Environmental Destruction in Southeast Asia due to Golf Course Developm

Environmental Destruction in Southeast Asia due to Golf Course Development The sport of golf has come a long way since it was first played on the wind blown pasture lands of Scotland over 600 years ago. Today, golf courses around the world are in a way their own small ecosystem, where only pieces of the natural environment are a part of these artificial landscapes. Courses are meticulously groomed for both championship and tourist play. The game is taking front stage all over the world and new courses are being constructed everyday. This may be great for the game of golf and the wealthy investor who is making millions off of these luscious green fairways, but what about the drawbacks to environmental degradation that it is causing? The main environmental effects of golf courses in Southeast Asia are similar to those all over the world, but lack government regulation like in the United States. These countries do not have a strict Environmental Protection Agency or other NGOs to keep these issues under control. The main problems between the environment and golf course development that will be discussed in this paper include water usage and contamination, deforestation, the use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers, and the importation of non native grasses. The governments of these countries will also be examined, as to how they are dealing with these problems and how, if at all, they are helping their native people. After discussing the problems of Southeast Asia’s golf boom, this synthesis will go into detail about what can be done to help slow down or eliminate many of these problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world’s golf craze and Japan’s current obsession over the game has swept through the countries of Southeast Asia since the early 1990’s and currently there are over 500 new courses in the region. This compares to a total of only 45 golf courses in these same countries in the early 1970’s. Currently, Malaysia has 155 courses, Indonesia has approximately 90, the Philippines have 80, and Thailand has close to 200 golf courses spread throughout their landscape.(ASIAGOLF) Along with these newly developed golf courses come all of the negative environmental impacts. In many of these countries, the government is either too corrupt, poor or they are focusing their energies on a multitude of other issues. Negative environmental effects are often times low on their pri... ...ts of Golf Course Development." Clubbing Southeast Asia. 12 Apr. 2005 . "Japan Golf Courses and Deforestation (JPGOLFCase)." Japan's Golf Courses and the Environment. 1 Nov 1997. 12 Apr. 2005 . Cassady, Jeff (Bayer Crop Science). Personal interview. 12 Apr 2005. Contact Information: (336) 255-1164 "TED Case Study." Asia Golf and Environment. 1 Nov 1997. 12 Apr. 2005 . Fahn, James David. A Land On Fire. Bolder: Westview, 2003. (Fahn 53-59) Chris, Reuther. "Towards a Greener Game." A New Environmental Awareness is Slowly Taking Hold of the U.S. Golf Industry. Aug 1999. The Academy of Natural Sciences. 14 Apr. 2005 . "Sport and Environment: Thailand's Golf Boom." Forces Behind Thailand's Golf Rush. 12 Apr. 2005 . (Sport and Environment: Thailand's Golf Boom) Morita, Gen . "Global Antigo." The Global Anit-Golf Movement - Manifesto. 4 1993. The Global Anti-Golf Movement. 14 Apr. 2005 . "Impact of golf courses: social, environmental, and economic." Impact of Golf Courses. Barcelona Field Studies Centre SL. 12 Apr. 2005 . Hildebrant, Timothy . "Environmentalists cry 'fore!' in China." csmonitor.com. 16 Jul 2003. the Christian Science Monitor. 12 Apr. 2005 .