This paper seemed relatively optimistic compared to a lot of the other readings that we had. Also, since it focused on a single body of water (the Hudson River) as opposed to all rivers, streams, or lakes in the metropolitan area or large entities like the Atlantic Ocean or Long Island Sound made it easier for effects to be seen and conservation efforts to be planned for the future. The Hudson River is vital to New York City, as it provides a northern link between parts of Upstate New York and thus Canada and New England, and a southern link to the Atlantic Ocean and ports all along the Eastern Seaboard. We should commend ourselves for taking many steps to make it much cleaner and accessible not just for us, but for the countless other members of nearby ecosystems that benefit from it daily. Some of the results can be seen in the return of bald eagles, which were once rare in its vicinity (9), and the facts that “more than 220 species of fish now call the Hudson estuary home for some or all of their lives, including spawning populations of shad, striped bass and sturgeon, and, in New York harbor, oysters are returning” (5). Lastly, by conserving tens of thousands of acres and opening up parks and bike lanes, people are directly exposed to the breathtaking beauty of the Hudson River and will feel compelled to do something to protect it for future generations.
One area that I felt that the agenda did not mention (at least in the first twenty pages or so, which was what we were supposed to read) was increasing shoreline development. An increase in the populations of species that were once dwindling is crucial to conserving biodiversity, but an increase in the human population is a completely different story. To support it, many shoreline developments are being constructed, from high-rise apartment buildings and condominiums to shopping malls and businesses, and since space is running out quickly, millions of gallons of sand are being pumped to form artificial land. In Battery Park City, thousands of units of homes are located right along the Hudson River, and it does not even take a monstrous storm like Hurricane Sandy for them to be flooded. Disrupting the natural flow of the river is a major problem that needs to be addressed, but the reason why it is not getting much recognition is probably since its effects take decades to be seen, and no toxic waste is involved to concern people with bacteria and disease. Thus, water pollution has been greatly reduced, but greater encroachment and commercial and residential uses along the river continue to rise.
The common theme of this class is that humans are obsessed with immediate satisfaction and are only aware of short-term effects, not long-term consequences of their actions. The Hudson River shows many examples of this, and even if considerable progress has been made, a lot of work remains to be done not just for our sake, but for the sake of all other living and non-living things that rely on it just as much as we do.
