![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the Mojave Desert, which is known for its unique and endemic plant and animal diversity, has become a preferred area for renewable energy developments. However, an environmental impact that is not calculated into the production of green energy has emerged that not only puts an additional burden on already endangered species but also affects the quality of life for residents living in disadvantaged and underserved communities. Using the example of just another solar farm to be built on 2,300 acres of pristine desert land, we point out the negative impacts of unsustainable land development on community health and environmental justice, driven by the administration of Kern County, which promotes and prioritizes economic growth over residents’ concerns. In the eyes of the local population, several promises by the County to the community, as documented in the 2017–2020 County of Kern Strategic Goals, were broken. This study investigates the effects of unsustainable land development, particularly the threat to iconic Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), the increase in PM10 pollution, and the risk of contracting Valley fever for residents of two small desert communities, Boron, and Desert Lakes, in Kern County, California. This study focused on environmental justice issues due to the implementation of an ambitious renewable energy transition plan supported by the administration. This is the first study that documented the presence of the causative agent of Valley fever in soils to be disturbed for ambitious renewable energy development in eastern Kern County using a molecular, culture-independent, approach.
Author contributions
A. Lauer was responsible for the project design, funding, collection of samples, the laboratory work, and wrote the manuscript. M. Helton Richardson and D. English supported the fieldwork and contributed to the introduction and discussion of this manuscript. All authors proofread the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by the California State University Bakersfield Research Council of the University (RCU). We also thank C. Dell’Amico for useful comments on the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statement
PCR sequences were deposited to the GenBank nucleotide database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Deric English
Antje Lauer is a Professor at California State University Bakersfield (CSUB) since 2007. She received her MS in Biology from the University in Oldenburg, Germany, her PhD in Microbiology from the University of Kiel, Germany, and obtained additional research experience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Department of Marine Sciences) and at James Madison University in Virginia (Department of Biology). At CSUB, she teaches courses in Environmental and Medical Microbiology, as well as Senior Seminars on Global Change, and has conducted research on Valley Fever in California for more than a decade. More recently, Dr Lauer has focused on topics of environmental justice and restoration.
Melanie Richardson became a registered nurse in 2012, and practices in East Kern County, CA. She received her AS degree in Registered Nursing from Antelope Valley College in California. She also obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Education from Western Governors University. Melanie is also a certified public health nurse. She has lived in East Kern County her entire life and became passionate about Valley Fever research after having patients suffer from the condition while she was caring for them in the hospital. As a public health nurse, Melanie believes that prevention of Valley Fever needs to be a high priority for vulnerable populations.
Melanie Helton Richardson
Deric English is a teacher in the Muroc Joint Unified School District at Boron High School since 1985. He received his secondary teaching credential and bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology from California State University Bakersfield. He continued graduate courses at Fresno Pacific and San Diego State University. He teaches courses in geography, health, psychology, and history. His interests are mining history, mine exploration, and desert preservation. Furthermore, he is a member of Phi Alpha Theta.