Endgame:Michael Grunwald

 

 

Michael Grunwald's Endgame, depicts the difficulty between politics, and the environment. In this excerpt, he discusses the evolution of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan,and the struggles of building Homestead Airport. There was a battle in politics concerning these two projects. Below are some quotes in which stuck out to me.

 



"But the Everglades was still dying. The ecosystem's natural balance was so out of wack that efforts to save the Caple Sable Sparrow threatened the survival of the Everglade snail kite" (Grunwald,78).

Snail kite Source:
http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/snailkite.htm



Caple Sable Sparrow
Source:http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/csss.htm

 

 

This quote exemplifies what Leopold discussed in The Land Ethic. Leopold talked about the existence of the biotic pyramid. Basically, every one species depends on one another in some way. If we take one species out of the equation, it would have a consequences, whether it's positive or negative. In order for the Caple Sable Sparrow to thrive, their nests must be kept dry. But, because areas our drained to save this species, it makes nesting harder for the snail kite who needs the water to nest. Our ecosystem is still struggling to survive. According to The National Park Service,  "Because of a highly specific diet composed almost entirely of apple snails, survival of the Snail Kite depends directly on the hydrology and water quality of these watersheds, each of which has experienced pervasive degradation as a result of urban development and agricultural activities." It would be a shame to see these beautiful birds go extinct because of our carelessness.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Cattails were still spreading, tree islands were vanishing, muck soils were shrinking, estuaries were collapsing, and development was blocking the recharge of the region's groundwater. The greatest enemy of the Everglades, the coalition’s leader declared, was further delay.” (Grunwald 79)

Aerial View of Everglades:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/everglades-photos/

 I liked how Grunwald depicted the damage that was occurring while lobbyists took forever to devise a plan. I agree with this statement, the longer we delay addressing the issue, the worse the situation gets. We've already lost a significant amount of our environment, and some pretty unique species. If we continue down this destructive path, we will lose something so precious and unique as the Everglades.

"Man's efforts to tame the Everglades had taken a toll---the death tolls of the 1926 and 1928 hurricanes, the near-extinction of panthers and sparrows and gourds, the soil losses and water shortages and traffic jams on the Palmetto Expressway--- but they had created homes and vacation destinations for millions of people, and more were on the way"(Grunwald, 101).

Housing development in the Everglades
Source:http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/everglades-oil.htm

This is absolutely true. Every day, more and more land is being plowed to create roads, houses, and shopping plazas. Consequently, this puts the animals that live there in danger. They are forced to relocate and have a hard time trying to survive. Little by little, many species are becoming endangered and unfortunately many are on the verge of extinction.




"As the new millennium dawned, the Everglades was not yet saved. But it was not doomed, either." (Grunwald,103).

What Grunwald is trying to say is that, the problem is still not fixed yet, and we still have time to address the issue. While many areas of the Everglades have been preserved, much of the area is owned by the public. We still have not made a "dent" in addressing the issue. What lies ahead for the Everglades in the future is uncertain.