Air quality in Joshua Tree National Park The issue of environmental conservation and more specifically air pollution is one that has, for decades, now been a salient one. The California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act of 2015, for example, acknowledges the need to establish areas of critical environmental concern with the aim of enforcing robust measures for preserving the physical ecosystems of national parks in the area (Senate - Energy and Natural Resources). It, therefore, becomes even more worrying when we consider the fact that national parks in California are the ones with the worst air quality, and yet there is no indication of significant change (Barboza). A comparative report on the air quality of Joshua Tree National Park …show more content…
In one article on the park’s state, the NPS cites the increasing construction of power plants around the park, coupled with the booming of real estate in the hi-desert surrounding as among the greatest impediments toward air clarity. The smog obscuring the splendid vistas, as the article reports, is largely as a result of the particulate matter that is brought about by these developments. A report by the National Parks Conservation Association concurs with these assertions stating that industries and vehicles producing and using oil and gas supplement the toxic gases emitted by coal-fired power plants, thereby posing a health hazard for the park visitors …show more content…
As a matter of fact, this is one of the measures proposed by an advocacy report featured in the National Park Conservation Association website and is indeed an appropriate solution. However, for there to be a lasting remedy to the ailing environment and particularly the polluted air an intrinsic answer needs to suffice. The acknowledgment of the need to speak against and employ green practices from on a personal level is paramount for every inhabitant of the area around the parks (Raven, Berg and Hassenzahl 398). Consequently, a robust form of legislation obligating power plants to publicize the kind of waste they are emitting and the quantities will also go a long way in achieving transparency and credibility (Reitze 24). In this way, the air will finally be cleared up and restored to its original quality. The preservation of wilderness is not just necessary for the aesthetic value but also for the peaceful coexistence of human beings and their
Committee on Senate Energy and National Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. 3 June 2003: ESBCO. Mission Viejo Library., Mission Viejo, CA. 31 July 2005. http://web31.epnet.com/citation.
Current research is being conducted by the National Parks Service to better understand the patterns of invasive plants on the Park, including sagebrush and cheat grass. Yosemite has announced that air quality on their worst days is unlikely to improve until California State’s regulations take effect (“National Parks Service”). More eco-friendly tours and car banning could be cut down in the future to remove some of the tropospheric ozone. Fire awareness is also sweeping through Yosemite, especially in the camping areas, which would cut down wild fires and excess smoke. “In Yellowstone, fires are historically less frequent, but more intense”, this is simply not the case in Yosemite (“PBS”).
Gulbinas, Vilija. “On the Road to Recovery: an Angelino’s Guide to Smog”. Los Angeles, CA: US. 1998. www.ben2.ucla.edu/~vgulbina
Utah is known to have the best snow on earth, we have beautiful scenery, relaxation and recreation all within minutes of our front door. But what about that dirty air that seems to last for months? Utah has four of the nations 100 largest oil fields, which produces 1.2% of the nation’s output, with 3,600 active wells. Utah ranks 11th in the nation of oil production, and we have five refineries in the Salt Lake area that can produce 175,500 barrels of oil per day (House,2012). The major effect of these practices, is the effect of air pollution along the Wasatch Front and the serious health consequences on children, teens and adults.
This era brought economic growth as well as harsh air pollutants. As the population mass migrated from rural farms to industrial cities, poor air quality resulted in chronic illness and premature deaths among laborers and residents. Second, “the CAA is a good economic investment for Americans” (EPA). According to an EPA study, the benefits of the CAA are projected to exceed the compliance costs by 30 – to – 1 in the year 2020. The study concludes that the CAA positively impacts the overall “economic welfare of American households” because higher air quality leads to less adverse health problems, reducing medical visits and increasing working days, which “more than offset the economic impacts from expenditures for pollution control” (EPA).
... removing and/or stopping the pollution that is emitted into the air from large refineries or factories. In fact, the essay claims that “Of several techniques to remove pollution during industrial coal combustion, perhaps the most effective is ‘scrubbing,’ in which gases are washed in a desulphurizing bath before going into the atmosphere.” This is informative because it shows that there is a way control acid rain. Similarly, the essay stated many different ways in which everyday people could help control the amount of pollution that is discharged into the air. A solution like carpooling so that the amount of pollutants that are emitted into the air are lowered is just one of the many ways discussed in the essay for society to lower the pollution in the air. The informative way in which Robert Collins presented his idea’s added to the effectiveness of the essay.
One of the major facets of tourism is transportation. The ability for people and equipment to be able to move from one place to another smoothly is not only a convenience but a necessity. Air transportation is one of the largest and fastest growing industries associated with tourism. From passenger travel to food and supply transport there are seemingly ever increasing numbers of flights occurring to help meet the demand. With the increase in flights, comes the increase of pollutants into the air, water, and soil. These emissions, as well as those from the electricity production are linked to acid rain, chemical pollution and global warming. These pollutants have effects not only in populated cities, but also in isolated natural environments as well. S...
The drought has worsened over the past four years with the state seeing rising temperatures and dry conditions. Climate change has caused temperatures to rise and precipitation reduction, which worsens air quality. The lack of rainfall traps fine particles on ground level to spread in the air, which are harmful to human health. Young and elderly individuals are prone to developing short and long-term diseases from the air pollution. The warm weather increases the levels of dangerous pollutants in the air, which can be fatal when inhaled. California residents must understand the harmful effects of air pollution and make better choices when using energy or transportation. The drought conditions are worsening but communities and individuals can work together to help improve the air
Canyonlands National Park, immense amounts of wilderness and rock, is located at the heart of the Colorado Plateau (Canyonlands National Park-Geology). Millions of years have formed specific features to the rock and surrounding wilderness that make it so special. Throughout the park, you will find that the sedimentary rock has formed many features such as hundreds of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires. The Green and Colorado rivers have played a major role in the formation of many of these features. These rivers cut through the park forming two massive canyons. This further splits the park into three distinct zones. “Island in the Sky” sits to the north while “The Maze” sits off to the west and “The Needles” to the east (Canyonlands National Park Information Guide). “Island in the Sky” serves as Canyonlands’ observation tower; it allows tourists to see overwhelming vistas of the rest of the land. “The Maze,” as hinted at by the name has been described as a “30 square mile puzzle in sandstone” (NPS: Nature & Science» Geology Resources Division). This section of the park often ranks as one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of the United States. Lastly, “The Needles” is known for its diversity in rock features. Throughout this land, features such as sculptured rock spires, arches, canyons, grabens, and potholes can be seen. The varying names hint at the diversity of the land as a whole. As said by The National Park Service’s Geology Resources Division, “Traces of the Anasazi can be found in almost every canyon in the Needles. Many of their stone and mud dwellings and storehouses are remarkably well-preserved. Tower Ruins, built high on a cliff ledge in a side canyon of Horse Canyon, is an outstanding ex...
Our Congress created the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1969 in order to establish an environmental foundation for mankind. This policy endorses harmony between humans and the vast ecosystems surrounding them. To obtain this goal and provide our future with resources as well, NEPA is separated into two titles. The first title declares the policy in detail while the second title focuses on the Council on Environmental Quality. The CEQ oversees the effectiveness of current methods, the reactions of the environment to those methods, and implements revisions as necessary.
Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. EMISSIONS OF HAZERDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FROM COAL- FIRED POWER PLANTS. Environmental Report. Needham, 2011. Print. 18 November 2014.
According to World WildLife Fund, many ecosystems around the world are being destroyed, eliminating many plant and animal species that inhabit them (“Pollution”).
PURPOSE: To persuade my audience that we must take action now to control air pollution
"What YOU Can Do to Prevent NPS Pollution." Home. EPA, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Pollution can have an impact on our health, not only affecting people with impaired respiratory systems such as asthmatics, but very healthy adults and children too. Plants can be a benefit for pollution in the air, trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed. The more trees we can plant the less pollution we get and more air than just having a huge land and having abandoned buildings taking up space. To solve water pollution is to conserve soil, the best way to combat soil erosion is to keep the banks of waterways well-covered with soil-retaining plants.