How roads are reshaping and scarring our planet, and even changing animals’ DNA

A web of roads encircles the Earth and stretches 40 million miles. In Crossings, a new book by environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, tarmac is exposed for the planet-shaping force it is – one that has polluted rivers and the air, emptied soils and woodlands, and struck fear into wild animals.

As one of the most ubiquitous man-made features, roads exist on every continent and in most habitats. Their effects don’t end at the paved periphery either. While roads cover 1% of land in the US, their ecological effects – disruptive…

© La Conversation - jeudi 25 juillet 2024