The Environment around the North Pennines - Essay Example

North Pennines Executive Summary Visitors overwhelmingly access the North Pennines by private car how can electric cars and bikes be used in this area of natural beauty to limit the impact on the environment. Various natural ecological habitats throughout the world are prone to extinction. The natural habitats are an important part of nature and have the function of ensuring that they promote the air quality through the release of oxygen and make food for animals, plants and insect. The plants contribute to transpiration, which contributes to the formation of rain. Vegetation cover as such is necessary to an area. North Pennines is such a natural habitat that needs conservation at all costs. It is the largest remaining natural habitat in the United Kingdom. Many people visit the area and use various means of transport among them cars. The petroleum cars contribute to alto of pollution whereby they may leave poisonous exhaust fumes or oil leaking from their engines. To conserve the various natural plants and animals, it is important to take into consideration conservation measures that will help preserve the forests. Using electric cars and bicycles will reduce exhaust fumes and the spillage of oil in North Pennines and, as a result, reduce pollution mainly. The paper will, therefore, focus on the use of alternative transport like bicycles and electric cars to reduce stress to reduce pollution to the natural environment of North Pennines. Introduction North Pennines is a natural reserve that people visit especially in their leisure or past times. It is a natural habitat far away from the city and the many activities that affect the cities and towns. There are people who stay there and as a result help to maintain and take care of the various plants and animals. The area has human settlements and the forests and natural areas where people do not inhabit. The people thus visit North Pennines to enjoy the tranquility associated with it and to venture into natural adventures especially when sampling the various animals and organisms in North Pennines. The environment is mostly natural and an excellent habitat for the different plants found in North Pennines. Many people come with their private cars into North Pennines. Most people use their cars to move around and, as a result, a venture with the cars to North Pennines. They travel through the vast lands and the moorland using their cars. The cars, therefore, cover a lot of mileage when moving around North Pennines, and, as a result, bring with them a lot of pollution to an area that does not have much pollution near it. It is in a remote place, so the use of a car is essential for accessing it. People can use bicycles in accessing the area. Since cars come with pollution, it is important to ensure that the pollution is kept to a minimum. In addition, the use of electric cars will eliminate further pollution to the environment through the smoke released through the exhausts and the spilling of oil from the cars. Therefore, for North Pennines to remain natural, the people have to ensure that they reduce on using petroleum cars and focus on using environmentally friendly solutions like electric cars and bicycles. The environment around North Pennines is a volatile-rich natural place that needs a lot of care from the locals and visitors who access the site. Many natural areas around the world are almost extinct or are in danger of extinction. The increase of manmade activities in the environment has led to a lot of pollution. Many industries throughout the world have contributed significantly to the increase of pollution. The pollution affect plants making some of them disappear altogether. The pollution affects soils where the plant grows. Some industries introduce acidic gases in the atmosphere like Sulphur dioxide, which end up forming acidic rain. The acidic rain destroys plants and to some extent some animals and microorganisms. Manmade activities affect nature either negatively or positively. The North Pennines is a natural area that is reserved for the conservation of various animals and plants. The population in the place is much less as compared to the earlier periods where there were mining activities that drew more people to the place. The mining led to derelict surfaces though no mining is taking place at present. Therefore, since it is one of the largest natural habitats in the United Kingdom, it is important that the relevant authorities adopt conservation measures that will help to keep North Pennines as natural as possible. The use of electric cars and bicycles is an important advancement. Many people access the area using private cars, which cause a lot of pollution in the area. The pollution affects the natural organisms in the area since it contributes to the introduction of various gases in the atmosphere. Since most people use the cars, the increase in the release of the gases in the atmosphere of the surrounding North Pennines affects the air quality and the rainfall that falls in the region. The moisture dissolves the various gases, which eventually form acid rain. Acid rain as explained above leads to the destruction of different natural organisms in the environment. Electric cars prevent any release of gases in the atmosphere and the bicycles will benefit the visitors since they will help in conserving the environment and will have the benefit of exercising in the process (Delacy, 2014). Conservation of North Pennines is thus crucial to ensure that the natural habitat remains as natural as it can be and that all processes that contribute to the pollution of its environment are brought to a stark minimum. North Pennines has an efficient transportation system where people can obtain various forms of transport to move around. It has links to various buses and vehicles that different groups or people can access to move around. People have the option of using horses and bicycles while travelling in different places. The tourism guide and authorities encourage the use of greener forms of transports like bicycles and horses. However, it provides different rules when using vehicles to prevent any accidents that may involve animals in the North Pennines. In encouraging alternative, transport the use of buses; pose environmental damage due to spilled oil and the exhaust fumes. The paper is going to focus on the use of alternative transport like electric cars and bicycles. Literature Review Introduction Many natural places adopt measures to reduce the use of transport or other activities that increase pollution and affect the environment. The various strategies and measures put in place ensure that the animals in the conservancies are safe and various measures are carried out to prevent any harm that may affect the surroundings of North Pennines. Globalization and Tourism Globally tourists use transport to access nature parks among them being national parks, reserves conservation areas among many others. The transport used in natural reserves and related areas are mostly vehicles that use fossil fuel that is a pollutant. The transport contributes significantly to the gaseous emission in the atmosphere primarily carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas (Lin, 2010). The emissions in the various parks as evidenced in Taiwan are different for various groups or person since they cover different distances, therefore, different amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. The study proposed the change of transport from private to public transport where many people use a transport system as opposed to individuals coming in private cars (Lin, 2010). Switzerland is the country that experiences intense tourism with tourists coming in from different parts of the world. The tourists use air travel that is known to increase the carbon emissions by 80% (Perch-Nielsen, 2010). The foreigners and locals introduce other greenhouse gases through the countless visits to the tourist areas. Dubois and Ceron (2006) noted that by 2050, transport mobility to tourist sites in France would increase significantly and have a corresponding increase in the greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by 90%. They predicted that the mileage would increase by 200%, which would lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Since more people will visit the parks, there will be the need for coming up with methods that will lessen greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. A study was carried out on the Island in Taiwan on the consumption of energy and emission of various greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The study found that carbon dioxide emitted per person per trip was 109034g while carbon monoxide was 2660g. As more people visit the parks in future, the carbon emission will increase correspondingly (Pang, 2011). Dolnicar (2010) investigated the use of transport in tourism that would reduce green gas emissions. The study came up with various methods that help reduce emissions to the atmosphere and thus help in reducing the causative effects of global warming. The global use of transport and the various destinations where the impact of traffic would be dangerous were studies and the various solutions such as using campervans noted to improve the safeguarding of the environment. A study conducted in Wales by Jones (2013) focused on the different types of transport used to conveying tourists and their resultant effect on the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (Jones, 2013). The study focused on the reshaping of tourism to reduce the already increasing emission of greenhouse gases by vehicles to the tourist sites. The researchers examined tourism in the area to determine the greenhouse gas emission emitted from the area. The solutions for dealing with the increased greenhouse emissions are found outside the tourism sector. Some of the solutions are using a little amount of carbon in producing electricity and cutting of international travels to Wales while focusing on the local tourism in the United Kingdom. Other solutions from the study are the use of public transport and limiting private transport to the tourist sites for half of the arrivals of United Kingdom locals. The study suggested other solutions such as using hybrid technologies, biofuel and electric cars. Scott et al. (2010) compared the various sectors having different organizations that contribute to the plenteous emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Scott et al., 2010). The other sectors have ways of reducing greenhouse gases, and some are meeting their targets. As tourism increases it, demands more transport facilities that involve vehicles using greenhouse gases. Since tourism predicts an increase in tourists and their visits to various areas, the greenhouse emissions increase consequently. As a result, the tourism sector becomes a principal contributor to greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere. Tourism in many countries depends on international arrivals, which use the aviation industry (Scott et al., 2014). The aviation industry is a key contributor of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The reduction of emission in tourism as the researcher claim may not be feasible now. Measures taken to reduce the volume of tourists entering through air travel may adversely affect the economies that depend on foreign tourism like Switzerland. The aviation and road transport sector thus contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions in tourism (Hares et al., 2010). Albalate and Bel (2010) focused on the use of transport in areas where more travel takes place. European cities have many tourism activities, and many people access the major cities that have tourist attractions (Albalate & Bel 2010). The visitors use a lot of transport, which, as a result, increase greenhouse gases. The cities due to the influx of tourism create additional services where they help to control various forms of transport used by tourists. Most authorities and interested stakeholders in the tourism sector do not focus on the negative impacts of transport on the environment (Solarin, 2014). The increased congestion of tourists thus increases the greenhouse gases emitted. Therefore, the correlation of the various issues affecting tourism can help local governments and countries as a whole in planning for the reduction of greenhouse gases. The demand for increased tourism activities determines the supply of the services and the eventual increase in greenhouse gases. As such county governments should not only focus on increasing public utilities but also find out ways of improving services that would reduce the use of transport especially vehicles that use fossil fuels (Delacy, 2014). In such a case, tourism is seen to bring in money but no attention is given to the increased emission from the vehicles used by the tourists. The merging of data from various tourism activities has been used to form a model, and it has helped in creating awareness of environmental problems associated with tourism (Peeters et al., 2007). The externalities of tourism like climate change contribute more than 50% in transports used by tourists. European tourism significantly contributes to global warming. The external cost of tourism, therefore, increases as visitors come in droves to their tourist destinations. The country is thus left with a value that it should meet to be at par in preventing the release of greenhouse gases. The study conducted by Peeters et al. (2010) concentrates on the global tourism and focusses on the prediction of up to thirty years and a simulation of 45 years of greenhouse gas emissions (Peeters et al., 2010). It was found that tourism causes an increase in carbon dioxide emissions by 4.4% globally. The projected rate of growth of the emissions is 3.2%. The increased rate of emissions does not correspond with the decrease in the rates of greenhouse emissions. The models in place help in forecasting the reduction of the emissions, which are far, back from the progressively increasing rates of greenhouse gas emissions. The study on the projections tends to address the reduction of carbon emissions by 70% by 2050. As a result, various measures need to be practiced globally to ensure that the greenhouse gas emission is reduced to a minimum in meeting the projects set. The models do not help much since the emission of greenhouse gases throughout the world is not the same. Raux (2010) notes that tourism is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and which is steadily increasing due the increased use of fossil fuels which are the forefront sources of greenhouse gases (Raux, 2010). The transport sector especially road transport contributes a lot to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Including road transport in trade emission is another important step that will help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Putting a cost on the rate of discharge by the road transport sector is an important step in reducing emissions (Kreiser et al., 2012). Reilly et al. (2010) notes that transportation is a vital component of tourism. Considering the environmental effect it has, it is crucial in managing the use of transport in tourism. There are very many destinations that tourists visit and, as a result, use a lot of transportation in the form of vehicles (Reilly, 2010). The management of transport used in tourism is important, and most tourists choose the several options presented to them in reducing emissions from the tourism sector (Gössling, 2011). McKercher (2010) examined attitudes of visitors towards changing their travelling behavior in Hong Kong and their voluntary willingness to change their practices to sustain the environment McKercher, 2010). Various authorities have used awareness in dealing with the issue of greenhouse emissions by vehicles especially private cars, but the action has either been slow or none at all. The standard international tourists were not prone to change as opposed to those who were visiting for the first time. However, the regular foreign travelers were aware of the various laws they ignored them or sluggishly followed them. Therefore, enforcement is another issue that should be considered in making sure that visitors are responsible and take care of their environment by doing what is needed for them. The need for making visitors aware of their environments and the various ways that they can contribute mainly in uses methods that will lessen greenhouse gas emission will go a long way in dealing with the recurring issue of greenhouse gas emissions. The tourism sector, therefore, depends very much on transport, which is a key contributor of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The various transport as noted by the studies includes cars, minibuses and buses used in tours and travel. Different countries have the different infrastructure, they thus differed on the number of vehicles, and the distances covered to the tourist’s destinations. The number trips are another factor that determines the greenhouse emissions. The more the tourists, the more transport are used in ferrying them through the various tourist destinations. The tourist may opt to use rental cars that are mostly private or public packages provided by various tours and travel companies. The increased use of cars noted above increases the carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide needs to be kept at safe levels in the atmosphere to prevent an increase in green house gases. Various activities as if use alternative transport as if electric cars and bicycles are paramount to reduce the emission of the gases to the atmosphere. The increase in greenhouse gases globally is a vital issue that needs solutions to prevent a global warming catastrophe. Recommendation The various studies focus on the transport sector and how it has affected tourism primarily. There is need of coming up with a measure that will help reduce emissions from road transport that is mostly used by tourists when they arrive in a particular country. The various strategies for employing public transport and offering packages for many tourists is an important solution that needs consideration. Tourists should be dissuaded from using personal cars when they visit national parks and get into packages with other tourists to conserve the natural environment. Such packages will ensure that the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emission reduce to the required minimal especially in the tourism sector. The employ of alternative transport like trains and bicycle sin suitable areas is necessary. The bicycle will reduce emissions emanating from the use of cars. The use of animals like horses is another solution that would be helpful in ensuring that the tourists engage in transport that is friendlier to the environment. North Pennines can thus promote the use of electric vehicles and cars that would help the area maintain its natural animals and plants and prevent any pollution that may adversely affect the natural surroundings. The electric vehicles and bicycles do not have much effect on the environment where they are venturing since noise produced by the cars is reduced to a minimum, and therefore disturbance and interference is reduced to a minimum. References MCKERCHER, B., PRIDEAUX, B., CHEUNG, C., & LAW, R. (2010). Achieving voluntary reductions in the carbon footprint of tourism and climate change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 18, 297-317. REILLY, J., WILLIAMS, P., & HAIDER, W. (2010). 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Tourism and climate change: impacts, adaptation and mitigation. London, Routledge. DELACY, T., JIANG, M., LIPMAN, G., & VORSTER, S. (2014). Travel, Tourism and Green Growth Concept, Policy and Practice for Sustainable Tourism. Hoboken, Taylor and Francis. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1687348.. Read More