The sight of a shopping center going up excites many people. They wonder what new stores they will be able to browse through. However, this sickens me. While there are few things that I enjoy more than purchasing new shoes or pants, the damaging effects on the environment and the community flood my mind the second I see trucks pull into the recently deforested lots. Construction of unneeded buildings greatly hurts the environment physically and socially.

Construction, as many are aware, causes harm to the physical environment in many ways. The most apparent, and probably most well-known, is the destruction of trees and plant life. Air pollution is an ever-growing problem in America and all over the globe. Trees and vegetation produce clean air by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing clean, breathable oxygen. Clear-cutting acres of plant life adds to global warming.

The destruction of vegetation also means loss of natural habitat for animals. When their homes are destroyed to build Costcos and Walmarts, animals must find somewhere else to go. They encroach on populated neighborhoods only to be forced out by angry people wielding brooms. Others are killed crossing busy streets. Those that survive may face a scarcity of food.

Flooding and soil erosion are other damaging effects of unnecessary building. The roots of plants hold soil together. When a lot is cleared and plants are uprooted, the soil becomes loose and easy to wash away. Many buildings end up with foundation problems later on because of erosion. The soil packs together, becoming impenetrable to water; add to this the vast paved parking lots, and runoff rain water has no place to go, which causes flooding.

While the environmental effects are many and great, the social ­effects are nearly as horrific. When a big retailer comes to a town, local businesses suffer. With so many stores selling the same goods in a community, some will go out of business, leaving abandoned buildings and empty lots. Vacant lots and storefronts cause house prices to plummet, and a once-quaint town is ruined.

Is it really worth it? I don’t think so. Closer shopping plazas are not worth the destruction of nature and our communities.