Environment - Research Paper Example

The issue does not just end here with the high temperature; the area receives thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall in the second half of the year which disrupts the lifestyle of the people, and the area goes through a period of drought in the spring season (Climas). In Figure 1, the image shows that the southwest has very high average annual temperatures because the area of Arizona is marked by red spots, indicating that it is the area which experiences the highest temperatures. Considering that area is already experiencing such harsh weather and worse conditions are predicted in the future, there is a high probability that the people will be reluctant to move in Phoenix.

Recently, there was a forum named On Point with Tom Ashbrook which discussed the issue of the changing climate in the American Southwest. The implications presented regarding the changing weather in Southwest was that the year 2011 was when there was record number of bushfires which unfortunately were also the most dangerous ones in the history of the area. It was also the hottest and the driest year in the area in its history with temperatures soaring above the mid-40C mark and periods of severe droughts in the first half of the period.

(Ashbrook) If our organization goes ahead with the project, it is likely that many of the subdivisions go unsold at least in the foreseeable future. This is because people are unwilling to move in a state which is experiencing such a harsh climate accompanied by water problems. The area has been stated by many experts as overgrown and the state authorities have been reluctant to issue more licenses for housing projects. Figure 2 shows this fact by the graph where the state authorities have reduced the authorization of construction of housing units since the past few years.

This action has been taken from the observation that the population is already far greater than the water resources available in the area. (Ackerman, 2011) William deBuys has gone as far as stating that the droughts of Southwest will potentially be so devastating that it will create the greatest water crisis known to the humans (deBuys). The writer has stated that the people need to get ready for a period which he states as the “Age of Thirst” and that if appropriate steps are not taken swiftly such as improving the water supply system and constructing additional reservoirs, then the whole of the civilization in the area will disappear as a result of the shortage of water.

The writer has also presented some suggestions in his book out of which one suggestion is that the population in the area needs to be shifted out gradually because according to the author, it seems unlikely that the area will be able to survive this century given it fast changing climate. (deBuys, A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest, 2011) Many authors and analysts have stated the construction and settlement of Phoenix as one of the biggest mistakes ever simply because it is not sustainable.

Author Andrew Ross in his book has said that other cities need to learn from the mistake made by the developers of Phoenix, which he has stated as a horrible mistake (Ross, 2011). Also, the author Simon Winchester said in an interview that the city was not really a nicely planned city because it was never a sustainable project considering that it does not