Google Earth Assignment 2 For this assignment, I chose the territory of Torreon, Mexico. What I liked about this region was how quickly and efficiently it changed for a beautifully forested area to a highly industrialized area. Between the years of 1972 and present day, things have changed. We see a little bit of the change in a Google Earth image of the year 2001, where there are less trees and shrubbery, unlike today where it is almost bare. The first image is of Torreon in 1972.
It is rich in forest and plants, making it a hotspot for agriculture. Due to its agriculture potential, many people flocked to Torreon from all over Mexico. This caused a population boom, and an industrial boom as well. Torreon could be considered as the most industrialized city in Mexico, based on the Google Earth image.
Back in 1972 however, it was a good place to reside for those who were worried about food insecurity. The second image shows Torreon today, and you can see that there is less trees and shrubbery than in 1972. This is due to deforestation, caused by agriculture and, to a greater extent, industrialization. There are a few trees, but they are scarce and spread out between buildings and houses as seen in the Google Earth image. Also seen in the image is a freeway going into Mexico, wide and had two lanes. This could also be a factor in deforestation.
I chose these two images, because it shows how quickly we as a species can change the environment. Our impact as the human race could change the Earth as a whole for better or for worse, that remains to be seen.
