The Essential Role of Environmental Protections
Imagine you're in a forest, surrounded by trees with unique bark patterns. You look up, unable to see the tops; a bird darts past, singing its song. The wind whistles, bees buzz, and all the sounds create a perfect melody. Colorful flowers ripple at your feet, their fresh aroma tickling your nose. A butterfly with shiny blue wings glints in the light as it lands on a flower to pollinate it. Whether or not you enjoy nature, we can agree on one thing: nature is beautiful. Without protections, however, none of that would be possible. To keep nature and the environment safe, there must be protections and policies in place.
Yellowstone was the first territory in our nation to be protected and designated as a National Park. As stated by the National Park Service, “On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law.” Later, on August 25th, 1916, the signing of The National Park Service Act by President Woodrow Wilson established the National Park Service and led to the protection of over 85 million acres of land across the US, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. Before the 1872 Protection Act, there were no other laws protecting federal lands from development. Out of fear of development harming the natural beauty of Yellowstone, local residents petitioned and pleaded with Congress. They sent expeditions into Yellowstone to conduct studies and take photos to convince Congress to protect the land. Their efforts ultimately led to the passage of the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act.
According to recent data from the National Park Service, “Today, the roughly 1,491 native taxa in the park represent the 1,404 species that have historically persisted in the area that recolonized after glaciers, lava flows, and other major disturbances.” These governmental protections not only preserve the flora in Yellowstone, but also the fauna. “There are nearly 300 species of birds, 16 species of fish, five species of amphibians, six species of reptiles, and 67 species of mammals—including seven native ungulate species and two bear species.”
Because Yellowstone is a national park, many plants and animals are protected. The government not only protects these animals and plants, but also allows people from around the world to travel and experience Yellowstone’s beautiful sights. For example, Yellowstone has 50 to 60 percent of the world's total number of geysers, an incredible phenomenon. Yellowstone also has 1.77 million acres of forest, making up 80% of the park's total land area. To put this into perspective, the park’s total land area is bigger than the state of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Due to the park’s land being protected, trees can not be cut down, improving the air quality of the surrounding area. The World Wildlife Fund states, “when forests are cut, burned, or otherwise removed, they emit carbon instead of absorbing carbon. In 2023, deforestation accounted for about 6% of global emissions.” If Yellowstone were not protected, it would likely have already been logged, leading to significant air pollution at a time when air pollution is already at record highs.
Failing to protect the environment not only harms the inhabitants of the land, plants and animals, but also greatly affects our livelihoods, including our physical and mental health. Air pollution already causes 1 in 8 deaths globally, according to the State of Global Air. When there are no protection policies in place, people and companies can produce as much emissions as they desire, leading to significant air pollution. This hurts individuals, and can also hurt entire communities. For example, the MIT school of business found that, “Across the board, air pollution — a mixture of particulate matter, metals, and other gases and compounds — causes decreases in happiness and increases in depression. Cognitively, it impairs functioning and decision-making. Economically, it hurts work productivity. And socially, it exacerbates criminal behavior.” Moreover, a large study of people in the U.S. and Denmark found that exposure to air pollution “is significantly associated with increased risk of psychiatric disorders,” including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and personality disorder,” states the American Psychiatric Association. Air pollution is not always visible and is more prevalent than many realize. The American Lung Association cites a report that found that “in the U.S., 46% of people live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one of the air pollutants included – ozone pollution, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution. That’s about 156 million people in total who are breathing unhealthy air.” Environmental protection policies can help protect people's health and their lungs. If more areas were like Yellowstone, where the land is protected, people would live happier, healthier, and more productive lives.
While some may worry that protecting the environment could have harmful effects on the economy, evidence shows that certain regulations and protections actually help the economy and protect the resources that keep it functioning, like wood and oil. Steve Cohen from Columbia Climate School states that, “There is nothing incompatible with capitalism and environmental protection as long as rules are in place that control the environmental impacts of the products and services we make and use, and environmental protection itself contributes to economic growth.” And apart from regulations and protections, national parks also contribute significantly to the economy. In the surrounding areas of Yellowstone, tourism at the national park “supported a total of 6,560 jobs, $322 million in labor income, $544 million in value added, and $903 million in economic output.”
Not only does protecting the environment protect people's health and strengthen the economy, but it also protects the beauty of nature and our planet. It can also lead to unity, something our nation desperately needs right now. Studies show that nature plays a fundamental role in uniting people from all over. Ultimately, no matter where you live and what you believe, you can enjoy nature.
If you want to help protect the environment and our nation’s national parks, you can stand up for the environment, organize protests, vote for people who will protect the environment and vote in favor of measures to preserve the environment, and petition the government for stronger environmental protections.
If we work together, we can help ensure a safer, healthier world for present and future generations.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/01/27/economic-growth-environmental-sustainability/ https://www.stateofglobalair.org/hap#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20accounts%20for%20more,linked%20to%20non%2Dcommunicable%20diseases.
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/7-health-benefits-spending-time-nature https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/air-pollutions-impact-on-mental-health https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/psychological-economic-and-social-costs-air-pollution https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/thermal-basin-exploring.htm https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/plants.htm https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wildlife.htm https://www.nps.gov/articles/quick-nps-history.htm https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/president-grant-and-the-yellowstone-national-park-protection-act.htm https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/faqs.htm https://www.lung.org/blog/sota-pollution-health-risks https://www.nps.gov/nature/customcf/NPS_Data_Visualization/park.html?park=YELL