Article 2: Issues with the Wall

Laura Parker talks about how the proposed wall at the border between Mexico and the United States. She opens the article discussing how walls are often built to keep people out, but many times it does not keep people from coming in. She focuses much of her article in the physical implications of building such a large wall. The wall would bisect several different eco-regions that are home to several endangered animals and plants. The wall would go right through seven different wildlife conservation areas. It will also reduce chances of survival for animals in general because they have less room to roam for food and they have not way to escape fires and floods.

It also could cause a lot of issues with flooding. She references a situation in 2008 in Southwest Arizona where a five miles long, fifteen foot high mesh fence cause flooding up to seven feet high. Other issues with water include the Rio Grande. This river changes path from time to time so creation of the wall would essentially give more land to Mexico and leave several groupings of people outside the wall even though they are American citizens.

Parker ends her article talking about how the construction of this wall would not be help to the same requirements and laws that exist. The wall would fall exempt from the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act because of the REAL ID Act which allows Homeland Security to bypass any laws in the name of national security.

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/how-trump-us-mexico-border-wall-could-impact-environment-wildlife-water/