Past and Present – Urbanization and Parks
March 12, 2023 By: Allegra Solecki
Article 1
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine.html
This article is a recent one from the New York times, and the story itself made international news due to the health and environmental concerns. On February 3rd in East Palestine, Ohio, a train carrying approximately 150 cars of toxic chemicals derailed. The derailment caused a large explosion and subsequent fire, releasing an unknown amount and combination of toxic fumes and chemicals into the surrounding environment. Local residents of the town are complaining of rashes, coughing & breathing problems and headaches, while officials are still investigating the issue. Additionally, the spill contaminated nearby waterways and was found 7.5 miles downstream from the derailment site, and an estimated 3,500 fish died as a result. This story reminds me of Steinberg’s chapter 10 “ Death of the Organic City”, in which polluted water from untreated human sewage changed the water and lead to the death of many fish.
Article 2
This January 2023 article from CTV news explains how Parks Canada is restricting visitors and cars to Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta. Tourism in Banff has increased so much in the last decade, that the sheer volume of cars arriving is causing concern for the protected area of the national park. By limiting the number of cars, the hope is to keep the are protected and preserve its natural beauty. Visitors are allowed to park in the nearby town and take public transportation or shuttle services instead, so they can still experience Moraine Lake but with less environmental impact. This relates to Unit 3 topic 2, the Parks Movement, where we learned that it is a delicate balance between protecting and conserving the environment, while allowing the public to enjoy the space, and also making a profit.
In the area I live the conservation of natural parks has always come with the increased ability for the residence to enjoy nature in its preserved state. I have not considered the contraction this can present for conservation efforts. Humans have adopted behaviour’s that threaten the natural beauty that is trying to be preserved, however, limiting their access does not quite seem like the right answer. I agree that the public should be able to access the national parks with the restriction in place that their problematic behaviours are not welcome.