Effects of Human Activities in Bridgewater, NJ

I have lived in New Jersey for more than 5 years and I had no idea the Pine Barrens existed. After reading John McPhee's novel, the Pine Barrens, I still find it hard to believe that such an amazing and enchanting piece of nature still exists. The Pine Barrens is surrounded by one of the most densely populated areas in the United States. It's astonishing that New York City is only a few hours car drive away. Meanwhile, the densely populated cities of New Jersey are less than an hour away and the bustling cities in Pennsylvania border the Pines to the West. After learning about the majestic qualities of the Pine Barrens, I wonder how many people know about this beautiful area. Or if they know that the Pine Barrens exist, do they actually know how pure and pristine it is?

Human activity has certainly adulterated the natural environment. New Jersey is simply too densely populated and fast-paced, that people do not put the environment on top of their lists. Humans are continuing to evolve and they are too caught up in improving their lives through new technology. But as mentioned in the movie, An Inconvenient Truth, "old habits + new technology = dramatically altered consequences." As we develop these new technologies, we constantly put the environment in danger. It is easy to say, "oh we only need to change our old habits into ones that will work with new technology." But the problem is much more complex than that. Most people these days will only act if they are financially motivated to do so.

As people continue to expand into the underdeveloped regions, they must clear the once majestic forests to build homes, office buildings, parking lots, etc. The continual expansion of humans has greatly jeopardized the nature environment in these areas. As one of the most densely populated areas in the world, central Jersey has quickly expanded and new areas are constantly being cleared for roads. For example, there has been much construction near Commercial Ave. area on Route 18 in New Brunswick. The construction is to expand Route 18 to accommodate the heavy traffic in the area. The increased traffic flow produces much carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming, which has more than a regional effect. It will affect the entire world. As the area has industrialized, more people are traveling to work through the area. Many who work in New York reside in New Jersey so they must commute to work. Unfortunately, the majority do not car pool and instead, they each drive separate cars. The amount of carbon dioxide output quickly adds up and certainly contributes greatly to the constant problem of global warming.

Although New Jersey is the most polluted state, my town, Bridgewater, is fairly clean and untainted. Because Bridgewater is more of a suburban style municipality, the land is certainly cleaner than other areas in central Jersey. There has been much development in my area, but they have mostly been for housing units. As the population increases, more land is cleared to build houses on. The development has happened quite rapidly, just like in other parts of New Jersey. There are a few large businesses such as the pharmaceutical company Safoni-Aventis. From my research, I have found that the company follows the stringent laws and environmental protection acts. Furthermore, the ratio between impervious surfaces and natural grounds in Bridgewater is certainly much more environmentally favorable than in other places.

In addition, my school has an environmental club that works to protect the environment. We advocate and promote environmentally conscious actions. We strive to make our community a better place, a place that we can all be proud of. We feel that knowledge is essential so we try to inform the local residents and our fellow students about the environment and the dangers threatening our well-being. Numerous students and residents do not truly understand the dangers of global warming. They think of it as something so complex that there is nothing we can do to solve it. Fortunately, the total opposite is true. There is something that each and every one of us can do. In fact, it is completely necessary for everyone to participate in this global effort to stop global warming. Our environmental club use different types of media to convey these messages, whether its simply through pamphlets or seminars. In addition, we plant trees, clean parks, and raise funds to support larger environment groups.

Although human activity has harmed the environment, we are starting to realize the consequences of our actions. There have been a number of people who have stepped up and taken action towards change. These leaders range from politicians to simple high school club presidents organizing an environmental awareness program at school. But the percentage of residents aware of the environmental problems facing our community, our country, and our world is simply too low. We have made some progress in changing our way of life to meet the requirements of an healthy environment, but we are far from complete success. Our goal is quite clear. We need to devise a way to make the environmental problems noticed by politicians. We need people to realize that money is not worth more than the Earth because if we continue with our current path, we will assure mankind's extinction.