INTRODUCTION
Many countries rely on agricultural crops for the food security of their citizens and the stability of their economy. Cultivating crops allowed humans to meet their increasing demands for crops and continue to prosper. Without agricultural products, civilizations would have been different or would have failed to exist. People would have relied on gathering crops and end up exhausting every available resource there is. Nevertheless, as societies and their demands for agricultural crops advance, more strain are put into the environment. People have cultivated crops continuously and some have done it without much regards to the environment. There have been many cases and places where the humans and other factors had taken its toll on the environment. Furthermore, this paper will focus on the Dust Bowl and discuss the many facets of the subject at hand.
THE DUST BOWL
The Dust Bowl is a region in the Great Plains that have experienced severe drought during the 1930s. The Dust Bowl is also regarded as the period where regions in the Great Plains have experienced the said drought. The primary areas affected by the drought were Texas and Oklahoma, but the drought also affected New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. Moreover, other states were also affected by the phenomenon since many dust had made their way into their atmosphere and affected their daily lives. The drought brought about by the Dust Bowl started in 1934 and lasted until the late 1930s. During this period, there were a few rainfalls, strong winds and many dust that became dangerous. The soil lost its ability to anchor itself due to the absence of the grass systems that once flourished in the region while the strong winds picked them up to form dense clouds of dust or the black blizzards. This phenomenon caused more than half of the people in the Dust Bowl region to move and leave their home behind since the conditions did not allow them to plant crops any longer. Livestock animals like calves also died due to the accumulation of dust in their system. Together with the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl had hurt the economy of the country (“Dust Bowl”).
CAUSES OF THE DUST BOWL
Anthropogenic Causes. The Dust Bowl could have started during the 1920’s when farmers had just discovered using more mechanized and advanced farming methods after the first World War. Mechanized and more advanced farming methods included plows and heavy equipment that allowed farmers then to work more efficiently and earn more. Millions of acres of land were plowed through the new farming methods by 1930. There was an overproduction of crops, specifically wheat, brought about by the efficient farming method, yet there was a decline in their prices due to the economic downfall during the Great Depression. Even with the decline in their market prices, only a few people were able to afford to buy. Thus, farmers went home without sales. This led the way for the creation of a strain for the farmers since they are unable to get what they invested in the production of the crops. To address this, farmers were forced to plant more crops in an attempt to cover the cost of production. The farmers damaged the land by replacing the drought-resistant and native plant species to make way for their wheat. Farmers also increased the damage by leaving many other fields bare and prone to more damage. This farming method that relied on the heavy plowing of fields led the topsoil to be dry and unanchored, letting the wind blow them away and leave the field dry and unfit for the production of more crops. After the lands were left to be barren and dry by the irresponsible use of those who relied on plowing, the rain stopped coming. When 1932 came, the wind and the dust formed dust storms that many call black blizzards (Trimarchi).
Ecological Factors. The main ecological factor that gave rise to the Dust Bowl is the failure of the crops that farmers chose to cultivate to help the topsoil anchor themselves. There were grass systems in the Great Plains that did a good job in anchoring the topsoil, but they were removed to allow farmers to cultivate in larger areas. The strong winds likewise contributed largely to the phenomenon since they promoted the erosion of the topsoil. The natural drought in the region further helped worsen the situation (Trimarchi).
EFFECTS OF THE DUST BOWL
Effects. The lands in the Great Plains became unsuitable for cultivation. The animals in the Great Plains also choked with dust and died. There are even people who died due to excessive dust inhalation. The Dust Bowl made one out of three of the farmers in the Great Plains to leave and find other places where they can stay and make a living. Before the phenomenon, the said farmers were considerably financially stable, but the failure of their production to return their investment on their farming equipment left them broke. The migrants from the Great Plains competed with other people who wanted a job (Trimarchi).
Geographic Regions and People Affected. Many people from Oklahoma migrated from the Dust Bowl and went to California, where they had to compete with well-paying jobs (Trimarchi.). Moreover, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas were also victims to the said phenomenon. There are also some provinces in Canada that suffered the same fate (“Dust Bowl”).
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
The competition for jobs that the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression created a social shift in the country. The migrants were placed in a position that created a conflict with the residents. Additionally, poverty during this time triggered social inequality in many regions. The increase in the people that should be catered in a certain place further compromised the social help that people were bound to receive (The National Drought Mitigation Center).
SOCIETAL OR GOVERNMENTAL IDEOLOGY OR ATTITUDE
The Dust Bowl made the government then to enact acts that aided farmers get through the drought. Many groups and organizations also helped during this time by monitoring how farmers plant crops and graze. Many other efforts were put to help conserve the soil and the environment because of the apparent results of failing to look after it (Trimarchi). To sum it up, the dust bowl allowed people to learn that they should cultivate with caution since there could be repercussions. The Dust Bowl allowed environmental consciousness and responsible agriculture.
CONCLUSION
The Dust Bowl is a proof that the environment has its limits. When people disregard the environment and allow their desire for more resources to triumph, the effects can be devastating. Let this be a lesson for everyone that they should exercise responsibility everytime they are in contact with the environment, which is virtually every time. We only have one world and we should all act to conserve it for our future.
Works Cited
"Dust Bowl." History. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 24 July 2016.
The National Drought Mitigation Center. "Drought in the Dust Bowl Years." Drought in the Dust Bowl Years. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2016.
Trimarchi, Maria. "What Caused the Dust Bowl." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks, n.d. Web. 24 July 2016.
