Economic Growth vs. Environmental Sustainability

Many environmental issues in the U.S. highlight the challenge of balancing industrial and local economic growth with the conservation of finite natural resources. The Investigate Midwest article, “Parched in the Pandhandle” (Felder, 2024), illustrates this dilemma through the story of a large pork producer, Seaboard Foods. This corporation helped grow the local economy in an otherwise desolate area, which simultaneously led to extreme groundwater depletion. Located in Oklahoma’s arid panhandle, Seaboard Foods is using water at a faster rate than the natural process for replenishment, creating a situation where the water levels are consistently decreasing. The corporation has caused the groundwater decline to increase 250% annually. While there is regulation at the state level that sets limitations on water usage, the state has not been able to monitor or enforce the requirements because companies are not required to install meters to track their water usage. This highlights the need to hold industries to sustainable practices to ensure conservation of natural resources.

References

Felder, B. (2024, June 6). Parched in the Panhandle. Investigate Midwest. https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/06/06/parched-in-the-panhandle/