Connecting Past and Present
February 26, 2022 By: Zhuorui Ye
One of the recent media articles related to the concept of conservation is “‘Everyone Came at Once’: America’s National Parks Reckon with Record-Smashing Year” by Annette McGivney, published in The Guardian. This media article talks about the effects of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. People began arriving in large numbers at the parks, which has led to more trash, diminishing the visitor experience in some regions.[1] McGivney’s article is related to the idea of conservation discussed in Unit 3, particularly about the ever-important role of conserving natural resources and ensuring changes in how humans connect with the environment. From the lessons in Unit 3, the article presents the challenges faced in conservation efforts because the influx of people in the parks implies hindered conservation efforts.
Anne Maassen and Rogier van den Berg’s recent media article, “3 Essential Questions for Cities in 2022”, published in the World Economic Forum, connects to the theme of urbanization discussed in Unit 3. The article argues that cities in 2022 will have to deal with increased urbanization, causing environmental effect problems for city planners and environmentalists.[2] Furthermore, the article highlights the effects of urbanization, such as extreme weather and supply chain disruptions, forcing cities to develop sustainability frameworks to prevent breakdowns and ensure better living conditions for residents.[3] Maassen and van den Berg’s assertions relate to readings and materials in Unit 3, which state that urbanization has led to environmental degradation because it has caused many problems, such as noise, air pollution, and waste disposal challenges.
[1] Annette McGivney, “‘Everyone Came at Once’: America’s National Parks Reckon with Record-Smashing Year,” The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/01/national-parks-us-tourism-crowds-busy.
[2] Anne Maassen and Rogier van den Berg, “3 Essential Questions for Cities in 2022,” World Economic Forum, 2022, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/cities-2022-climate-change-covid/.
[3] Maassen and van den Berg, “3 Essential Questions for Cities in 2022.”