Friday, April 26, 2013

The Environmental Impacts of Illegal Immigration - Benjamin Hawkins


I chose to research a growing issue involving illegal immigration, but instead of focusing on the political, social, and economic sides of the issue, I chose to focus on the environmental impact of illegal immigration on the deserts of Southern Arizona. I created a slideshow presentation as well as a 3+ minute video detailing the facts and issue at hand.

The reason I chose this project was because I am from Southern Arizona (Tucson specifically) and I am an avid outdoorsman. I have grown up around illegal immigration and have witnessed it first hand in the deserts of Southern Arizona. I have personally seen illegal immigrants cross the border, as well as the massive amounts of litter left in the desert. So this topic has a somewhat personal undertone with me, and especially when you consider that I served my mission in North Central Mexico. I also feel that this topic is especially important to our Environmental Policy and Law class, because it deals with many dimensions of the law, and also the problem posed by illegal immigrants dealing with the aspect of environmental effects caused by the illegal trafficking.

As a result of all my research, I have learned quite a bit about the border situation and the effect illegal immigration has on the environment. Specifically, and maybe surprisingly is the fact that we currently are not able to clean up the trash fast enough to make a positive effect on the amount of trash being left in the desert. I have seen camps and resting areas for illegal immigrants in the desert, but I guess I have not, until now, realized that illegal immigration can and is having a negative effect on the environment and preservation of the Sonoran desert, with all of its associated flora and fauna, in Southern Arizona.


Link To My Presentation and Video




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