take many menial and lowpayingjobs that other Americans shun, open businesses,and create jobs. Moreover, according to the U.S.Census Bureau, after 2020 higher immigration levelswill be needed to supply enough workers as babyboomers retire.xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should immigration into theUnited States (or the country where you live) be reduced?Cast your vote online at http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14183