Author Archives: Ellen

Make Impermeable Roads Permeable?

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Innovators: Better Roads Ahead

Researchers at Washington State University discuss problems involved with the construction and use of roads in urban settings. Once a city is paved and the quantity of permeable land is reduced, pollution builds up on roads, awaiting the next heavy rainfall to wash it away. Since this rain is then unable to reenter ground water due to the pavement, it instead flows into sewers and directly into waterways. This inhibits the ground from filtering the pollutants and flushes large quantities of the pollutants into rivers and streams in a short time. These researchers purpose a new type a pavement that would allow for water to permeate through it and enter the ground, helping to mitigate the issue.

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Deforestation is only the beginning

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While roads may bring short-term (and in some cases long-term as well) economic boosts, the end result may negatively affect human health. Unfortunately, numerous newly-constructed roads in the Amazon illustrate this, as can be shown in studies performed by John Hopkins researchers. This article examines the relationship between roads, deforestation, and malaria.

Stop the construction of the A4!

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Stoppt den Bau der Autobahn A4! (Stop the building of the A4 highway)

This site is a well-organized site lobbying for public support on an issue concerning the building of a new highway on the Autobahn. Of course, this site must be biased to a certain extent since it poses itself against a specific road construction plan. It presents well-documented and researched information and facts throughout, but parts are now and then written in a poetic way to inspire feelings from the reader (for instance, the description of certain forests or reservoirs the highway would cut through).

It includes many links informing one of where the road will be, which well-known and important natural areas is cuts through, and the arguments for and against the construction. The position promoting the highway is presented by the display of a list of well-documented quotes from politicians. The argument opposing the construction is illustrated with large, bold font and smaller font describing each point underneath. For instance, the imposing road would (and now does) run through “das Rothaargebrige” (a reservoir with floodplains, rare species, and important ecological significance), “der Burgwald” (a forest with an old castle and highly populated with animal species that would not be able to survive if the roads were fragmented and more humans moved into the area), and many other natural areas. Not only are environmental issues put forth, but the authors also include a few other reasons the highway would damage more than benefit the land and people through which it would run and why is it not needed.

The site did not prevent the installation of this highway, but it has added to the literature and awareness of the damage roads can pose to natural ecosystems and pristine areas.

And nature thanks you!

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Roads open doors into pure environments. After opened, the result is often one of invasion allowing the once pristine landscapes and ecosystems to become littered and exploited.

Photo by Christoph Vandercam

The discarded reusable bag, ‘et la nature vous dit merci!’, now cluttering the ground, wasted, speaks for itself. The location is Charleroi, imbedded within the Pays Noir. The city was able to boom after a bridge was built in the 17th century, connecting it with roads to the rest of civilization and allowing population growth and industrial activity.