Month: February 2023

by

DiLonardo, M. J. (2022, October 24). Animals in national parks are affected by even a few visitors. Treehugger. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.treehugger.com/animals-national-parks-affected-visitors-6753859  

 

The Article “Animals in National Parks Are Affected by Even a Few Visitors” talks about how the effects of even a few visitors at parks can disrupt wildlife behavior. There were studies conducted in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, where researchers would track the behavior of the animals like Moose. Moose would be seen reacting when there is more human activity. The Moose would be more out to avoid predators since the predators wouldn’t get near the humans. The wolves in the park would be less active in spaces with human activity.

 

Without a doubt, humans will always impact and have continually influenced the behavior of animals. This study clearly shows the relationship that human activity could have with animals. This test was conducted on a smaller scale to track the animal behavior easier, making you wonder how animals would react to more populated places like Yosemite or Yellowstone. It will always be better to avoid the presence of wildlife and not to disturb it; the ecosystem would most likely be thrown off if the environment had people in it. The behavior of the wolves in Glacier Park would have them hunt fewer Moose, causing the moose population to grow unhealthy. There are countless things that an overpopulated moose park can affect.

 

by

Staff. (2022, August 17). Report: Pollution from sediment in Lake Tahoe reduced by 600K Pounds in 2021. TahoeDailyTribune.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/report-pollution-from-sediment-in-lake-tahoe-reduced-by-600k-pounds-in-2021/ 

 

The article “Pollution from the sediment in Lake Tahoe reduced by 600k Pounds in 2021” is exactly what the title is. Thousands of pounds of pollution have been reduced, many of which from people and others from fires. Tahoe gets around 15 million visitors yearly, most to explore the wildlife and partake in outdoor activities. Besides human activity, phosphorus, and nitrogen levels have significantly decreased and reduced to a healthy amount, lessening the number of algae growing in the lakes, causing the clarity level to be 61 feet.

 

It is without a doubt that Tahoe is one of the most visited places in California and Nevada and a commonly traveled destination for other people in other states. Tahoe has a lot of things to offer to many tourists, which brings many people to visit. With around 15 million people visiting Tahoe annually, it would be detrimental to the environment. The pollution levels are very high due to ecotourism and fires, which must be dealt with to maintain the lovely city healthily. Helping reduce pollution would help, but it is also up to the tourists to be responsible for their waste. All the emissions from transportation alone make up much of the pollution, so figuring out ways to lessen the carbon footprint is needed.

by

Rennie, K. (2022, September 20). Can Environmental Conservation and tourism exist together harmoniously? Global Voices. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://globalvoices.org/2022/09/20/can-environmental-conservation-and-tourism-exist-together-harmoniously/ 

 

In the article “A green Yellowstone keeps the local economies in the black,” we understand how the great floodings in Yellowstone national park have affected ecotourism by dropping the percentage by 90%. Businesses were shut down due to flooding, and over 60 million dollars worth of infrastructure damages came with the floods. The number of habits, housing, and businesses affected would’ve affected tourism and overall profits. Essential companies like hotels, gas stations, recreation industries, restaurants, and transportation, to name a couple, were heavily influenced and impacted life for the locals.

 

In a disaster like a big flood, it would be beneficial to support the people affected. In this case, it is hard. It is tough when the primary revenue accumulated is all by ecotourism, and having the yearly season canceled greatly affects the locals and the restoration process. A lot of profits for the park and people have been cut drastically, and necessities for people have been cut too. Not allowing them to get gas, food, and overall transportation could be detrimental to their lives, and the people that lost their businesses and homes have it way harder.

by

Rennie, K. (2022, September 20). Can Environmental Conservation and tourism exist together harmoniously? Global Voices. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://globalvoices.org/2022/09/20/can-environmental-conservation-and-tourism-exist-together-harmoniously/ 

 

In “Can Environmental Conservation and tourism exist together harmoniously?” we learn about some of the downsides and benefits of ecotourism. They claim that ecotourism promotes education and awareness about endangered animals and climate change, improving local life quality and understanding and sensitivity towards other cultures. These benefits are overtaken by the negatives, which are the excess pollution emitted, like carbon in our air, and creating a big divide between cultures/people. The article goes more into depth about the cons of ecotourism and its effects.

 

 The last quote of the article from Architect and engineer Smith Mordak pretty much sums up the writer’s opinion about the idea of ecotourism, “Ecotourism is an oxymoron [seemingly self-contradictory]. Trying to fix environmental degradation with tourism is like trying to fix a black eye with a right hook.”. The way that we partake in ecotourism is very irresponsible. If we want to preserve and maintain precious lands, we should do it differently now. There would have to be more measures to prevent disruptions in our environments.

by

 

Depillis, L. (2022, December 10). Wish you were here. ignore the floods and fires. The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/business/new-mexico-climate-change-wildfires-floods.html 

 

The article “Wish you were here. Ignore the floods and fires” discusses the effects of climate change, like floods and forest fires that have significantly impacted many people’s lives in New Mexico. We hear how people are negatively affected by disasters and their struggles to make any profit during the disasters and the aftermaths. The needed efforts to promote more ecotourism to help the people and the land survive such tragedies. It would help them by having money go towards land restoration and damages to the people’s lives.

 

The idea of ecotourism helping to pay for damages and support people is a great and healthy way to receive support. There could be a lot of downsides to ecotourism, but one that always benefits the land and locals is the economic benefits. In a crisis, like a wildfire or a flood, damages need to be covered because many things are lost in the aftermath. Often, these events claim the lives of many stuck in these disasters or help stop them.

by

Adopt-A-Topic Phase 2 Article 5

CNN, (2022, October 20), What’s all the fuss about fracking in the UK? Retrieved January 27, 2023 from

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/energy/uk-fracking-gas-energy-explainer-climate-intl-gbr/index.                                                                                                         html

 

This article discusses the politics surrounding the fracking ban in the UK. The ban was lifted briefly in the fall of 2022, but was quickly reactivated. Many europeans are trying to move off of using fossil fuels, and banning fracking was a major step towards clean energy in europe. Many people were upset when the fracking ban was lifted and many politicians pointed fingers at conservative political leaders. In the end, europe will continue to look for solutions to the energy problem and they will attempt to spread clean energy throughout the continent while also using as little fossil fuels as possible

 

My opinion on this is that this is a good approach to the issue surrounding fracking. Europe is clearly taking more action than the US, and the US should look at europe as a role model when it comes to this issue. If everyone can be as ambitious as these european countries who have banned fracking, we will be able to develop a clean renewable energy souce much sooner. This concerns environmental science because this is one way a major part of the world is approaching climate change and the use of fossil fuels. I believe this is the ideal method of approach to this situation, and the US should follow in the footsteps of the UK.

by

Adopt-A-Topic Phase 2 Article 4

Politico, (2022, November 27), How Biden may save U.S. gas exports to Europe. Retrieved January 27, 2023 from

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/27/biden-gas-exports-europe-440678

 

This article is about how europe is beginning to take action is shifting to clean energy sources and is trying to move off of fossil fuel imports from america. This would obviously harm the US economy, and Biden is doing as much as he can to establish a system that evaluates the harmfulness of fossil fuels so european countries are aware of the harm they are doing to the environment by importing and using different fossil fuels. While there are still many eastern european and asian countries that import gas from the US, they too are beginning to be more cautious when it comes to fossil fuels. Biden is doing everything he can to ensure that as much american gas is being purchased as possible.

 

My opinion is that European countries should continue to buy fossil fuels because there are not any reliable clean energy sources that are widespread enough to support entire countries. I think that as long as European countries limit the amount that they import, they will be able to reduce their carbon footprint while also ensuring that energy stays affordable. This relates to environmental science because it concerns a possible energy crisis. The only real reliable sources of energy we have right now are harmful to the environment. We need to focus on finding new clean sources of energy and spreading those energy sources across the world. Only then will countries be stable in regard to energy and the economy.

by

Adopt-A-Topic Phase 2 Article 3

The Guardian, (2022, October 24), Rishi Sunak will keep ban on fracking in UK, No 10 confirms.

Retrieved January 27, 2023 from

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/26/rishi-sunak-ban-on-fracking-uk-no-10

 

This article is about how the lift of the fracking ban in the UK that took place in September of 2022 was reversed just a month later. The then Prime Minister had a short lived run and was replaced with a new candidate with different ideas. Prime Minister Rish Sunak activated the fracking ban again and stated that it would stay that way as long as he was in office. He has decided to continue to import fossil fuels from other countries, and will not tolerate the damage that fracking causes. This is interesting because in the span of one month the fracking ban in the UK went from active to inactive to active again. However it looks now as though it will stay banned for a while. The UK will focus on finding clean renewable energy sources and make those sources more available while they import fossil fuels to maintain the amount of energy that they need.

 

My opinion on this is that it is a valid approach to the situation. Personally, I side with the old plan of allowing fracking but only in limited amounts with strict laws surrounding the process of fracking. However, this new approach is good as well. It will mean that the UK will have a smaller carbon footprint and will not have too much of an overall effect on the UK as a whole compared to how things were in September. This relates to environmental science because this is yet another approach to fracking and is a new way to deal with the limited resources due to the war.

by

Adopt-A-Topic Phase 2 Article 2

The Guardian, (2022, December 3), Anthony Albanese’s latest plan to subsidise foreign coal and gas companies is just absurd. Retrieved January 27, 2023 from

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/14/anthony-albaneses-latest-plan-to-subsidise-foreign-coal-and-gas-companies-is-just-absurd

 

Australia’s government has created a new policy that they hope will reduce the impacts of fracking and burning fossil fuels. While other countries have attempted to reduce the use of fossil fuels through carbon taxes and heavy encouragement to use clean, renewable energy, Australia is doing it differently. Their government does not want to reduce the amount of fracking or the amount of fossil fuels being used. They have decided to attempt to balance out their carbon footprint by planting more trees and other plants to reduce the effects of their fossil fuel consumption. However, they are making no effort to reduce the amount of fracking or the amount of fossil fuels they are burning. Instead, they are planning to increase fracking in their country and hope that the impacts of doing so will decrease due to the vegetation they have planted.

 

My opinion is that this is definitely not a good approach to fixing the harmful effects of fracking. We should not be focusing on ways to reduce the effects of fossil fuels but instead we should be looking for ways to move off of fossil fuels as a whole. We should be focusing on how to find a clean renewable energy source and make it available globally. This is a good example of how a country should not approach fracking. This relates to environmental science because this is another way that a country is trying to combat the effects of fracking. In this case however, the solution is not very good.

by

Adopt-A-Topic Phase 2 Article 1

AP News, (2022, September 22), UK government lifts fracking ban despite opposition. Retrieved January 27, 2023 from https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-england-hydraulic-fracturing-liz-truss-8dbb0fbc0fa6dbf85e979043bfd7b32a

 

This article is about how the UK has recently lifted its ban on fracking so they can become energy independent during the war between Russia and Ukraine. In 2019, the UK placed a ban on fracking due to its negative effects on the environment. This law stayed in effect until recently when the new Prime Minister lifted this ban in order to become energy independent. Previously, the UK relied on imports of oil and other fossil fuels for energy. One of their main suppliers was Russia. However, due to the war, the UK can no longer get fossil fuels from Russia., and have to find their own way to get fossil fuels. This is why they lifted the ban on fracking. Going forward, the UK will try to limit fracking and only obtain just enough fossil fuels so that the country can continue to function. There will also be stricter laws surrounding fracking and companies will need new licenses and be required to follow new regulations.

 

My opinion on this is I think this is the ideal way to approach the situation. I agree with the UK’s approach because first world countries should be energy independent and certainly should not support Russia right now by buying their oil. I think the US should be more like the UK in the sense that they should limit fracking and only obtain the amount of fossil fuels that is necessary to avoid harming the environment. Furthermore, I think the US should have strict regulations and policies regarding fracking, similar to those that the UK has. This would ensure that the environment is much better protected. This relates to environmental science because it is a different approach to handling fracking and its negative effects.