"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man. " ~ Author Unknown
"Man's destiny is tied to nature's destiny" ~ Marston Bates
America is a jewel among the nations of our present-day world, treasured not only for its principles and powerful ideals but also for its rich and opportune land. For centuries, its amber waves of grain, fruited plains, and purple mountain majesties have sustained the American livelihood and nourished an ambitious, ever-growing nation (Bates). Generations have reaped the bounties of the land, cultivating and increasingly transforming wilderness into civilization, harnessing resources and wildlife without consideration of their limited allotments. Man has become adept at exploiting the earth and has already left an indelible mark upon his surroundings. America the beautiful, as we know it, could cease to exist if we continue to misuse its natural provisions, such as animal resources, lumber, and fuels (Bates) . Nature is unfortunately a very disposable and sensitive commodity, and therefore we must control our use of it for the benefit of future generations and to prevent issues such as those which have already become prevalent in America.
Linked inseparably to the environment, animal species are a vital part of nature and constitute a major resource for humans. Man swiftly learned to take advantage of them and still continues to today, with an efficiency that is harming ecosystems. Americans consume more meat every year, and thus species' numbers are shrinking accordingly. As the years pass, the American esteem for food is throwing certain animals into a population plight. Fish have been especially hit hard as a result of commercial fishing, and many species are becoming endangered. Pelagic fish are extremely reduced in number because of overfishing in the 1970's and 1980's. A multitude of fish are at less than ten percent of their original stocks, yet fishermen continue to harvest them. In addition, fishing methods have been highly destructive to ocean habitats. Trawling and dredging harm the seafloor, plants, and animals, and other methods such as longlining, gillnetting, and purse seining capture a lot of bycatch. Fish in shallow waters have been so over-exploited that fishermen are turning to the deep seas: "Although limited commercial fishing of the deep has been practiced for decades, new sciences and technologies are making it more practical and efficient. As stocks of better-known fish shrink and international quotas tighten, experts say the deep ocean will increasingly be targeted as a source of seafood. Scientists worry that the rush for deep-sea food will upset the ecology of the ocean" (Evans pg. 167). Our carnivorous culture is upsetting the environment and depleting limited animal populations, and when coupled with our mistreatment of the land, is taking a huge toll on species. As humans civilize and alter areas, animals are killed as a secondary result of our actions. Habitat loss, over-hunting, the introduction of invasive species, species population reductions, and the loss of food sources can all be attributed to mankind: "Most scientists agree that prospects for the survival of many species of wildlife, and hence biodiversity, are worsening" (Evans pg. 163). Many endangered species exist in America, such as the American Bison, wolves, and an abundance of bird species like certain woodpeckers, the bobwhite quail, and cranes. Hawaiian birds are nearly all extinct; ever since its colonization in 300 A.D., seventy-one bird species have disappeared forever and ten others have not been seen for forty years. Nearly 39% of American marine bird species are in decline, half of the American coastally migrating birds are in decline, and there has been a 40% decrease in grassland fowl over the past forty years (
www.sciencedaily.com). Birds and fish are just a minor component of all of the affected animals suffering by man's hand, and demonstrate the magnitude of the issue. The poor health of the environment, as well as its disposability, is reflected in America's ailing animal populations.
Along with their inhabitants, American forests are also falling prey to modernization and the greedy ambitions of man. Trees possess important roles in ecosystems: they influence local and regional climate, stabilize global climate, create oxygen, regulate the hydrologic cycle, hold soil in place, and provide a home for plants and animals. Wooded areas recycle nutrients, help to sustain water resources, and act as a buffer to filter water. In addition to natural benefits, forests offer employment opportunities for forest workers and recreation for the American people. All of these aspects are jeopardized by unnecessary logging and the destruction of woodland areas. With excessive logging comes drought, soil erosion and the loss of valuable topsoil, flooding, water contamination due to sediment debris, harm to the climate, the death and local and global extinction of some species, and a loss of biodiversity and ecological function. In addition, many forest fires are due to the accidents of logging companies. The heavily logged landscape is not only an unbalanced, suffering habitat but an unsightly one that is forever changed: "Most experts contend that, when a natural forest is clear-cut and replanted with commercially valuable trees, the plot becomes a tree farm, not a forest, and the biological interaction is damaged. Primary forests represent centuries, perhaps a millennium, of undisturbed growth. Trees will rebound after clear-cutting within seventy to one hundred and fifty years but, researchers have found, the plants and herbs of the understory (growth under the canopy of the trees) never regain the richness of species diversity and complexity of their predecessors" (Evans pg. 158). Even though wood is a renewable resource, its use comes at the high cost of animal and plant life, the health of ecosystems, and peoples' ability to enjoy nature. Logging without moderation carries dire consequences that have already affected areas throughout the nation, and sadly these environmental harms can never be fully reversed.
A resource that is already beginning to dwindle is that of fossil fuels. These valuable energy sources power transportation, industry, and the very essence of American society; however, their depletion lies imposingly on the horizon and our failure to convert to an alternative energy source is harming the environment, as fossil fuels possess undesirable side effects. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas, and they originate to about 360-286 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period, which was long before even dinosaurs walked the planet (
www.energyquest.ca.gov). These fuels are found within the rocks of Earth's surface, and formed as a result of geological processes acting upon dead animal and plant matter. Gas and oil are composed of sea creatures and plants that fell to the seabed, were compressed under sediments and mud over millions of years, and were transformed by pressure and heat. As the Earth's crust moves, profitable and coveted pockets of oil and gas accumulate between non-porous rocks. These reserves can be found in several places within America, such as in Alaska and California. Despite the apparently substantial supply, oil and gas will not last forever- experts contend that the world's crude oil and gas sources will only last for seventy more years. Burning gas and oil releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn triggers the greenhouse effect and global warming. The transportation of oil risks the pollution of water and beaches, harm to wildlife, and environmentally disastrous oil slicks. The third fossil fuel, coal, is made from plants and trees that fell into ancient swamp forests. The water prevented them from decaying completely and changed them into layers of peat, which then accumulated and eventually became coal. The United States boasts large deposits in its lower forty-eight states, such as in Pennsylvania. The world has more coal than oil and gas, but it is only projected to last into the next century. When burned, coal produces harmful carbon monoxide, smog, soot, and more carbon dioxide than oil and gas produce. Some types of coal also produce sulfur, which pollutes the atmosphere and contributes to acid rain. Coal deposits are far below the surface and difficult to access, thus they are extracted through mining, strip mining, and drilling. All of these methods cause great harm to landscapes and ecosystems. Fossil fuels may be invaluable for running the country, but their availability is decreasing rapidly and their use continues to damage the environment.
In contrast, many believe that the unlimited use of resources is justified. Their viewpoint could be summed up in the following statement: Natural resources are needed by industries and their use helps to advance America in the modern world; their depletion is not a major concern, their use does not cause considerable harm to the environment, and humankind's needs take priority over wildlife's. They argue that humans need provisions from the Earth in order to live: "Materials extracted from the Earth are needed to provide humans with food, clothing, and housing and to continually upgrade the standard of living" (Evans pg. 167). These materials do indeed sustain life and enable modernization, but people fail to realize that they can be used in excess. Exhausting natural resources is a possibility, and scientific research has proven that supplies are shrinking and that the environment is suffering. The depletion of resources is a looming concern, and needs to be taken seriously. Actions taken at present regarding the issue will impact America's future, meaning that if we continue to go through our natural resources at such a gluttonous rate, they may cease to exist within a matter of decades or centuries. Without resources, there is nothing to fuel industry, let alone a nation. Americans need to monitor resource usage, to preserve them for as long as possible. Even though humans have become established as the dominant species, they still withhold a duty to all other species. This duty includes acting in wildlife's best interests, so mankind should not selfishly consume resources and alter the environment in his favor.
America is a powerful nation, following unsurpassed ambitions and ideals that are made possible by the country's natural provisions; the peoples' treatment of resources, however, does not reflect the necessary caution and control. Natural resources are over-used, and the environment is growing ever unhealthier. Animal populations are exploited for food, and new species are continually appearing on the list of endangered animals. As Americans expand into the wilderness and harvest lumber, forest ecosystems are heavily damaged and never return to their original state. Fuel resources are being guzzled without cease, and their byproducts are poisoning the atmosphere. The environmental situation in America is worsening with time, and demands that limitations be placed on natural resources before their allotments expire. Regulating human interaction with nature will immeasurably improve the environment's health, the well-being of organisms, peoples' lifestyles, and will ensure that America the beautiful can be enjoyed for generations to come (Bates).
