Photo by @scottgoldsmithphoto // The watchful eye of a boarder patrol agent tempered the illegality of stepping in and out of Mexico several times in 15 minutes as I observed the landscape and artifacts of “THE wall”. In this location, it was a beaten, weathered and vandalized metal fence. The agent, on US soil, was searching for tire and foot prints. I watched from Mexico. The scant barbed wire fence in the right van window marks the border. The agent explained that smugglers of people and (or) drugs used this abandoned van. This is the most remote part of desert leading into the US from Mexico. Sophisticated electronic and drone surveillance is used here to locate illegal activity in this large swath of treacherous land. Infrared and heat detecting surveillance was also in place. The proposed new wall has significant environmental costs. Parts of the border are some of the continent’s most significant wildlife corridors. Among the endangered species affected by the wall would be the jaguar, the Sonoran pronghorn, and Chiricahua leopard frog. Other negatively affected species would include the desert tortoise, black bear, desert mule deer, and a variety of snakes. But even species that can fly, such as Rufous hummingbirds and the Swainson's and gray hawks could be harmed. Vital pollinators that migrate across the border, such as insects, could end up burnt up by the lights necessary to illuminate the wall. A poisoned U.S.-Mexican relationship could prevent the renegotiation of vital water sharing agreements with the Colorado River. This could potentially undermine both U.S. and Mexican water and food security and agricultural production. Many lengthy studies have concluded that billions spent on the wall will not be offset by the proclaimed benefits. Experts say smugglers from Mexico will dig tunnels under the wall or use drones to fly their contraband across it. These studies further surmise that migrants will use boats, forcing the U.S. to face a less-acute version of the Mediterranean migration catastrophe. #borderwall @thephotosociety #Mexico #USborder #borderfence

thephotosocietyさん(@thephotosociety)が投稿した動画 - 2017/12/08 00:05:10