Are off road vehicles and the use of deserts as playpens really worth the environmental impact?  Aside from disturbing the natural habitats of wildlife and contributing to erosion and noise pollution…

Siting research from the University of Utah and Colorado State University, a couple of recent articles point out the unwitting climate change impact of “increased human activity in desert areas.”  Heat-absorbing desert dust particles contribute to earlier snowmelt, which “depletes the natural water reservoirs of mountain snow pacts and in turn affects the delivery of water to urban and agricultural areas….earlier snow melt timing may have a subtle yet potentially profound effect on the ecology of the high meadows.”

more @ christiansciencemonitor.com and highcountrynews and sciencedaily.

As a responsible society, we need to look at the big picture, think long-term, and move away from the culture of self-gratification and the use of our wild areas as a motorized recreational playpen.

photo credit:  Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies