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An empirical assessment of U.S. state-level immigration and environmental emissions

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  • Squalli, Jay

Abstract

This paper uses U.S. state-level data for CO, NO2, SO2, and PM10 emissions and a STIRPAT-inspired model to provide empirical evidence discrediting, at least in part, the restrictionist perspective on the immigration-environment relationship. The paper finds that U.S. states with a larger share of foreign-born residents are associated with lower NO2 and SO2 emissions. While these results do not necessarily imply that immigrants mitigate environmental emissions, they emphasize the importance of addressing the relationship between immigration and the environment based on an objective assessment of facts. Hence, it is this paper's contention that it is empirically unjustifiable to call for restrictions on immigration on environmental grounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Squalli, Jay, 2010. "An empirical assessment of U.S. state-level immigration and environmental emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1170-1175, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:69:y:2010:i:5:p:1170-1175
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    6. Laureti, Tiziana & Montero, José-María & Fernández-Avilés, Gema, 2014. "A local scale analysis on influencing factors of NOx emissions: Evidence from the Community of Madrid, Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 557-568.
    7. Arzaghi, Mohammad & Squalli, Jay, 2023. "The environmental impact of fossil fuel subsidy policies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Jay Squalli, 2022. "Intelligence, Religiosity, and Environmental Emissions," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(3), pages 418-449, June.
    9. Shuddhasattwa Rafiq & Ingrid Nielsen & Russell Smyth, 2016. "Effect of Internal Migration on Air and Water Pollution in China," Monash Economics Working Papers 27-16, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    10. Guizhen Ma, 2019. "Similar or Different? A Comparison of Environmental Behaviors of US-Born Whites and Chinese Immigrants," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1203-1223, November.
    11. Meng, Ming & Niu, Dongxiao & Shang, Wei, 2012. "CO2 emissions and economic development: China's 12th five-year plan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 468-475.
    12. Carmel Price & Ben Feldmeyer, 2012. "The Environmental Impact of Immigration: An Analysis of the Effects of Immigrant Concentration on Air Pollution Levels," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(1), pages 119-140, February.
    13. José-María Montero & Gema Fernández-Avilés & Tiziana Laureti, 2021. "A Local Spatial STIRPAT Model for Outdoor NO x Concentrations in the Community of Madrid, Spain," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-33, March.
    14. Marcus H. Böhme & Sarah Kups, 2017. "The economic effects of labour immigration in developing countries: A literature review," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 335, OECD Publishing.
    15. Pascal da Costa & Wenhui Tian, 2015. "A Sectoral Prospective Analysis of CO2 Emissions in China, USA and France, 2010-2050," Working Papers hal-01026302, HAL.
    16. Rafiq, Shuddhasattwa & Nielsen, Ingrid & Smyth, Russell, 2017. "Effect of internal migration on the environment in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 31-44.
    17. Ying Tung Chan, 2019. "Optimal Environmental Tax Rate in an Open Economy with Labor Migration—An E-DSGE Model Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-38, September.
    18. Rafael Morales-Lage & Aurelia Bengochea-Morancho & Inmaculada Martínez-Zarzoso, 2016. "The determinants of CO2 emissions: evidence from European countries," Working Papers 2016/04, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    19. Wenyan Wang & Juan Wang & Fang Guo, 2018. "Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Emission Reduction Potential in East and South Coastal China: Scenario Analysis Based on STIRPAT," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-18, June.
    20. Squalli, Jay, 2017. "Renewable energy, coal as a baseload power source, and greenhouse gas emissions: Evidence from U.S. state-level data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 479-488.

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