GPS systems rely upon a 3 point system in order to function. This system is comprised of the GPS receiver on the ground, the GPS satellite in low earth orbit, and the pieces of software that power the devices. Being such a diverse system, the impact of GPS technology can be difficult to measure. However, once 
broken down, it becomes much easier to see the impact of each individual aspect of the system.
Starting with the least impactful leg of the GPS tripod, the software powering the devices requires nothing more than power to run it. This can vary based on the device and what its intended usage is but in most cases, it will be powered by a carbon emitting energy plant.
Moving forward, the second least impactful aspect is the GPS receiver. GPS receivers are small, lightweight devices that are utilized by users of the GPS service in order to interface with it and coordinate their movements. In spite of their size though, there are an estimated 2 billion units that are GPS capable as of 2012. These units contain L-band radio processors that are formed out of plastics and rare metals such as gold, copper, and platinum. The extraction of these resources from the ground, including ore processing and purification is the first scar that this process leaves on the environment. In fact, according to Brilliant Earth, “Companies mining for gold and other metals in total dump at least 180 million tons of toxic waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans each year. These toxins include deadly substances such as cyanide and mercury. Furthermore, both underground and surface-level mines are used to extract these materials from the Earth, all the while using heavy machinery reliant upon fossil fuels that release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. In addition to that, since these devices are relatively cheap to manufacture and sell with most units being priced at roughly $100 USD, they are also easily thrown away and shipped to foreign countries in order to be recycled.
Finally, the most environmentally expensive component of the GPS system are the satellites. While there are 800 active satellites in Earth’s orbit, there are a staggering 22,000 pieces of disactive electronics and other space debris. This debris can easily be knocked out of orbit and sent flying down to Earth. This is evidenced by space debris falling onto farmers in Russia’s Altai Republic. Endangering not only the citizens of the region with their ballistic impact but with the toxicity of their fuel sources leeching into the environment surrounding the impact zone. However, the true environmental cost of a satellite is the amount of material required to fabricate each device. A single satellite can weigh up to six tons while being comprised of metals including . In concordance with this, according to a report by The verge, “Small pieces of soot and a chemical called alumina are created in the wakes of rocket launches. They then get injected into the stratosphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere that begins six miles up and ends around 32 miles high. Research shows that this material may build up in the stratosphere over time and slowly lead to the depletion of a layer of oxygen known as the ozone”. The current system of satellite creation and implementation has heavy environmental costs. These environment costs effectively limit our viability to live on this planet and in exchange we receive services that only aid us in convenience.
Going forward, the transit system in Zion national park is centered around their bus program. While the park allows visitor cars in certain areas of the park, the main section of the park is only accessible via walking or taking one of the park’s buses. Although the buses save the park over 12 tons of CO2 emissions everyday, the park could be even greener by discontinuing the bus program altogether in favor of a completely vehicle-free park. At the very least, the main section of the park could be closed off from vehicles while still maintaining roadways in other sections of the park for throughput. In concordance with that, the maintenance of roadways causes habitat fragmentation and alteration as well causes pollution through the micro-debris of tires, salt in the winter months, as well as the initial pollution created when the paths were cleared of any natural environment. Moreover, roads increase the the mortality rates of local animals as animals that are crossing areas with vehicle traffic are much more likely to be injured than those that cross walking paths.
If the production and waster materials of either of these technologies were to be centered around Zion National Park, it would be an ecological disaster. The mining would destroy the natural landscape all the while the waste products from it would pollute the Virgin River. The refinement of the heavy metals would release toxins into the local air and poison the atmosphere overall making it less safe to breath in the area. Overall, introducing methods to manufacture the technology that we consider necessities into an area such as Zion National Park has a net negative ffect on the ecosystem and subsequently, a negative emotional effect on the surrounding populace. As the process of heavy pollution beleaguered on, those who love the park would be deeply saddened over the ever-decreasing state of the once beautiful region. It would pale in comparison to the meager benefits of quick access to the technologies. Furthermore, the only real recuperation effort the park would have is to sell the products produced there for a morally defunct profit.
Sources:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17287062/rocket-emissions-black-carbon-alumina-particles-ozone-layer-stratosphere
https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/are-space-launches-bad-for-the-environment/
https://history.nasa.gov/conghand/structur.htm
http://theconversation.com/space-junk-and-the-environment-its-a-very-dark-picture-indeed-2187
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222387636_Energy_and_greenhouse_gas_impacts_of_mining_and_mineral_processing_operations
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/environmental-disaster-gold-industry-180949762/
https://www.brilliantearth.com/gold-mining-environment/
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/travel/gps.htm
https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/GPS_Receivers
https://news.stanford.edu/pr/96/960605chipsenvir.html
https://www.environmentalscience.org/roads
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