U.S.-Mexico Border Fence The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with permission of congress, recently waived almost three dozen environmental laws to continue the building of the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence.  A provision in the REAL ID Act of 2005 gives DHS the power to bypass these federal laws, as well as many others, because they stand in the way of the continued construction of the U.S-Mexico border fence. The U.S-Mexico border fence project is creating more problems than it is fixing, already.  The Department of Homeland Security has until the end of the year to finish a 700-mile portion of fencing along the Mexican border, and they will not let anything get in the way of finishing it, not even the environment. Click here to read a New York Times story on the waiving of these laws and the impact it is having. The main purpose for the building of the border fence is to help better secure our nation, but should the nearby wildlife have to pay for something that they are not even part of?   Is it really worth it to put the fragile ecosystem that we live in at risk?  In times of need going to our Lord for answers is often our best solution.  Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  Our God put us here to be caretakers for our earth, not to be her cause of death. That includes not only caring for the environment itself, but also caring for all of the other creatures that we share our world with.  Throughout this vast planet there are millions of diverse species of animals, insects, and plants. For our world to in harmony we must be in agreement with all of the species on earth. The construction of the border fence is contributing to the breakdown of the border fence region's biodiversity, especially the nearby wildlife. They are being forced to migrate to different regions that are not familiar to them. This opens up so many different types of problems for those particular animals including, unfamiliar habitat, food shortage, and possible mating conflictions.  Environmental Justice is an important component in the fight to save the planet. We, as humankind, need to learn as much as possible about how treat our world with respect, so that we can help contribute to the global cause of saving our earth and those that inhabit it. Many endangered species including the Sonoran Pronghorn (right), the Bighorn Sheep, the Jaguar, as well as many others, could become extinct if action is not taken against the proposed border fence building. There are many Conservation Lands that are being overlooked and therefore damaged because of the construction of U.S.-Mexico border fence.  Some of the areas affected include, the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, the Nature Conservancy’s Lennox Foundation, the Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and many more.  Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” This earth was given to us as a gift, and so we should cherish it wholeheartedly, because we only get one earth, and once it is gone, it is gone. Learn More Environmental Laws Waived Where is the Border Fence Being Built Take Action Biodiversity Environmental Justice Public Lands and Wilderness Other Useful Links Defenders of Wildlife The Sierra Club The Nature Conservancy A Diverse Habitat Gulf Crossings Mexico Seeks Border Change The Border in the Balance Border Fence Rising