The U.S.-proposed border fence along the Mexican border is facing opposition not only from immigrant rights groups, but also from some environmental organizations. Claiming that hundreds of miles of border fences will keep many animals from the Rio Grande River, their only source of water, wildlife experts fear that some land animals will be killed as a result of the fence.
There are several wildlife refuges along the border, forming a “wildlife corridor” that environmental and government officials have preserved over many years. Although officials at the Department of Homeland Security say that environmental considerations will be taken into account in the location of the fence, the Department may waive compliance with environmental regulations for security reasons, as it has done in some previous cases.
President Bush has proposed building 700 miles of fence along the border. The Department of Homeland Security is aiming to complete 370 miles of it by the end of 2008.
See: Border Fence Could Imperil Wildlife, Environmentalists Say (AP, New York Times) and River enthusiast spends 9 months navigating the Rio Grande (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
