The United States - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 47

Halliburton Corporation, a company that is a major supplier of equipment
for shale drilling. Dispersion of authority to the state or local level was
advantageous to the drillers.
Exotic species were recognized as a new threat. These were plants or
animals introduced into North America accidentally (or even intention-
ally) from Europe, Asia, or Africa that flourished in their new home, often
because they had no natural enemies. These invasive species could quickly
overrun native species. In their home countries, they were kept in check
by natural predators. Actually, the phenomenon had been occurring since
colonial times, but increased international commerce accelerated the
threat. One avenue was the ballast water of ships. Zebra mussels arrived
this way from Russia and quickly spread through the Great Lakes, displac-
ing native mussels and clogging intake pipes for drinking supplies and
cooling water. Their damage has been estimated at $500 million a year.
The round goby invaded as well, also from Russia. It ate the eggs of native
fish like bass, walleye, and salmon. At first the shipping companies denied
the problem and resisted regulation. Congress passed the Invasive Species
Act in 1996, but this expired 6 years later.
The Asian carp was a threat everyone could recognize. During the 1970s
fish farmers in southern states like Arkansas and Louisiana imported the
fish to reduce the amount of plants and algae in their ponds. They consume
up to 20% of their body weight per day in plankton and can grow to over
100 pounds. Soon many escaped and began reproducing vigorously. The
carp spread up the Mississippi River. Fishermen found they were eating
the food that supported native game fish. Recreational boaters encoun-
tered them literally in the air. When frightened by the sound of an out-
board motor, the silver carp jumps several feet out of the water and may
strike a boater. One fear has been that they might enter the Great Lakes via
the Chicago River, then spread widely. An answer was to totally close the
river, but Illinois businesses and politicians resisted. In an unusual step,
the state of Michigan sued the state of Illinois in the US court.
Burmese pythons drew a lot of attention in the Florida Everglades.
Hobbyists bought these tropical snakes as pets, and when they grew too big,
had to get rid of them. An adult can grow up to 17 feet long and weigh up to
165 pounds. They eat muskrats, storks, and small deer. One snake was filmed
eating an alligator. While pythons cannot survive the winter climate in most
of the United States, the Everglades are warm enough that abandoned pets
thrived and reproduced. The state Fish and Wildlife Commission sponsored
a python hunt for amateurs to shoot them. Prizes of $1000 were offered, and