Snapshots of the earth.How great a threat is global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. ? What types of waste are discarded in America's garbage dumps? Which of our rivers are most threatened? How do we contribute to pollution by needing to drive everywhere? As we approach this year's Earth Day celebrations, these are questions all of us should be thinking about. The map and graphs on these pages provide revealing data about some of the underlying problems threatening our environment. Study the charts, and use them to answer the questions that follow. THE 10 MOST-ENDANGERED RIVERS IN THE UNITED STATES United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. (2003) 1 Big Sunflower River The Sunflower River is one of the main tributaries of the Yazoo River in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is navigable by barge for 50 miles. It rises in De Soto County, Mississippi near the Tennessee border and flows south for 100 miles to the Yazoo River. Threat: Flood-control projects 2 Klamath River Klamath River River, southern Oregon and northwestern California, U.S. Rising in Upper Klamath Lake just above Klamath Falls, Ore., it flows south and southwest for 250 mi (400 km) through the Klamath Mountains in California and empties into the Pacific Ocean. Threat: Irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. withdrawals, hydropower hy·dro·pow·er n. Hydroelectric power. dams, pollution 3 Ipswich River Ipswich River is a small river in northeastern Massachusetts, USA. Its watershed is approximately 155 square miles and the estimated population in the area is 160,000 people. Threat: Groundwater pumping and excessive water consumption 4 Gunnison River Threat: Inadequate flow, water exports 5 Rio Grande Threat: Excessive diversion and over-consumption of water 6 Mattaponi River Threat: Proposed water-supply reservoir 7 Platte River Threat: Irrigation and water-supply development 8 Snake River Threat: Hydropower dams 9 Tallapoosa River Threat: Hydropower and water-supply dams, overallocation 10 Trinity River Threat: Flood control and floodplain floodplain, level land along the course of a river formed by the deposition of sediment during periodic floods. Floodplains contain such features as levees, backswamps, delta plains, and oxbow lakes. development QUESTIONS 1. Which river in the Southwest is threatened by over-consumption of water?-- 2. Which rivers are most-endangered by the effects of dams?-- 3. In which time period did the temperature of the planet shoot up sharply from 57.0[degrees]?-- 4. For three time periods in a row, the planet's temperature was fairly stable. What were those periods?-- 5. What kind of material is thrown away most often?-- 6. What percentage of garbage is uneaten fast food, leftover table scraps, etc.?-- 7. About how many total miles did Americans drive in 1980?-- 8. What is the general trend of miles driven, compared with U.S. population growth?-- 9. Which animal group has the highest percentage of threatened species?-- 10. Which animal group has nearly identical percentages of endangered and threatened species?-- WHAT'S IN GARBAGE Breakdown of Waste in U.S. Paper 38% Other (glass, wood, etc.) 14% Food Waste 12% Yard Waste (leaves, grass) 12% Plastic (bottles, containers, etc.) 10% Metal (cans, tinfoil, etc.) 8% Fabric (clothing, rubber, etc.) 8% Note: Percentages add up to more than 100% due to rounding. Note: Table made from pie chart. ANSWERS 1. Rio Grande 2. Klamath, Snake, Tallapoosa 3. 1970-79 4. 1940-49, 1950-59, and 1960-89 5. paper 6. 12 percent 7. 1,500,000,000, or 1.5 billion 8. Americans are driving many more miles than the rate at which the population is growing. 9. fish 10. insects |
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