When You Wish Upon a Wait. What??! : Light Pollution

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in his book Nature, "Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are!  If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of a city of God which been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile." (6)  What would Emerson see if he took an evening stroll down a street in a city and looked into the night sky in these days? Probably not much but a haze of orange.  Light pollution is becoming a large problem, polluting the once pure darkness which Emerson spoke of.  Light pollution is a term used for artificial light which reflects upwards and contaminates natural light levels in the night sky.  This light hinders the ability for both humans and animals to naturally navigate during the night hours.  Now a days people in and surrounding cities are lucky to catch a glimpse of some of the brightest stars in the sky. From an environmental stand point, there are some serious ecological issues assoiciated with the amount of light pollution.    

One in particular is that it interferes with migration patterns in bird species. Just like almost every other organism on earth, birds rely on the sun and moon for everything.  Realizing that the sun is coming up is an indicator for most animals to get up as well.  However, this can be difficult determine when your nest or migration route runs right through a large city or is underneath a bright street light.  Consequently, several bird deaths can be accounted for by the presence of artificial light.  Similarly, constant exposure to artificial light has been linked to premature mating and migration of several bird species.  This can have extremely serious consequences, imagine birds birthing chicks and not being able to feed them.  Another way light pollution negatively affects animal species is in many nocturnal rodents.  Animals who rely on the blanket of night time darkness are suddenly constantly exposed to potential predators thus disrupting the natural ecosystem.     

"The Wild" : Community Gardens in Philadelphia

Mill Creek Farm (Philadelphia, PA)

In the empty lot - a place
not natural, but wild- among
the trash of human absence,

the slough and shamble
of the city's seasons, a few
old locusts bloom.

A few woods birds
fly and sing
in new foliage
- warblers and tanagers, birds
wild as leaves: in a million
each one would be rare,

new to the eyes. A man
couldn't make a habit
of such color,

such flight and singing.
But they are the habit of this
wasted place.  In them

the ground is wise.  They are
its remembrance of what it is.

                                                                                                         - Wendell Berry

Although community gardens are not environmental issues but in fact a solution for urban environmental problems.  I think it is important to include this post because it shows that humans are making progress.  I feel like this poem by Wendell Berry, titled, The Wild demonstrates how much progress humans have made.  Much like the beautiful birds see the potential in the lot, community gardeners have also displayed this feeling of optimism and wisdom in the land. These gardens transform unused lots from trash filled wastelands to farms which harvest fresh produce and supply the surrounding areas with good food.  In particular, the Mill Creek Farm(pictured above) was a vacated lot in West Philadelphia, resembling the lot described in The Wild when some women figured it would be beneficial to convert it into a small community farm.  These gardens serve a very unique and necessary function in urban communities.  For example, in less fortunate areas of the city, some kids have no access to grocery stores or fresh vegetables. By having access to fresh fruits and vegetables poor inner city  children will have better nutrition and overall health. They can also provide educational experiences for students who might have no agricultural knowledge. Projects like these can educate children in urban areas and help them to be good stewards.  Mill Creek Farm is just 1 of about 400 small community gardens in the Philadelphia area. It is nice to see success stories like this one in the environmental field where so much of the news seems to be negative.  If there is any interest in getting involved in a community garden in the Philadelphia area, here is a link with some additional information on how to volunteer http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/aboutus/volunteer.html

Mass Extinction of Frogs in the Land of Muir

 Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii)
 

Summers for many children in the United States consist of days spent in and out of creeks in search of a particular small slimy creatures.  Salamanders, frogs, and other small amphibians provide essential roles in an ecosystem.  Not to mention they can be great creatures to interest small children and can help them find a love for the environment, an important quality to have these days.  However, in the past decade the population of frogs has plummeted significantly.  Most assume that this can be fixed quickly as we see frogs as a relatively abundant creature.  Sadly, the cause of death for many of these frogs is actually a fungus which causes them to develop chytridiomycosis, which means almost certain death for some species of frogs.  What is crazy about this fungus is that it is beginning to actually interfere with biodiversity in areas which are supposed to be preserves.  In particular, one of the most famous preserves,Yosemite National Park,which has offered a secure environment for most native species, is now beginning to feel adverse affects from this debilitating fungus. Researchers at Berkley found in 2008 that, "The Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog and the Southern Yellow-legged Frog, populations over the last few years declined by 95 to 98 percent, even in highly protected areas such as Yosemite National Park. This means that each local frog population has dwindled to 2 to 5 percent of its former size. Originally, frogs living atop the highest, most remote peaks seemed to thrive, but recently, they also succumbed".  These are astronomical percentages, especially when applying them to an animal which is usually so abundant in the area. 

Carcasses of Southern Yellow-legged Frogs in Sixty Lake Basin in Sierra Nevada, California. The frogs died of chytridiomycosis, an amphibian disease caused by a particularly virulent fungus. (Credit: Vance Vredenburg and Science Daily)

I found an interesting passage after reading John Muir's personal journal, My First Summer in the Sierras. Muir spends much of his time investigating the Yosemite Valley getting to know the native fauna and animal species.  In one entry he marvels at frogs in high altitudes, which I would imagine are the species of frogs at risk today.  He writes, "How did the frogs, found in all the bogs and pools and lakes, however high, manage to get up these mountains?"  a few lines later explains the abundance of the frogs when he writes, " Anyhow, they are here and in hearty health and voice.  I like their cheery tronk and crink.  They take the place of songbirds at a pinch"(200).  Obviously when Muir traveled in these parts, which was in 1869, frogs were still very abundant and in good health.  I also think that he would be extremely disheartened if he found out that these frogs, whose ribits he compares to voice of songbirds are suddenly dying off at extremely high rates, never to be seen or heard again.  However, what is scaring some scientists is the fact that this extinction could be a precursor or an example of what may happen to us humans.  If a creature like the frog, who has survived every other mass extinction suddenly is unequipped to survive, does that not make humans feel a little more vulnerable?

White-Tailed Deer Populations

Another environmental issue which is seen in my "neck of the woods" would be the over population of white-tailed deer.  Increased deer population has not only pestered agricultural projects but it compromises ecosystem stability.  One often overlooks the latter as these docile creatures seldom seem to interfere with our daily lives other than the occasional automobile accident.  However, in reality, over population of deer can have serious consequences for plant and mammal biodiversity in the Northeast.  For example, over browsing of smaller tree species can cause death which then allows faster growing shrub species to replace and block the nutrients of hardwood seedling, necessary for the growth of new trees.  Thus, in some parts of the Northeast there are forest which have an uneven distribution of young and old trees.  A forest which once had great plant diversity and even distribution of old and young trees is now transformed into a forest with a few large older trees and floor of ferns and other small shrubs.   This has been a growing problem for decades now for several reasons.  First off, much of the white-tailed deer's habitat has been destroyed thanks to a great migration towards suburban areas.  These areas which were traditionally used for agriculture or dominated by native tree species have reduced significantly in size and been replaced by large scale housing projects.  This has forced some of the deer population out of their spacious wooded areas and into smaller habitats where they can attack the remaining food supply.  Another reason for this overpopulation is extinction of its natural predators, the gray wolf and mountain lion.  In the past century, wolves and mountain lions were driven out of the area because they were seen as a health concern to humans and livestock.  Additionally, many hunters saw these precious animals which constantly held deer population to a healthy medium, as competitors for the game they wished to hunt.  Humans interference in this fragile ecosystem has caused a complete transformation of Pennsylvania's forests for the worst.

Aldo Leopold

Interestingly, one author, Aldo Leapold seemed to predict this exact situation.  He explains impeccably in his book, Sand County Almanac, which was written in 1949 mind you,

" One of the most insidious invasions of wilderness is via predator control. It works thus: wolves and lions are cleaned out of a wilderness area in the interest of big-game management.  The big-game herds (ussually deer or elk) then increase to the point of overbrowsing the range.  Hunters must then be encouraged to harvest the surplus, but modern hunters refuse to operate far from a car; hence a road must be built to provide access to the surplus game.  Again and again, wilderness areas have been split by this process, but it still continues."(268)

It is remarkable how well Leopold predicted these occurrences.  More remarkably, he attacks the modern hunter for being lazy and explains the necessity for roads and areas to hunt, which again resembles of our modern culture.  In the end he believes that this will shrink the habitats of all creatures ruining a natural wilderness, one which we will never see again.   

Fracking

Finding ways to power our homes and businesses has become quite a problem as of late.  Hostility in the Middle East has made their coveted oil unreliable, while other oil refineries are starting to question just how much longer they can support our energy needs.  In addition, CO2 emissions continue to pollute our atmosphere and increasing the severity of climate change.  For this reason authorities are calling for "cleaner" fuel, thus limiting coals usage.  A few years ago, it was discovered that natural gas could be mined from gas and oil that has been built up and stuck in between rock layers.  This process is called hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" and it uses highly pressurized fluid to break the rock layer, thus releasing the stored natural gas.  This gas is then collected, sold, and used for energy.  Recently, natural gas was found to be an abundant resource in central Pennsylvania, just hours from my home.  All of this sounds terrific; mining the area would offer jobs for community members, it is in abundance so we could use it for as a source of power for a long period of time.  Finally, its found right here in our backyard so we would not have to import as much foreign oil.  However, this process is beginning to ruin both the environment and the well being of the people who occupy lands surrounding the areas of fracking.  In numerous accounts, faulty equipment and suspicious precautionary measures have caused natural gas to contaminate the water table of those who live near mines.  Drinking this water has obvious health consequences, and it is noted that it can lead to cancer and death.  Here is a video which give insight into the pain which fracking has caused some families throughout the country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8

However, in relation to authors I have read, fracking has made me address this issue in a different way.  After reading the book Solar Storms by Linda  Hogan, I tend to look at this as just a quick fix.  It doesn't matter if it ruins the lives and homes of humans and wildlife, this new way of extracting gas will be an energy source for privileged individuals who wish to power and heat their lavish and often wasteful homes.  This issue is similar to one which Hogan's fictional characters face as a river, which runs through their Native American reservation, has been ordered to be dammed, ruining the landscape and way of life for its inhabitants.  One wise man on the reservation critiques the men who planned to dam the river for energy and is documented saying "That such men could not see all they way to the end of their actions. They were shortsighted.  They had no vision."(Hogan 289)  This quote can be used analogous to they way Shale miners have begun to invade communities by which some of its inhabitants are unwilling to have such acts take place.  However, in the end, both the reservation in Hogan's book and the land nearby natural gas mines has been forever tarnished.  It is yet another example of humans commodifying aspects of the environment and ruining the livelihoods of everything which calls that place home.