Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
While skeptics of the approach remain, the “cap and trade” program was deemed a success, one that
could be applied to greenhouse gases as well—a larger and far more difficult problem than pollution.
What Are Wetlands?
This question is not as simple as it sounds. For instance, did you ever hear of the National Wetlands Co-
alition? Sounds like a nice ecologically correct organization, a gentle “save the earth” group devoted to
protecting natural resources. In fact, this coalition includes representatives of five oil companies, and one
of their missions is to get the United States government to define “wetlands” in a manner more to their
liking.
During his presidential campaign of 1988, when George H. W. Bush pledged he would be the “envir-
onmental president” as well as the “education president” and the “war against drugs president,” the can-
didate also said that “all existing wetlands, no matter how small, should be preserved.” This was no small
promise. The United States currently has about 100 million acres of wetlands. But America has lost half
its wetlands, most of them to agriculture, and largely during the past twenty years. Florida's Everglades,
for instance, were progressively drained for agriculture for a century. But plenty of acres of wetlands have
also been paved over to make way for condos and shopping malls.
And here's where things get tricky. How do you define “wetlands”? One person's wetland is another
person's swamp, marsh, or bog. The world's wetland areas—which also include fens, estuaries, and tidal
flats—make up 6 percent of the earth's land surface and are among the most fecund and productive ecosys-
tems in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund's
Atlas of the Environment
, “they provide critical
habitats for thousands of species of plants and animals, yield up food, fiber and building materials, play
important roles in regulating water cycles, filter pollution and guard shorelines from the depredations of
the sea.”
Coastal wetlands—estuaries, salt marshes, and tidal flats—are vital spawning and nursery areas for fish
and shellfish. Two thirds of the fish caught worldwide are hatched in tidal zones. Wetlands also act as
nature's pollution-control and sewage-treatment plants. Viruses, coliform bacteria (from fecal matter), and
suspended solids normally left after waste is processed in secondary sewage treatment plants can be trans-
formed and made harmless through wetlands. In Hungary, for instance, peat bogs have long been used as
natural filters for waste water from sewage plants.
The threat to these valuable systems isn't limited to the United States. Wetlands along the Nile delta,
the once incredibly fertile area where Western civilization was practically born, are shrinking at a fast
pace. Irrigation projects and drainage of coastal wetlands are destroying an area that is home to 50 million
Egyptians. Near southern Spain's Doñana National Park, a sort of European Everglades, conservationists
are fighting developers who want to replace the important breeding grounds with hotels, marinas, and golf
courses. Farmers want the land to be drained for cultivating rice and strawberries. Conservationists argue
that an environmentally correct resort that would attract nature-loving tourists is preferable to the planned
development. To the farmers, they recommend turning to crops that demand less water. The situation in
southern Spain is a typical case of the battle between conservation and outright development. Named to
the UN's World Heritage Site list, the park's general state of preservation in 2012 was called “satisfactory.”
But it continues to face numerous threats, including agricultural development, tourism, poaching, over-
grazing, and illegal exploitation of crayfish.
According to UNESCO, “Doñana National Park has been a testing ground for conservation in Spain
and has become very well known throughout Europe due to the controversies faced there and the innov-
ative management approaches that have been taken . . . Doñana National Park is a resilient system, and
