Root Causes of Wildlife Extinction and Air Pollution on the Mexican/American Border and Possible Solutions

A Borderline between Mexico and the United States represents the separation between one nation’s sovereignty and another’s, between which there are procedures that must be completed before a citizen of one can enter into the other. Illegal immigrants have caused extinction by creating dirt roads through wildlife habitats as well as creating ground pollution. In regards to air pollution, NAFTA brought diesel trucks between the U.S. and Mexico causing higher air pollution rates since before 1994. United States Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in cleaning air pollution and breeding endangered species. Individual efforts have also been made to track the air pollution around Mexico City.

Found south of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, the Mexican-American border is a current event hotspot. Reportedly thirteen million people live in the border area, nineteen percent of which are living under the poverty line; six percent above the national average of thirteen. Heated debate over border-crossing started with the construction of a Border Fence in 1994 that are enforced by the National Guard, under surveillance by Infrared Cameras, tracking devices, ground sensors, helicopters, and towers equipped with night-vision telescopes. Until then simple immigration practices were in use. Cutting off the immigration flow from Mexico into the U.S. has been costly to natural habitats of the border region. This project for a border fence was put into place by the Immigration and Naturalization Services, (INS). A fifteen-foot wall was erected to seal illegal immigrants in Mexico due to the high rate of cross-over. This border has only five paved roads leading in and out of it, so immigrants will often drive over desert sand to cross the border at night. This destroys natural habitats causing wildlife extinction and ground pollution. In addition to wildlife extinction, air pollution around the border has increased dramatically since 1994. In 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, allowing tax-free commerce and trade between all of North America. Traffic at the Mexico border increased as a result. According to Tyler Miller, editor of the text, Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections and Solutions, “Air pollution is the presence of chemicals in the atmosphere in concentrations high enough to affect climate and harm organisms and materials. The effects of airborne pollutants range from annoying to lethal.” Trade between the U.S. and Mexico led to more diesel trucks polluting the air with carbon oxides and sulfur oxides in this area. Both of these environmental concerns have been identified and are being addressed. Individual efforts and governmental efforts are being made to restore wildlife populations as well as reduce smog. Thus far no businesses have joined the effort to solve these environmental crises. Increased travel between the Mexican-American Border paired with high sulfuric levels in diesel and gasoline, poor Industry compliance and “border-runners” burning highly polluting materials such as tires for warmth have caused a great deal of air pollution that the EPA is addressing while local and State wildlife services are addressing the endangering and extinction of several exclusive species as a result of habitat destruction as the proposed border fence is being built and as the “border-runners” continue to pollute the grounds that they pass through to get to the United States.