Environmental Issue raised in the Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling

Environmental Issue raised in the Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling In the article, â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling†, weather change was the major environmental issue affecting the United States. This change comes in different forms such as vicious storms, famine and high temperature, which have adverse effects on the nation’s infrastructure (Wald and Schwartz par. 1).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Environmental Issue raised in the â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Notably, the environment is susceptible to human and natural activities; for instance, the heavy construction of highways in the country affects the natural ecosystem. In addition, the article indicated that the nuclear power plant in Illinois affects the natural attributes of the environment due to the consequences of reacting components. There are considerable environmental effects arising from complicated engineeri ng, steel and concrete works in the US, which have altered of natural ecosystem (New York Times 1). The article further outlines the affects of asphalts on the landscape. For example, the condition interferes with the flight operations because jets sometimes stick in the asphalts, thus threatening the human life (Wald and Schwartz par. 2). Similarly, train operations are also affected by the stretching of the track. This means that the environmental disasters could pose danger to the human life and interfere with the natural aspects of the ecosystem. Another observation in the article was its revelation that the excess heat interferes with the behavior of clay soil, especially those found beneath the highways. This condition makes the soil shrink (Wald and Schwartz par. 2). Consequently, it affects the roads since they crack to adjust to the weather conditions, thus becoming risky to the users. As outlined in the article, the other effect of heat on the environment was that it could lead to unprecedented expansion of certain sections of the highway.Advertising Looking for article on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This expansion sometimes goes beyond the planned limits and the force excreted from each end could lead to jarring and other dangerous speed bumps, which alter the traffic flow in the affected areas. The article also pointed out that the intense heat affects the grid, a situation that increases changes in the environment. For instance, the temperature of a water pond in Chicago that was used to cool the units in a nuclear plant increased to a high of 102 degrees, which has serious consequences on the aquatic life (Wald and Schwartz par. 3). Since the temperature of the pond should only reach 100 degrees, an increase beyond this limit is environmentally disastrous. The other aspect of the environmental issue that was presented in the article was the devastating s torms, flood and forest in some areas of the United States. For example, the article highlighted the flooding in New Orleans, which brought several damages to the environment and the inhabitants of the area, such as washing away bridges, roads, plants and loss of human life (Wald and Schwartz par. 8). On the other hand, the forest fires and storms were attributed to prolonged drought and intense heat respectively. They create environmental disasters in the areas affected, thus must be controlled. Solutions to the Environmental Issues According to the article, the author proposed that since extreme weather patterns effect environment and the country’s infrastructure, the construction of highways and nuclear plants should be done while considering such extreme episodes (Wald and Schwartz par. 4). For example, the designs for roads and railway tracks should consider the seasonal changes in rainfall and temperature because this could help minimize their affects on the environment . It could also reduce the amount of money wasted on the construction of highways on disaster prone areas.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Environmental Issue raised in the â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More New York Times, Environment. 7 Aug. 2012. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/section/climate Wald, Mathew and J. Schwartz. Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling, 25 Jul. 2012. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/us/rise-in-weather-extremes-threatens-infrastructure.html?_r=1ref=earth