Sample Research Paper On Environmental Issues In Southern Nevada

Environmental sustainability and safety are the key factors to a healthy living in every region in the world. However, the issue of environmental degradation has become a major concern to both the residents and non-residents of Southern Nevada. This is as a result of increasing depletion of clean and adequate water for the residents as well as the increased pollution that have threatened the life of the residents and visitors in the region. One of the major environmental concerns is the tremendous water scarcity in the region. This is brought about by the continuous climate change that has resulted to repeated droughts in the region, thus contributing to the reduction in water levels of river Colorado which is the main source of water for southern Nevadans. In addition, there is a risk of depletion of underground waters due to high water demand by the growing population (Sipes, 24). The massive increase in population also creates a negative impact to the environment as it is associated with activities such as clearing of natural flora and fauna so as to create space for constructing residential places. Clearing of trees also alleviates the existence of droughts and other climate related issues.
Pollution is also another great environmental concern in Southern Nevada. This ranges from air, noise and water pollution. With the increased development of recreation activities in the valleys of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada has become the noisiest place in the US. In addition, tons of poisonous gases such as Nitrogen Monoxide and Sulphur Dioxide are being emitted daily from industries, construction sites and motor vehicles among other sources. As a result of the demand for recreation and leisure activities and tremendous population growth in southern Nevada, the issues of water scarcity and pollution are likely to remain prevalent in the region. This calls for immediate measures aimed at bringing solution to these environmental issues failure to which the situation is likely to worsen.

Works Cited

Marko, Salvaggio & Robert Futrell. “Environment and Sustainability in Nevada.” The Social Health of Nevada: Leading Indicators and Quality of Life in the Silver State, 2012. Retrieved from http://cdclv.unlv.edu/healthnv_2012/environment.pdf
Sipes, James. Sustainable Solutions for Water Resources: Policies, Planning, Design, and Implementation. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.