Snapshots of the Earth April 22 is Earth day! (Skills).What do you see when you look out your classroom window on a sunny day? Some students may see clear blue skies, lush green trees, and birds flying overhead. Others might see a film of smog across the horizon, crowded highways, or even smokestacks. Is the U.S. an environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] place? There are many ways to check on the health of the U.S.--and of planet Earth. The map and graphs This partial list of graphs contains definitions of graphs and graph families which are known by particular names, but do not have a Wikipedia article of their own. For collected definitions of graph theory terms that do not refer to individual graph types, such as on these pages offer some statistics on how well we are caring for our communities, our country and our world. Study the map and graphs, and then answer the questions.
U.S. Most Recycled Materials
Today, the U.S. recycles about 30 percent of its waste, three times more
than in 1980. Recycling now prevents more than 50 million tons of waste
from ending up in landfills and incinerators each year. Which materials
are recyled the most in the U.S.?
Material Percent Recycled
Glass 23.0
Metals 35.4
Paper and Paperboard 45.4
Plastics 5.4
Rubber and Leather 12.2
Textiles 13.5
Wood 3.8
Other 21.3
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, 2000
Note: Table made from bar graph
U.S. Energy Sources
Most of the energy that people in the U.S. use comes from fossil fuels,
including petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Nuclear plants and
hydroelectric dams also produce part of our energy. A small percentage
of our energy comes from alternative resources such as solar, wind, and
geothermal power. Which energy sources are the most important to the
U.S.?
Hydroelectric 2.6%
Geothermal 0.3%
Solar and Wind 0.1%
Petroleum 39.9%
Coal 22.7%
Natural Gas 22.4%
Nuclear 8.5%
Wood, Waste, and Alcohol 3.5%
Source: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy,
2001
Note: Table made from pie chart
Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Cars, 1975-2000
There are almost 200 million cars in the U.S., and American drivers log
an average of 13,000 miles on the road each year. How fuel-efficient are
the cars we drive?
YEAR Passenger Cars Vans/Trucks/SUVs
1975 14.0 10.5
1980 16.0 12.2
1985 17.5 14.3
1990 20.2 16.1
1995 21.1 17.3
2000 21.9 17.4
Source: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy
Note: Table made from line graph
World Deforestation by Region
Forests cover about 30 percent of the Earth's land area. But many trees
are being cut down to make room for a growing population. How much of
the world's forests are destroyed each year? And in what region are
forests being regrown?
Amount of Forests
Destroyed
(In millions of hectares
Region per year *)
Africa 5.3
Asia 0.4
Europe -0.9
North America 0.6
Oceania 0.4
South America 3.7
World 9.4
* 1 ha = 2.47 acres.
Source: Forest Resources Assessment, United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, 2000
Note: Table made for bar graph
QUESTIONS 1. Which U.S. state A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and has the most nuclear power plants? 2. How many U.S. states do not use nuclear power as a source of energy? ______________________________________________________ 3. What percentage of glass did people in the U.S. recycle re·cy·cle tr.v. re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling, re·cy·cles 1. To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment. 2. To start a different cycle in. 3. a. in 2000? ______________________________________________ 4. Which material was recycled the most in the U.S. in 2000? ______________________________________________ 5. Almost 40 percent of energy consumed con·sume v. con·sumed, con·sum·ing, con·sumes v.tr. 1. To take in as food; eat or drink up. See Synonyms at eat. 2. a. in the U.S. comes from which source? __________________________________ 6. What percentage of energy consumed in the U.S. comes from renewable resources Noun 1. renewable resource - any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished naturally with the passage of time natural resource, natural resources - resources (actual and potential) supplied by nature (wood, waste, and alcohol, hydroelectric, geothermal ge·o·ther·mal also ge·o·ther·mic adj. Of or relating to the internal heat of the earth. ge , and solar and wind power)? _____________________________________________ 7. The fuel efficiency for passenger cars increased the most between which years? ____________________________________________________ 8. How much greater was the average fuel efficiency for cars than for vans, trucks, and SUVs in 2000? ____________________________________ 9. Which region of the world had the largest amount of deforestation deforestation Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. in 2000? ____________________________________________ 10. How many hectares of forest were destroyed in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. in 2000? _________________________________________ Skills questions 1. Illinois Illinois, river, United States Illinois, river, 273 mi (439 km) long, formed by the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers, NE Ill., and flowing SW to the Mississippi at Grafton, Ill. It is an important commercial and recreational waterway. 2. 19 3. 23.0 percent 4. Paper and paperboard paperboard, material similiar in shape and composition to paper, but generally thicker, stronger, and more rigid. Paper machines, e.g., Fourdrinier machines, are used to make sheets of paperboard. 5. Petroleum 6. 6.5 percent 7. Between 1985 and 1990 8. 4.5 miles per gallon Noun 1. miles per gallon - the distance traveled in a vehicle powered by one gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel unit, unit of measurement - any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange; "the dollar is the United States unit of 9. Africa 10. 600,000 |
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