Saturday, May 15, 2010

Environmental impacts of visitors on Grand Canyon

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/parks-and-nature-places/cave-canyon-desert/us_grandcanyon.html

Its the elephant in the room that is not often mentioned. Grand Canyon National Park gets millions of visitors a year, arriving in gasoline or diesel powered vehicles, staying in large hotels and lodges along the Canyon rim, and enjoying the full range of comforts from home. There is an environmental impact of potentially loving the area to death. National Geographic briefly examines

This video struck me in part because AZGS is currently a cooperating agency with the BLM's EIS process to look at the potential environmental impacts of uranium breccia pipe exploration and mining in northern Arizona. I don't know how the tourism impacts would stand up to the same rigorous scrutiny.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:37 PM

    I thought AZGS was a professional geological society; your posts on this issue continue to suggest that the AZGS has a pro-uranium mining agenda. Is AZGS a professional society or an advocacy group?

    I have to say that as a geology enthusiast I find your pro-mining slant pretty disappointing. And I find it worrisome that you would bring such bias into an EIS process under the guise of a "cooperating agency."

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  2. Larry Turner8:24 AM

    I have to say as yet another geology enthusiast that I find your open-mindedness regarding ALL of the various impacts of man on the Grand Canyon region extremely heartening. I find it not at all worrisome that you would bring such equal-handedness into the ongoing EIS process.

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