Coal mines in Germany

Haze over northeastern US Power plants & automobiles Phytoplankton bloom; probably pollution

Smog layer over New York State

India Haze over India Ganges River

Smog over China Beijing

Arctic warming 11 o F warming in winter months during last 30 years

Retreating Iceland Glaciers Iceland 2km retreat since 1973 All 40 of Iceland’s glaciers are retreating

Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa

Mt. Kilimanjaro 82% decrease since 1978 Ice cap will be gone in 15 yrs.

Thinning Greenland ice cap Thinning up to 3 feet (!) per year

Ozone hole 9/17/01 Typical size of hole Results from use of chlorine compounds, CFCs

Largest ozone hole observed 9/6/00

Northern ozone hole

Central South America 9/19/2001 Fires Smoke Tan = deforestation Deforestation

Deforestation in Brazil

Bolivia

South Africa

Mexico

Unprecedented fires

Global fires

African Dust Exposed soil is prone to wind erosion

African Dust II

Urban Growth

Cairo The population of the Cairo metropolitan area has increased from less than 6 million in 1965 when the first picture was taken, to more than 10 million in 1998 (United Nations Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects, the 1999 revision). Population densities within the city are some of the highest in the world and the urban area has doubled to more than 400 square km during that period. Extraordinary rates of population growth are expected to continue, with a predicted population of around 14 million by 2015.

Iraq Today, river flow into the Mesopotamian marshlands has been cut by percent, and the spring floods that sustained the marshlands have been eliminated. The end result is what was once a lush wetland environment roughly the size of the state of New Jersey has been reduced by about 85 percent in area to roughly the size of the small island nation of the Bahamas. What was once a vast, interconnected mosaic of densely-vegetated marshlands and lakes, teeming with life, is now mostly lifeless desert and salt-encrusted lakebeds and riverbeds.

US-Mexico US Mexico

San Jose, CA This pair of images illustrates the rapid growth that occurred between 1973 and 1999 in San Jose, CA. From 1970 to 1996, the population of the city of San Jose increased from 459,000 to 839,000. This is reflected by an increase in urban areas in the above Landsat images, which show up as light blue.

Yellowstone

New York Drought 52% decrease in capacity in last two years One reservoir in the Catskill Mountains

Colorado River Delta River ends here Only 10% of river water makes it into Mexico

Aral Sea Reduced in size by 60% in 30 years Commercial fishing eliminated

Lake Chad

1/20th of its size 20 yrs ago!

Mississippi River Delta

Hurricane Andrew