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Natural Capital

In: Other Topics

Submitted By Jdraytonfam
Words 652
Pages 3
ENC1101 Tuesday 5:40pm
March 19, 2013
Natural Capital

Our planet is quickly feeling the negative impact of our careless lifestyles. The question of the hour is, what is natural capital and how does it define one aspect of Miami Dade County? First of all, natural capital is water, trees, wetlands, oceans, coral reefs, and rain forests. As we have learned in our past readings, our nation’s natural capital is being destroyed by our reckless behavior. In Cutler Bay, Florida there is a park-marina known by the name of Black Point Park & Marina. Presently, the park is thriving, but if we continue to abuse our environment the future of this park can be at stake. Black Point Park & Marina is a clean park with many amenities and is a great place to take your boat out, or watch other people try. Coming to the marina on a Saturday night is better than going to a comedy club. There are large pickups with boat trailers, inexperienced boaters that after a long day of drinking at Elliot Key are oblivious to what they are doing, and a slippery boat ramp. Generally, one truck per weekend ends up needing to be towed or winched out of the water. It's so comical; it should be declared a national event. As for the harbor, it is home to several different animals such as, Manatees, Crocodiles, Alligators, Egrets, Herons, Eagles, Osprey, and Pelicans. It is exciting to see the manatees come up to the dock and drink fresh water from the water hose. While the marina, has a dockside restaurant and bar, which the decor is typical of a Key West type waterfront establishment with faded wood and marine-related decor. The large picnic pavilion and grill make it ideal to have a party or just an afternoon barbecue. In addition, the north side of the cut has a beautiful walking path with picnic benches along the extensive mangroves. Fishing enthusiasts can cast from the shore or take a short boat ride over to Elliot Key. With so many things to do, Black Point is ideally a place to spend your afternoons. However, if we don’t make the effort to preserve this paradise, it might not be here tomorrow. Global warming and pollution seem to be the biggest issues, which have been a contributing factor to the intense hurricanes developing over the years. If the waters keep getting warmer, it will produce fuel for more intense storms and we may not be able to prevent the parked from being flooded or destroyed. The worst part would be losing lavish mangroves, which would harm our wildlife. There is a possibility of rebuilding but will the park be the same? Would we be able to have our Saturday night entertainment or walks along the beautiful hiking trail? Will the floods wipe out the trails and leave no banks for casual fishing? The answer to that question is yes and no. As for natural capital, it will take years to flourish and with our carelessness, maybe even decades. While material things like the local restaurant, it could be rebuilt, probably stronger and better, but there is no guarantee that it won’t lose that Key West view. Unfortunately, life can change in a minute because at any moment Mother Nature can destroy our little paradise known, as Black Point Marina, but, if we take the initiative to protect our environment maybe it will be decades before that storm comes. In conclusion, we need to rebuild our natural capital and stop the over developing in order to repair our ecosystem. If we make the effort to become more Eco-friendly, we might be able to slow down the effects of global warming. All of these factors have caused a negative effect on the natural capital and if we don’t address them we may lose our beautiful natural resources forever.

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