Madeline Smith
Human Geography Discussion
Professor Matthew Huycke
November 30, 2014
Galapagos
The Galapagos are a small group of islands, made famous by the studies conducted there by Charles Darwin in the 1800’s. Today these islands have undergone rapid changes, in that more people have inhabited the islands bringing in more residential life. The question that was brought up is that if the government elected in the Galapagos stays in power and allows more people and buildings to develop, “who is going to stand up for nature?”
The Galapagos’ landscape has changed exponentially over the years. As more developments are made with people, animals, and building construction, the land continues to undergo drastic changes. Since people have arrived on the islands an entire rainforest was destroyed, overfishing has occurred, and many tortoises have been killed. These events that partook on the Galapagos Islands have changed the area and caused great environmental harm. Most places on earth that have been touched by human development have undergone environmental harm. Humans bring construction, destruction, waste, and pollution. It seems when humans enter a new area and set boundaries or confinements they are never permanent and they always expand. Through expansion humans overpower the nature around them.
Humans take up a lot of space, and we are always in need of more of it. We always need another store, another restaurant, and another set of cookie cutter houses. Humans and