Heading for the top
Keeping the environment clean and repairing the damage caused by humans is something we’re passionate about. Our species has caused huge changes right across the globe, and even the few parts of the world that remain uninhabited by people have not escaped change as a result of the way that we live. There’s no better example than the melting of the ice caps, which in turn have resulted in rising sea levels to show the knock on effect of the progress so many in our population strive for.
There’s no end in sight for things like pollution and deforestation, as too much of the world’s economy depend on these ecologically damaging activities, so for the short term at least, the best we can hope for is to reduce the impact through education, cleaner advancements in technology, and clearing up some of the environmental vandalism where we can.
For example, the pollution that our vehicles pump out can be removed from city centre buildings relatively easily with cleaning initiatives. This is usually achieved with pressurised jet washing equipment, which forces the sticky mess from buildings and other structures, man made or natural. The same principles can be applied in the countryside too, even trees can find their trunks have been wrapped in a thin layer of similar substances, which is particularly problematic near major transport routes, namely motorways. Focus groups have had good success with small studies in the field, cleaning off the forested areas closest to major routes, and the result has even been good enough to result in an improvement in air quality in the immediate area around the motorway network around the treated zones. The assumption is that healthier trees can clean more of the pollution from the air, so the investment in helping to undo the damage to the trees could actually have a much more beneficial effect than previously thought – especially if it’s rolled out across the country as a whole.
You’ve only got to look at some of the recommended schemes around our country’s road network to see that there’s a recognised problem, so shouldn’t we be investing in schemes to help nature help us, rather than simply doing things like reducing motorway speeds in problem areas, which is hardly a long term solution?