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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: AU
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| Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Roads and automobiles represent progress and freedom for most humans. ![]() However, they can also bring destruction and doom to others. Why did the chicken cross the road? Perhaps, the question is, why did the road cross the chicken’s path? ![]() ![]() It was my turn to pick a book for our Book Club, and I chose New York Times Notable Book of 2023 and Editors' Choice, Ben Goldfarb's, Crossings: How road ecology is shaping the future of our planet. ![]() The book provided a shocking insight into the adverse impact of roads and what can be done to limit the damage. The numbers are just staggering. Entire species are at the threat of becoming extinct.
About the book: An eye-opening account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from the award-winning author of Eager. Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. In Crossings, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. A million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone, but as the new science of road ecology shows, the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. Creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; invasive plants hitch rides in tire treads; road salt contaminates lakes and rivers; and the very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat. Yet road ecologists are also seeking to blunt the destruction through innovative solutions. Goldfarb meets with conservationists building bridges for California’s mountain lions and tunnels for English toads, engineers deconstructing the labyrinth of logging roads that web national forests, animal rehabbers caring for Tasmania’s car-orphaned wallabies, and community organizers working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon American cities. Today, as our planet’s road network continues to grow exponentially, the science of road ecology has become increasingly vital. Written with passion and curiosity, Crossings is a sweeping, spirited, and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world―and how we can create a better future for all living beings. What is road ecology? Road ecology is the study of the interactions between roads and the natural environment. It is a multidisciplinary field that examines the ecological effects of roads and transportation infrastructure on wildlife, habitats, ecosystems, and the overall landscape. The main areas of focus in road ecology include:
It was fascinating to learn about animal crossings and their positive impact on the wildlife. World over a number of initiatives are being taken to make life a little bit easier for animals. Canada - Banff National Park Animal Overpass: ![]() ![]() ![]() USA - Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing: World’s largest wildlife crossing to open by early 2026. ![]() ![]() USA - Oregon: The Salmon Super Highway: Netherlands - Ecoducts: ![]() Australia - Christmas Island Bridge for Crabs: ![]() India - PENCH Tiger Reserve - Elevated Highway: My musings,
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Last edited by kiku007 : 10th June 2024 at 09:47. |
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BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Gurgaon
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Nice post! It is mind boggling to learn how sometimes a highway could disturb the ecology of the area (hinderance to animal migration/ hindrance to cross pollination/ hindrance to natural ecological flora and fauna balance). So happy to learn that a part of population is still motivated to make a difference. For folks who are interested in exploring more on such topics, I recommend this Netflix documentary - SeasPiracy (https://www.netflix.com/title/81014008). It was quite unnerving to learn the impacts of accelerated fishing on our planet and compared to banal things like paper vs plastic straws that draws far more public attention! It was like restoring a scratch on a car that got totalled in a crash! Some tips to be a nice driver and nicer human to you fellow planet beings:
Thanks Kiku007 for bringing this topic to fore ![]() |
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BHPian ![]() | Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? My SIL wrote and defended her thesis (PHD) on the topic and was closely involved working with NHAI on the Pench elevated highway. She wrote an article long back in 2019 while working on the project. https://www.researchgate.net/publica...titive_efforts I have seen some pictures from the cameras below, animals crossing the underpass, they have put them to study their movement, especially the tigers. We need more of such initiatives from NHAI. |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? I have been an enthusiast, and love driving. But over the years, my mind is tilting towards public transport. (Not that I use it much), but I feel, the world should just move to being transported, than drive. We have overdone highways and roads, to suit the US-like car culture. Just think of those tourist destinations you have travelled to, over the last few years. Most places are crowded with cars. The roads leading to them are crowded. Our cities don't spare an inch, even for a grasshopper. I don't see that these mega expressways are any sign of progress. Yes, they make travel faster, but they would have been designed differently if they were to cater only for transportation, and not cars. Imagine, you booking a trip to your nearest hill station with your travel partner, and you hop onto an auto, to your nearest Metro station that takes you to the nearest Bus terminal, which has an overnight bus waiting for you. You sleep all along your journey, or watch out of the window, not worrying about traffic, or overtaking or toll or fatigue. You reach your destination, and there is another transport that the hotel has arranged to pick you from the bus. And all of this arranged flawlessly by your travel partner. This can turn more convenient that personal transport if done effectively. I don't see that these newly built expressways as any sign of progress. We are just living in ridiculous times, of human history. I wish we just went back 50 years in time, where there were just trains and buses, and everything was slower. |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Great thread. It aches my heart to see a "scenic road" skirting a fresh water lake, preventing hundreds of thousands of species from safely accessing the water. There are so many problems. The planting of flowering trees on highway lane dividers is also a problem. When first planted, I saw lakhs of butterflies (and other species) along the road trying to access the flowers, getting massacred by speeding vehicles. On The same high, i hardly see butterflies now. |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Quote:
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The Freeway Bureau yesterday temporarily closed the Formosa Freeway’s (Freeway No. 3) outer lane and shoulder in Yunlin County after detecting a massive migration of purple crow butterflies. The number of purple crow butterflies flying across the freeway section in the county’s Linnei Township reached 250 per minute at about 9am, Taiwan Purple Crow Butterfly Ecological Preservation Association deputy chairman Chen Jui-hsiang said, adding that the bureau closed the outer lane and shoulder in the section (251K to 253K milestone) at 9:20am. The maximum number of purple crow butterflies recorded yesterday morning exceeded 687 per minute, the association said. Source:https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../16/2003774883 Closing a section of a highway for butterflies? Wow! | ||||
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jun 2023 Location: Bengaluru
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Quote:
But I agree that the public transportation ecosystem in India needs to improve. The current system is overburdened without even trying. New systems have to be carefully thought out and developed to ensure they sustain for a long while before being overwhelmed. Regarding crowding in cities, half the problem can be solved if the road infrastructure is improved and maintained well. A congestion charge and logical route planning for public transport can go a long way in decongesting cities and keep unnecessary vehicles off the road. The government has to promote alternate solutions for last-mile commuting. A simple step could be to redesign the metro coaches to allow people to take their bicycles with them on the train. Going back 50 years will not solve the problem. People couldn't receive the aid they desperately needed, or access good healthcare because they weren't connected to the rest of the country. | |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Quote:
Even if you want to add more railway tracks to ferry billion people for their daily activities, it would need significant amount of infrastructure than what it is right now, which would mean even bigger impact on ecology/forests. Movement is life, either for animals or humans. Evolution tells us that. It's just that our movement is efficient and needs additional infrastructure. Without roadways there's no comfort of civilization we are living in right now. What we need to be is mindful about other living beings, their ecology and movement and make sure to provide safe passages for them for their movement. Banning cars and increasing number of public busses would still require same infrastructure albeit with more inconveniences/delays/inefficiencies/safety/thefts/fights/ etc. on daily basis. Last edited by Earthroamer : 12th June 2024 at 09:42. | |
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BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Here is a new elephant crossing bridge coming in the outskirts of Bengaluru. |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Quote:
The new Bangalore Mysore expressway, was a great achievement in the recent times. It has reduced travel time between the two cities by almost an hour. But, was it necessary? Absolutely yes, if you like the comfort of your car. No - for me, if I consider what we lost because of that. Just look at the expanse when compared to the earlier one. ![]() ![]() A rough calculation (150Km * 100meters width) gives me an estimated 3800 Acres of land acquisition. Considering that this road was built around the existing road, and not reusing the existing road, most of this was newly acquired. Some of it was pristine forest land. I have trekked the Sholay hills region around Ramanagara, and those are uninhabited hilly areas. ![]() This detour around Ramanagara gobbles up so much of that. It just splits the forest into two. ![]() Another view of what was lost ![]() Train times have also reduced by almost an hour in the recent years. Shatabdi takes me there in an hour and 50 minutes. And some trains cost as less as 50 per person. Another argument that I had was that how much road space, cars occupy, vs buses and cargo vehicles. Our Beloved Shiradi Ghat. ![]() I asked ChatGPT to estimate number of passengers who use cars, buses and trains. Here are some numbers. And then I asked it to adjust those to a holiday weekend and it gave me this Summary for Holiday WeekendsAnother factor to consider was freight And ChatGpt did a lot of math to arrive at this Cargo Vehicle Estimate:So, if today, I had the old road (Just remodeled scientifically, with a few extra flyovers), and if the road was tolled heavily, I would have happily chosen a train or a Bus and would have left the car home. That would have left us with a good 250 buses, 8750 cargo vehicles on any given day (Including holiday weekends), and would have reduced overall road usage by more than 50%. | |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? TBH, with this current government's focus on "expressway expansion", new roads are inevitable. For all intents and purposes, the DM Expressway has been a massive success. Green belts are being envisaged and flyovers are being built to protect forest land. Perhaps with improvements in road technology, we might see flora and fauna cohabiting peacefully with modern infrastructure. Hanging gardens and rooftop gardens, to take two examples, are evidence that green zones have been successfully integrated with building infrastructure. Maybe, something along these lines might become financially and logistically viable in India too soon. ![]() |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Those animal road crossings are impressive and very thoughtful. They may be located at regular intervals, but how will the animals know not to cross the road wherever they are standing and there is a bridge some distance away? |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Quote:
https://y2y.net/blog/how-do-wildlife...nimal-bridges/ So it's a pretty elaborate solution. I think the best solution, if we really want to conserve wildlife, is to declare some areas as protected and just let them be. No mining, no roads, no tourism, etc. Very hard thing to do in a country as populated as ours. This road is a good case study. The writings of Kenneth Anderson have documented the abundance of leopards in the Ramanagara region. Before the expressway, a friend had seen a leopard on a small rocky hill, past Bidadi, that we used to visit. At that time, it was a bit of a trek to get there. Now the road has come within 200 meters of that same hillock. You can probably get off the expressway and drive a 4x4 to the base of that area (off-road enthusiasts, please don't!). Interestingly, someone had posted a video of another leopard sighting recently in the area. But who knows, the next time we widen the road, maybe in 15 years, that rocky hill is going to get blasted out of existence. And with it the leopard dens. But we'll put 'Save Wildlife' stickers on our cars, while we drive to Mysore faster. Last edited by am1m : 14th June 2024 at 17:41. | |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Was recently in Himachal and literally wept seeing the environmental damage caused by some highways that are being built. I wonder for what. To increase the rate of tourists entering the state causing massive traffic jams. Ironically destroying the environment for which the tourists were coming in the first place. In some sections they have completely destabilized the mountains and will cause massive landslides in the future. I now shudder now when some "vikas purush" politician announces "development" of an area. There is a now a new trend now to green wash people. Hide or misinterpret facts and then declare highways as "green highways". Something like we have in my office building. We have few poted plants stacked vertically on a wall. It supposedly a "hanging garden" and hence it is a "green building". Obviously you don't talk about the enormous glass façade of the building that lets in enormous heat causing massive electricity usage for air conditioning. |
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| Re: Road ecology is shaping the future of our planet - Are we aware of it? Wow. When I see those aerial shots of roads, my heart aches to think of the animals which need to cross from side to side. No chance in hell. Imagine living in a world where either you stay imprisoned in your tiny space or face the possibility of sure death if you dare to explore. In a recent drive in Maharashtra, after a short burst of rains so many crabs trying hard to cross the road from one side to the farms and fields on the other. And passing vehicles mercilessly butchering them along the way. (I think many people deliberately run over them, as I saw a biker do to a fairly large Garden Lizard). A few more years and the crabs will go locally extinct (first, and then slowly in larger areas). Same goes for the frogs. And garden lizards. And many species. I have seen roadkill of so many species. It’s heart breaking. A few years ago I made a film on a rural charity hospital. A very poor, very rural young couple came with a new-born who had some respiratory issues. They came 80km to this hospital on a village tractor. What struck me was the fact that there are 80km of road for the tractor but no hospital for 80km. It seems India has the second highest network of roads in the world (China, a much larger, equally populated and much more prosperous country, is 3rd). What we need now is perhaps hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, more efficient and well maintained public transport, abundant public spaces in cities etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...d_network_size |
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