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Kimberly Robison
Fighting the Ban Winter is a season that depresses the emotions, however the sport of snowmobiling can add enjoyment to the bleak months. Snowmobiles are winter machines, which are used as recreation for the family, sporting events, and as rescue equipment. As a winter sport, snowmobiling has been around since the 1960s, but only recently has the sport gained popularity. Environmentalists, however, have begun to show concern about these machines. Banning snowmobiles from national parks is only the beginning of the end, and environmentalists will not stop until snowmobiles become illegal for a family to use. An increase in snowmobile traffic has brought the issue of air pollution into the equation. Environmentalists have stated that cars contribute less to air pollution than snowmobiles do. Since snowmobiles are few in number and are used only a total of four months per year, how can the machines possibly outweigh cars in the matter of air pollution? One of the four leading manufacturers of snowmobiles, Arctic Cat, has developed a new four-stroke engine that is 65% more fuel-efficient than a two-stroke engine. The snowmobile industry complains that environmentalists have not given the companies enough time to improve the engines and the overall systems of the snowmobiles; instead environmentalists are pushing to ban them. Environmentalists have studied the decibel level of noise and claim snowmobiles frighten animals. The development of a new four-stroke engine will cut the noise level, but the environmentalists still do not acknowledge the vast improvements. A snowmobile ban will affect a large number of people who depend on the snowmobile season to survive. Those affected are hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and dealers. Whole towns revolve around snowmobiling in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but if the ban is put in to effect these people will suffer. Starvation Lake and Mean Gene's are only two places that depend on a snowmobiler's business to pay the bills. Snowmobiles are used in areas that can not be reached by cars or other large vehicles. These machines exert fewer pounds per square inch than a 175 lb. standing man does, so snowmobiles skim over the surface of the snow. Snowmobiles became the replacements for dogsleds and snowshoes. Without the existence of snowmobiles, many people could die needlessly, when they could have been saved with the use of snowmobiles. Banning snowmobiles will be a victory for environmentalists but snowmobiles do not destroy land, they are helpful tools that are used to preserve human life in the winter. They are not only rescue equipment but they provide recreation for people. If snowmobiles are banned, what is the use of having national parks, parks are places that allow people to experience nature, but if the ban becomes legal then the majestic winters in these national parks will not be enjoyed. |
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