Myrtle Beach is one of the second fastest growing metro areas percentage wise in the United States from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2014. Population estimates can be attributed to rapid development on the coast and deforestation of suburban and rural areas. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the…
Category: Environmental Impact
According to The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification (LEED), “In the US, buildings account for 38 percent of all CO2 emissions.” LEED works to reduce environmental and societal impact of current buildings by reducing energy use, water use, and improving air quality through proper planning. Certification is aimed at new and innovative…
Ecosystem services are processes by which the environment or nature provides us with resources that are often taken for granted. For example, how much it would cost to purify the air we breathed day in and day out? We cannot accurately estimate how much these services cost. Another ecosystem service is farming and using the…
The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is designed to limit future carbon pollution from power plants. It emphasizes the relationship between the federal government and state governments in sharing the responsibilities and authority of implementing and enforcing changes. It showcases the various perspectives and lessons states have used to lessening carbon emissions and presents facts to…
The carbon cycle is the rotating of carbon between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, ecosystem, geosphere, and everything in between. Carbon makes up everything from the sugars we eat to the skin on our bodies to the sun itself. The cycle happens when a herbivore eats a plant and transforms the plant material into amino acids…
On November 10th, 2014, the city of Pawleys Island passed an ordinance that would formally oppose the “placement of any wind turbines in any location where the turbines, or any part of the turbines, are visible, day or night, from thirty feet above mean high water at any point within the town of Pawleys Island.” This…
Climate change is the term used to describe a trend in the overall warming of the Earth. Although the Earth goes through warming and cooling cycles on scales of hundreds of thousands of years, the current situation is concerning to scientists because the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been rising at an…
The most recent beach renourishment in Myrtle Beach occurred in 2009. Before that, it last happened in 1987 and 1997. The 1987 cost was approximately $5 million, but in 1997 and 2009, the price was around $17-18 million each time. For comparison, according to the DHEC website, North Myrtle Beach was last renourished in 2008…
A wetland is where the land is covered by water, either salt, fresh, or a blending of both. These areas typically consist of low-lying areas that are frequently flooded and provide an abundant array of ecosystem services such as water filtration, storm protection, flood control and recreation; things we would otherwise have to pay for…
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. People have an equal right to a healthy environment to live, learn, and work. Consensus can be difficult when defining shared…