1. Environmental Issues Latin America
When the Earth says ¡No MAS! what will we do?!

2. Latin America’s Elevation
Huge numbers of mountains and plateaus
Mountains created by moving tectonic plates
Many active volcanoes and earthquakes

3. The Tropics Most of Latin America is located in the Tropics
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
This Area receives direct rays of the sun for much of the year.
World’s rainforest found here

4. Air Pollution in Mexico
Mexico is one of the world’s worst areas for air pollution.
Causes:
Crowded cities- 8.8 million in Mexico City, compared to 448,000 in Atlanta
High Elevation- less oxygen so fuels don’t fully burn
Industrialization- thousands of factories
Car emissions- old automobiles are common
City is surrounded by mountains which traps pollution

6. Deforestation in Brazil
More than ½ of Brazil is covered by rainforest.
Home to 40,000 types of plants and thousands of animals
Valuable:
Medicines are made from plants
Products- Brazil nuts, cocoa, rubber
20% of oxygen is produced by Brazilian rainforests
Indigenous people live in the rainforest

7. Human-Environment Interaction
Human cut down trees in order to sell timber
Slash and burn farming is used to make land fertile in order to grow crops like soybeans
Cattle Ranching
New settlement to alleviate overcrowding in urban areas
Mining
Repercussions
200,000 acres lost
Causes global warming- more carbon dioxide in the air

9. Oil Related Pollution in Venezuela
Venezuela is one of the largest produces of oil and natural gas in the world.
Money from Oil sales accounts for ½ the government funds
Main source of income for many people
Caribbean Sea has become polluted from oil spills
Venezuela produces high levels of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels- causes breathing problems for kids and elderly and global warming
Lake Maracaibo is sinking due to oil extraction threatening to flood local towns, homes and farms.

11. THiNK About IT
How does geography play a role in Mexico City’s air pollution problem?
What are the main sources of air pollution in Mexico City?
What is a problem associated with deforestation?
The world get 20% of what from the Amazon rainforest?
What problems are caused by oil production in Venezuela?
Why doesn't the government want to stop oil production?