Down By The River Analysis

Is cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions a plausible idea for decreasing climate change or does society need to accept its fate? Humanity’s carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emission levels are rapidly increasing from levels that were once recorded back in the 1900s and so on. Earth’s temperature is increasing and because of this, numerous environments are being affected by this. The question is, how can society help decrease the levels of toxic gases that are ruining our ecosystem? By decreasing the usage of such gases like carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, it could help better the environment. Because most people today realize that human activity is responsible for climate change, we need go further than merely recognizing the problem and make real changes in our daily lives, even if it means sacrificing some of our technological advancements that are polluting the Earth. …show more content…
It explores how dams and other inventions have affected the Colorado River. Before the creation of dams, the Colorado River’s environment was flourishing and numerous floods used to occur back then which would support the flora and various animals. Not only did these plants and animals depend on this life source, but even the Quechan, a Native American Tribe, did. They learned how to live with the numerous floods and benefit from them. However, when the settlers came, they were not fond of the flooding and started building canals and dams. Since they were diverting most of the water to either their farms or cities, the environment suffered. Jacobsen discusses how human civilization with the building of dams and other innovations ruined the environment near the Colorado