Warner Pacific College
January 18, 2012
Society’s Needs and the Environment
The growth in the United States population in recent decades has placed an immense stress on our environment. According to the US Census, in the last decade the population in our country has increased from 281.4 million in 2000 to 308.7 in 2010. These numbers shows a population increase of 27.3 million over a ten year expand. To accommodate the increasing number of people in our country, individuals would once again tap into our environment’s resources. The usage of land would be the main requirement demanded by such a large amount of people. This need would create conflicts between society, and the protection against adverse impacts to the environment. To help aid with the land usage conflicts, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management created regulations and laws to help protect the environment.
"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within The United States Department of Interior which is responsible for managing approximately 258 million acres of public lands” (blm.gov, 2009).
Among those regulations put in place by The Bureau of Land Management are the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Both acts were inspired by the concerned citizens in collaboration with our government to protect the environment. The Clean Air Act was created on the premises of pollution reduction in the United States. Due to increase in population in The United States, the air quality is deteriorating by the day. Having a bad air quality can create serious health risks in the population of this country. To afford the amenities that our society has to offer, the majority of the population depends on cars to go back and forth from work. Cars produce a large amount of pollution and greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. There are many other contributors to the damage of our air quality such as factories and other mechanical devices that run with internal combustion engines. Having this kind of law, forces the automobile industry have to follow a stricter guidelines in regards to pollution and to be more conscientious of the environment.
The other regulation is the Clean Water Act. Another issue with a large population is the usage of water. As we all know, water is the life giving element to all the creatures on earth. The Clean Water Act has helped our society promote save practices to help the environment to flourish with hope. The objective of the clean water Act is to restore and maintain the integrity of the United States water. Another goal for The Clean Water Act is to reduce the release of contaminants into ours creeks, rivers, and lakes. The Clean Water Act helps our society enjoy the benefits of having clean water; without it our society will disappear. Clean water is much more of a priority to U.S. citizens and it should be our daily fight for survival. We should focus all our efforts and the advances of science made to clean our water ways and totally reverse all the damage done to them.
In conclusion, these regulations were a well thought out group of ideas that I support completely. The environment is a subject that we all should pay attention to. The population in our country has grown in a significant rate, and so has the misuse of our natural resources. A larger population should equal a greater number of individuals willing to save the environment. After all, our existing as a human race depends on it.
References
blm.gov. (2009, March). Memorandum of Understanding. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from www.blm.gov: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/Planning_and_Renewable_Resources/0.Par.97719.File.dat/BLM_MOU_WO-200-2009-03.pdf
Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, October 20). Regulations. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from www.epa.gov: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/regulations/
Mackun, P., & Wilson, S. (2011, March). Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2012, from www.census.gov: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-01.pdf
Withgott, J., & Brennan, S. (2011). Environment: The Science Behind The Stories. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
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