Josephson argues that technologies like the small bore internal combustion engine are a great risk to the environment as they bring airborne pollution to environmentally pristine areas through their use in recreational vehicles. The Canadian arctic has experienced damage from airborne pollutants, discuss if the Canadian arctic is a “pristine” environment and what this suggests about the damage being done by airborne pollutants.
Since the invention of the internal combustion engine humans have tried to perfect the engine for many different uses. There has always been a give and take when trying to create the most fuel-efficient engine possible; one which will impact our environment as little as possible. In this essay, I will look into technologies like the small bore internal combustion engine (particularly in snowmobiles) and compare findings from different books, journals and articles to debate the risk to the environment. I will look also into the airborne pollution to environmentally pristine areas through the engines use in recreational vehicles.
To begin, we must first understand the popularity with snow mobiles. In the unforgiving wilderness in Northern Canada and America where the temperature can be below freezing for the majority of the year and snow covers all that the eye can see; there is a very limited choice of transportation for people in areas such as the Nunavut territory, North Dakota and Northern Minnesota. Snowmobiles are used by police, first responders and the average person as a mode of transport. In the late 1960’s and 1970’s the snowmobile grew in popularity with the numbers increasing from twenty thousand to several million in just a few years. The snowmobile is fast, agile and seen as a toy to most people. It’s main purpose when first invented was for it to be used in a utilitarian aspect; however, through its popularity the main view on the snowmobile has changed drastically. When Joseph-Armand Bombardier first created the “Ski-Dog” in 1959 and left his invention behind for the people in the missionary in Northern Ontario; the people using his ‘Ski-Dog’ quickly found that his invention allowed them to navigate the treacherous terrain with ease and even made it fun and recreational. They were unware that Bombardier would change the winter scenery forever. Fast forward to 2018 the popularity for these machines still lives on with 150,000 and 260,000 snowmobiles sold per year with 2.6 million registered snowmobile users worldwide.
The snowmobile has brought about a big debate from all aspects ranging from pollution to environmental rights. In his book, Motorized Obsessions: Life, Liberty, and the Small-Bore Engine, Paul Josephson discusses the impact and challenges that arises from the snowmobile. With new machines being built that allow for travel into otherwise untouched or explored land, you get one side of the table applauding the innovation as it now allows for them to explore the wilderness as a past time or for work. On the other side of the table the opposition argues that snowmobiles and small combustion engines found in them and ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles) create noise and gas pollution and destroy the ‘pristine’ nature.
There are two main types of engines found in ATV’s; Two stroke and four stroke. The ‘stroke’ refers to how many times the piston completes one full range of motion in the cylinder, found in the block of an engine, before gas is injected into the cylinder to create combustion. Two stoke engines which are most common in snowmobiles work differently to four strokes. Two stoke engines require two stroke oil to be mixed into the gas for the engine to work without overheating; its four-stroke equivalent does not require such oil. “Some ATV, snowmobile, and jet engines can expel up to 30 percent of their oil and gasoline unburned into air and water, producing as much as 4,000 times as much carbon monoxide and 118 times as many smog-forming pollutants as modern automobiles on a per-mile basis.. Ninety percent of the 34 tons of smog precursors currently emitted each day by off-road motorcycles and ATV’s comes from two-stroke engines… they continue to expel significant quantities of known carcinogens like benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene in the unburnt fuel, as well as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, particulates, hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the additive MBTE in the exhaust”. The big problem faced by snowmobiles is that their engines are not every environmentally friendly. Due to the inefficiency of its engines and the pollution caused by it, the snowmobile is a leading factor in pollution in areas with high snowmobile traffic such as Northern states and territories.
Another factor of pollution that is brought about by the internal combustion engine up North is noise pollution. Small engines found in recreational machines can create noise levels ranging from 78-100 decibels. Long term exposure without hearing protection would lead to hearing loss. In the quite glaciers, up north, snowmobilers found themselves in constant conflict with people who were trying to enjoy the clam and serenity of the vastness. The noise created from small combustion found in, ATV’s, Snowmobiles, lawnmowers and chainsaws can be heard from miles away; especially in open fields or flat open land. Additionally, the loud sounds created mixed in with constant activity interrupts wintering wildlife. This can lead to stress in the animal, raised energy expenditures than normal, and variations in habitat use. These factors impacts can force wildlife to leave their preferred habitat or even reduce an animal’s chances of surviving the winter. However, there are also studies that show animals such as deer frequent snowmobile trails and are less afraid of human interaction. This information comes from a study conducted in White Mountain National Forrest in New Hampshire. The study found that there was “no meaningful difference in the deer’s home range during periods of snowmobile use and non-use”.
The Canadian Arctic is virtually untouched. It is vast, open and the weather is unrelenting and unforgiving. the only mode of transportation in such areas is usually: dog sleds, cross country skiers, snow shoeing or using a snowmobile. The snowmobile allows people to travel further, faster, carry more items and expend less energy to get jobs done. There has been debate on whether the motorized vehicle’s pros outweigh the cons. There are many pros of a snowmobile, the ease of transportation and the freedom this brings being the highest on the list in my mind. The big con of snowmobiles however cannot be over looked; this being pollution. There have been debates and various studies done in the arctic or national parks residing over the impact the snowmobile and internal engine used has on its environment. Studies found that the noise pollution was the most devastating out of the two but the main problem faced by nature is the snow being compacted by snowmobiles. An average American rider has access to over 370,000 kilometers of dedicated snowmobile trials. On average a rider will cover 1593 kilometers per year and will spend on average 4000 dollars on snowmobile recreation. These trails are used for transportation of goods, hunting, exploring and other activities. There is constant tension between riders and the government for new trials and land to be added to the list of areas that snowmobilers can access. More land available leads to more noise, pollution and natural habitat loss. The snowmobiles ability to compact the snow they ride over leads to late thawing of the compacted snow. This has a ripple effect on the submerged soil. There is a decrease of moisture and oxygen in soil which leads to lower yields of foraging plants, “damage to tree saplings, disturbance of animal movement patterns, high mortality rates in smaller animals, and damage to agricultural crops”. “After only a single pass by a snowmobile, more than 78 percent of the saplings on the trail were damaged, and nearly 27 percent of them were damaged seriously enough to cause a high probability of death.”. Snowmobiles off road impact environmentally pristine areas.
The use of snowmobiles has allowed people to travel over tough, harsh and challenging terrain. They have made peoples life much easier when it comes to travel, business and recreational use. The internal combustion engine found in snowmobiles do create a lot of pollution which affects the environment around them and the tracks do compress the snow which effects the soil underneath in a negative way. There has been very little done when it comes to limiting the snowmobile user as the machine is seen as a necessity in most Northern parts of the world and brings in tourists which fund National Parks like Yellowstone. Without the snowmobile the world would be a very different place today. Yes, there are both negative and positive connotations with the snowmobile and the debate will forever live on as too whether it is doing more harm than it is helping.