Zion National Park in Southwest Utah is one of my favorite areas on this Earth. Although it was intentionally sheltered from the onslaught of the atomic and information eras, it has still befallen some ecological damage due to humanity’s impact on the area. I love Zion as when I first laid eyes on it, it was the single piece of green in a vast wash of yellow and gray. It is the oasis of Southern Utah and that lush greenery brings not only color into the area but it brings life and vivacity to the desert.
Since Zion is a national park is in the desert, it is both vast and in some parts, densely packed. Therefore, GPS technology would be a practical necessity and is something that should be kept around. GPS enables visitors to find their way around the park and enables the park staff to better pinpoint areas to work, find visitors that lose their way, and can accurately map native species habitat boundaries and see their changes year-to-year. Another technology I would keep would be modern cameras. Modern cameras can produce still images as well produce video with audio. This is an invaluable resource when it comes to preserving the area through image for sentimental and aesthetic purposes. Moreover and arguably more importantly, they are also used to catalog animal and plant species. Furthermore, images produced by cameras can be used over time to see the change in the area over time.
A technology that should be banned in Zion would be the bus system utilize there. Although the buses are useful transportation devices, they are constantly running and producing carbon emissions. The buses can easily be replaced by bike paths or removed altogether in favor of walking trails. Walking trails would be more in line with the spirit of the park, as well as more Eco-friendly and healthier for visitors. Although, I will admit their necessity for people with disabilities.
The changes I’ve suggested here are only one man’s opinion. To be truly effective in their implementation, that would require a committee of local residents, ecologists, and engineers to voice their opinion and stances on the park. While local residents have insight on the area and ecologists are more aware of further-reaching environmental impacts, it would take a group of engineers in order to practically implement any changes. Therefore, a committee on the area necessitates all of them to participate in order to give the most well-thought out plan of action that benefits all in a mostly equal way. Logistically, the easiest and most likely way this committee would be formed is over the internet as to increase collaboration and productivity.
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