Putting Nature to Work

Date:01/04/2024
Subject: “Putting Nature to Work” Review
Assessment:
This week I have completed many interviews on varying topics. One topic was as unique as Solar Consulting with Mrs. Carter, my prospected mentor. Another interview was with Mrs. Feister who is a Land manager for big businesses. Both of these interviews however were completely separate from today's research assessment. This research assessment is over a document from a fellow environmentalist of mine, Pam LeBlanc. This article is named “Putting Nature to Work” and it covers creative ways to immerse the environment into people's everyday issues through initiative, innovation, and of course, Environmental Engineering. 
One of the best examples of how one can “Put the environment to work” is by using it as a filtration system. If you think about it, the soil, water, flora, and fauna all filter the excrement and carcasses of everyday animals. This is done on purpose to not waste any natural resources and materials. This can be used for human waste as well, like the East Fork Water Reuse Project at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center. This project centered on the use of Aquatic plants and sunlight on a  1,840-acre plot. These aquatic plants naturally filter treated wastewater from the Trinity River, removing sediment, heavy metals, and nitrogen. This project shows that nature can be used in a positive way to improve our societies and the environment. Suzanne Scott, director of The Nature Conservancy in Texas stated that “Instead of water just going to the treatment system, they’re using natural filtration to filter out the water and allow it to be cleaned before it’s released and reused,”
One of the biggest problems in Texas now is the deforestation and land usage problem. According to the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute Land Trends Report, about 2.2 million acres of Texas Land were converted to non-agricultural uses between 1997 and 2017. If this trend continues the already scarce natural Texas land will soon be eradicated and natural solutions can be used to stop this.
   The first big problem that nature can help with is Texas floods. Floods are already a serious problem in Texas but according to a study by the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University, the problem is only expected to worsen. They estimate that flooding in cities will become 30 to 50 percent more frequent by 2036. A way to positively affect this problem is called “bioretention areas” and rainwater gardens, which are filled with water-friendly plants that can slow runoff and make better the water itself. Not only will this lower flooding risks, but it will also make the parking lots and other places where they are installed more aesthetically pleasing, which is a positive side effect.
   Another more obvious problem that we have in Texas is our heat issues. Because of increasing heat conditions and climate change the Texas temperatures have only been going up. However, there is an easy way to turn the tide on this trend. By planting trees and increasing the “green space” in high-temperature-prone areas, Texans are able to significantly reduce the heat effect on the Texas land.