One would think that national parks would be mostly clear of the harmful pollutants found in urban and suburban areas, right?
Wrong. The Associated Press used data from the EPA and National Park Service to compile a list of the most polluted national parks in the country, and on the top of the list is California's Sequoia National Park, with 87 days of recorded dangerous smog levels. Ozone levels here are comparable to urban settings such as LA.
Think what happens in the cities doesn't affect America's most beautiful landscapes? Think again.
Rankings:
Sequoia National Park, CA
Number of violations in 2011: 87
Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Number of violations in 2011: 56
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC
Number of violations in 2011: 12
Yosemite National Park, CA
Number of violations in 2011: 8
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Number of violations in 2011: 8
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Number of violations in 2011: 7
Mojave National Preserve, CA
Number of violations in 2011: 6
http://www.energydigital.com/green_technology/us-national-parks-ranked-by-air-pollution
I was shocked to see that so many of our national parks have air quality that is just as bad - or worse - as urban areas. Something needs to be done to fix this; if not, the wildlife will suffer greatly.
Questions:
1) how did the parks get this polluted?
2) what can be done to fix this?
3) if it can be fixed, will people be willing to or will money get in the way (again)?
This is a real problem, but it is to be expected I suppose. Currents in the air are more than capable of dispersing pollution over long distances. But at the same time, I would have thought that the intensity of the pollution would be lessened by the journey, but apparently not. More people need to realize this so that pollution is taken more seriously. National parks are supposed to be sort of sanctuaries for nature, untouched. It is a shame that they simply cannot be that way in this day and age without major change.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing the only true way to fix this is to eliminate the pollution at its source. People could cut down on driving automobiles, and perhaps certain money-conscious high-polluting industries could be given tax incentives to cut down on the level of pollution they produce.