Introduction
In recent years, environmental discrimination becomes an inevitable evil affected all geographical regions. In the real world, people strive for the national interest as they subjectively perceive it. Among policy-makers, the level of attention given to the concept of the saving national environment by the major powers has fluctuated with the degree of concern over their clarity of thinking in foreign policy. In the USA, much of society has long believed wetlands to be insect and disease-infested, barriers to movement, and deterrents to development. The redeeming features of wetlands are perceived to be their role as refuges from persecution or attack and their regulatory effects on runoff, acting like sponges to soak up floodwaters and then to release this water over the dry season.
Urbanization and biomass
The authors Carson and Quinn admit that with urbanization, impermeable roofs, paved roads, and sidewalks replace permeable soil areas, resulting in increased runoff and reduced groundwater recharge To compensate for this loss of recharge, recharge wells that route runoff directly down to aquifers and recharge basins that trap runoff and provide time for infiltration into groundwater have been constructed. Although recharge basins and wells are beneficial in restoring potentially lost recharge to the underlying aquifers, they can be sources of contamination. Many of these contaminants are not biodegradable and may continue to persist in groundwater at levels dangerous to health for long periods of time. Similarly, private wells, although not unique to urbanization, can be problematic in urban areas where high population densities tap into shallow aquifers. If not installed properly, these wells may serve as conduits for the flow and seepage of pollutants from surface water into groundwater. Quinn admits that wildlife extinction is real dander for more than 200 species “Those 200 species are becoming extinct because they have something we need. We need the living stuff they’re made of. We need their biomass in order to maintain our biomass” (Quinn). Effects of excessive withdrawal include declining groundwater levels and in some cases declining surface water levels and desiccation of wetlands. In coastal areas, overpumping may induce landward movement of the fresh-saltwater interface, causing saltwater intrusion of coastal freshwater wells. This problem is primarily associated with high water demand from large population centers rather than agricultural activities, and it is clear that saltwater intrusion is a potential threat when areas proximal to the sea are developed Excessive withdrawals of groundwater can also cause ground subsidence, which has resulted in damage to building structures, highways, pipelines, and tunnels.
Croplands and pesticides
Carson admits that the use of pesticides ruins the natural environment and increases degradation. She writes that: “On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs” (Carson). Wetlands have been viewed as wastelands and, generally speaking, too many a farmer or developer, a good wetland is a drained wetland. Wetland researchers, however, have recognized the multiple functions served by wetlands. They provide habitats for fish, wildlife, and migratory birds. Wetlands near population centers offer recreational opportunities. Their peat is a source of fuel and industrial raw materials. The conversion for agricultural, silvicultural, pastoral, or urban usage is preceded by a transformation in wetland hydrology. Restoration does not end with hydrology alone—other wetland attributes must be considered. The engineering work required to change the water storage and flow in a wetland may take up to 10 years, as does the alteration of topography that accompanies these hydrologic changes. Sedimentation and vegetation change may take up to 100 years to attain a new equilibrium. Chemical and physical changes of the sediments and accumulation of peat will take on the order of 100 to 1000 years, depending on climate and the biogeochemical environment. In addition, the hydrology of many wetlands is influenced by conditions upstream of, or surrounding, the wetlands. Even after the internal morphology, hydrology, and ecology are restored to a wetland, it may still be affected by stream inflow and/or lateral runoff from adjacent slopes, both of which could have been irreversibly changed by human activities.
Conclusion
In sum, the dislodged and broken soil particles plug infiltration routes and become susceptible to erosion by overland flow. Without vegetation cover, overland flow encounters few obstacles to slow its velocity. Increases in the velocity of surface runoff produce geometric increases in erosive energy. The depletion of organic content by oxidation and erosion reduced the porosity by about 10% below its original value for the prairie soil.
Works Cited
Carson, R. “Fable for tomorrow”. New International. 2000. Web.
Quinn, Daniel. The New Renaissance. 2004. Web.