John H. Tanton video collection

A video tribute to John H. Tanton, M.D. (1934-2019). John Tanton was an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon and founder of the modern immigration reform movement. Dr. Tanton was publisher and former editor of The Social Contract. As a strong conservationist and leading advocate for the environment, Dr. John Tanton founded the Petoskey, Michigan regional Audubon Society. He has been active in a number of environmental organizations, both locally and nationally. Dr. Tanton recognized that continued human population growth is a significant contributor to environmental problems and he therefore became involved with the Sierra Club Population Committee and became President and board member of Zero Population Growth. As immigration became the driving force behind unending U.S. population growth, John Tanton founded FAIR - the Federation for American Immigration Reform. John Tanton is pro-immigrant and pro-legal immigration, but at reduced, sustainable numbers. He states: "The stresses caused by population growth cannot be solved by international migration. They must be confronted by and within each individual nation. Fundamental to the concept of national rights and responsibilities is the duty of each nation to match its population with its political, social, and environmental resources, in both the short and the long term. No nation should exceed what the biologists call its 'carrying capacity.'" This video is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Dr. John Tanton. John Rohe and KC McAlpin were interviewed in July, 2016. John Tanton was interviewed in September, 2006. Produced and edited by Fred Elbel, September 28, 2016. For more information, see: The John Tanton website: https://johntanton.org The Social Contract: https://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 19: John Tanton: Paradigm Shifts In this topic, Dr. John Tanton notes that most countries are now trying to stop immigration. He discusses paradigm shifts and lists false assumptions that must be questioned: There is room enough for endless numbers of people to come to the US. Population problems can be solved by moving people around the globe. Large-scale migration can continue indefinitely. National boundaries are illegitimate. We're a nation of immigrants. Migration is a civil liberties problem whereas it needs to be viewed as a resource problem. Instead of focusing on the virtues of individual immigrants, we need to focus on the ecologist's question: "and then what?" Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 5: The Birth of FAIR Dr. John Tanton was invited to become the Michigan chair of the Sierra Club population committee in 1971 and he became the chair of the National Sierra Club population committee from 1972-1974. He discusses forming FAIR and bringing Roger Conner on as FAIR's executive director. He believes strongly in promoting people he knows and has worked with in the past. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006: Topic 21 Immigration 'Myths' Dr. John Tanton discusses the Emma Lazarus poem which was written as a fundraising project. The poem was subsequently added to the statue of liberty and has had an arguably dramatic effect on population numbers. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 17: Globalization... And Then What Dr. Tanton discusses the hypothesis whereby national diversification - where each country is dependent on goods from other countries - will prevent war. He discusses the North American Union and asks the ecological question that Garrett Hardin posited: "and then what?" Will this lead to a Continental Union? Do we want to go there? He discusses NAFTA, which forced Mexican corn farmers off their land. These farmers then migrated to the US. We must think of the consequences to our actions. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 20: The Importance of Language Dr. John Tanton notes that the European Union spends half its budget on translation. He stresses the virtue of multiple languages, but points out that a common language is essential for national cohesiveness. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 23: Carrying Capacity and Summary You can't address carrying capacity issues by international migration. Dr. John Tanton notes that we can not continue to solve carrying capacity issues by moving people and resources around the globe - we need to recognize the finiteness of resources and adapt our lifestyle to one that can be sustained over the millennia. In summary, urges his fellow citizens to "buck up" and take up the discussion about mass immigration. It is time to give up the name-calling, try to find the facts as they are, try to be concerned about future generations, and try to make legitimate projections. We must acknowledge that most people are going to have to bloom where they are planted - there is simply not the carrying capacity to move tens and hundreds of millions of people around the globe and still have any sort of survivable lifestyle. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 22: Ethical Concerns Immigration can cause a "brain drain" from donor countries. Is this in the best interest of those countries? Dr. John Tanton urges consideration of long-term consequences of decisions we make today. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 16: 'Transportation' Then and Now Prior to our nationhood, the US was a penal colony for Great Britain. When the US overthrew the British, criminals were sent to Australia. Criminals were offered prison sentences or "transportation" to the colonies. In the past, there were more natural controls on immigration - it was harder to get here. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 13: Facing the 'Slings and Arrows' Dr. John Tanton is often called "anti-immigration" or "anti-immigrant". These ad hominem attacks are essentially motions for cloture - to shut off further discussion of the issue. Dr. John Tanton observes that one is not "anti-immigration" for being concerned about how many and who immigrates into our country. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 18: Economics of Immigration There are billions of people who will work for less than Mexican laborers in the US. At some point, the undercutting of wages must stop. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 10: A More Crowded Future Dr. John Tanton notes that as population increases, political representation diminishes. Tanton discusses maintaining population within the carrying capacity and differentiates between sustainable population and optimum population. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 15: A Handful of Welcoming Countries Dr. Tanton observes that we can not possibly accept everyone who wants to migrate to the United States. People have to bloom where they are planted. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview Interview 2006 Topic 12: The Next Generation and The Demographers Here, Dr. John Tanton keeps working in the area of population stabilization because of his interest, and concern for future generations, including his own children and grandchildren. Tanton does not want to see future generations in a world with cutthroat competition for declining supplies of natural resources. He differentiates between demographic population projections and predictions. Demographers produce projections based upon current data, but do not predict the future and are not per se concerned about the consequences of population growth. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 14: A Sense of Duty Although it is difficult fighting special business and political interests who want open borders and higher immigration numbers, a sense of duty has kept Dr. Tanton active in working for sustainability. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Dr. John Tanton discusses immigration numbers in 1979 (about 290,000 per year) and how numbers have increased dramatically since then. He discusses Sen. Kennedy's visa lottery, acceptance of refugees, brain drain, and population stabilization. Initial efforts to focus on demographics and population numbers failed to resonate with the masses, so immigration reform promoters began to focus on the social consequences of mass immigration. Dr. Tanton notes that at the time of this interview, US population had doubled to 300 million people, as opposed to the 150 million when he was in High School - and the US Census Bureau projects a mid-century population of 410 million, unless we change course. Dr. Tanton also points out that in terms of dollar cost, we are now an importer of food, and asks where the food is going to come from for the next 100 million people. He discusses demographic momentum (population momentum), and how it takes years to reduce population numbers after replacement fertility is achieved. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 9: Demographic Momentum This topic includes a discussion of demographic momentum (also referred to as population momentum), where populations continue to grow even after replacement level fertility is reached. This is due to the younger topic of the population entering their childbearing years, so the population continues to grow for approximately a generation. Dr. John Tanton discusses China's one-child policy and India's lack of such a policy - India has yet to make this demographic transition. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 11: Today's Alarming Numbers Dr. John Tanton discusses illegal immigration, natural increase, anchor babies and the 14th Amendment. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Dr. John Tanton discusses the three primary questions regarding immigration policy: - How many people should we admit? - Who gets the visas? There are now about 70 different kinds of visas. - How are you going to enforce the rules? John Tanton discusses how the number of 175,000 legal immigrants per year was arrived at in order to achieve a sustainable, non-growing population. He also discusses the 1965 Immigration Act and immigration quotas. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

John Tanton Video Interview 2006: Introduction Dr. John Tanton discusses his immigrant father, growing up on a farm, working with his hands, and developing a love of the land that is his organizing principle. He discusses his education in Agronomy, then Medicine. He presents an overview of his work in the population arena and wraps up with a discussion of his bee keeping and bee population cycles. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Dr. John Tanton discusses starting his population efforts with $3,000 Mitchell prize. He discusses early fundraising efforts. Dr. John Tanton interview by George Colburn's Tomorrow's America series. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 4: COPE, ZPG and Immigration Dr. John Tanton discusses the 1970 Congress on Population and Environment and meeting Human Ecologist Garrett Hardin. John was invited onto the national board of ZPG and was president from 1975-1977. At that time, our birth rate was falling, while migration was increasing. In 1979, FAIR was formed to address the role that migration plays in increasing US population. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

Tanton Video interview 2006 Topic 3: The Mitchell Essay Contest that Started It All Dr. John Tanton describes how he initially collected materials on population and read about a conference and essay contest sponsored by George Mitchell. John submitted an essay that won third prize. This lead Tanton's The Mitchell Prize Essay on International Migration being the cover article on the UK publication, The Ecologist. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

John Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 2: The Population Movement in the 1960s Dr. Tanton has been involved in conservation for years. He started the Little Travis Conservancy and started the local Audubon and Sierra Club chapters and was involved in three environmental lawsuits. He realized that constantly expanding population was one of the driving forces behind conservation problems. He and his wife therefore became involved with Planned Parenthood. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com

John Tanton Video Interview 2006 Topic 1: A Need for Conservation Dr. Tanton has been involved in conservation for years. He started the Little Travis Conservancy and started the local Audubon and Sierra Club chapters and was involved in three environmental lawsuits. He realized that constantly expanding population was one of the driving forces behind conservation problems. He and his wife therefore became involved with Planned Parenthood. Learn more about Dr. John Tanton at https://www.johntanton.org Lean more about The Social Contract at http://www.thesocialcontract.com