THE WALL AND AMERICAN WILDLIFE

CNN reports on how jaguars and other endangered animals are facing new threats as a result of the construction of a border wall. [This is a link to a video download of Rusty Dornan's story].

Comments

[USC]

"The number one cause of species extinction in the U.S. is habitat loss and habitats are degraded, fragmented, and converted in order to accommodate population growth. Immigration, obviously, causes population growth. Anyone who advocates raising our GDP via immigration or population growth should consider whether such growth is outweighed by the costs."

Do you have an opinion as to what the right number should be for the population of the US? If so, is it just an arbitrary number or are you able to scientifically justify your number?

[Jack]

The number one cause of species extinction in the U.S. is habitat loss and habitats are degraded, fragmented, and converted in order to accommodate population growth. Immigration, obviously, causes population growth. Anyone who advocates raising our GDP via immigration or population growth should consider whether such growth is outweighed by the costs.

"When we hit 100 million, it was a celebration of America's might in the world," said Dowell Myers, a professor of urban planning and demography at the University of Southern California. "When we hit 200 million, we were solidifying our position. But at 300 million, we are beginning to be crushed under the weight of our own quality-of-life degradation."

[John]

Big news on American citizens not receiving tax rebates:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080511/ap_on_bi_ge/tax_rebates_left_out

My wife and one of my children actually got their social security numbers last year when after 8 years in H4 limbo they could finally apply for EADs - but two of my other children are too young to get SSNs and that part of the rebate for them was denied for us. At least we didn't get all the rebate denied like many did. This is a scandal.