REGIONAL SLIDES NORTH AMERICA • • • • • • • • • • • • Ekati, Canada Fort McMurray, Canada Power River Basin, USA Prudhoe Bay, USA Upper Green River, USA Lake Chapala, Mexico Knife River Delta, Canada Gaspe Peninsula, Canada Tensas River Basin, USA British Columbia, Canada Olympic Peninsula, USA Country Border, Guatemala/Mexico • Angangueo, Mexico NORTH AMERICA • • • • • • • • • • • • • Torreón, Mexico Las Vegas, USA Lake Mead, USA Mexico City, Mexico Everglades, USA San Francisco, USA Night Lights, USA Case Study Hubbard Glacier, USA Hurricane Charley, USA Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Washington D.C., USA Fort McMurray, Canada Mount St. Helens, USA NORTH AMERICA • Canada now ranks in the top three diamond producers in the world (in terms of value) and North America is the second largest oil producing area after the Middle East • In the United States there are 155 national forests (protected forests and woodland areas) containing almost 190 000 000 acres (769 000 km2) of land that comprise 8.5% of the total land area with Alaska alone accounting for 12% of all National Forest land • North America is the third largest continent in area and is fourth in population, with 74% of its population living in urban areas • North America holds about 13 per cent of the world's renewable freshwater (excluding glaciers and ice caps) FAO 2005; UNEP-GEO3; USDA 2005; Wikipedia Ekati – North America’s only operating diamond mine, Canada Diamond Mining site in Canada Mining in the Northwest Territories, impacting migration routes of native caribou Oil extraction in Fort McMurray, Canada Vast reserves of low quality oil underlie the Boreal Forest surrounding Fort McMurray By early 2006 the mining operation covered an areas roughly 30 km by 20 km Coal mining along Powder River Basin United States • 1989: Images show areas under coal exploitation • 2001: Notable increase in mining operation in the 2001 image Sprawl of oil fields in Prudhoe Bay United States • 1974-1999: After the discovery of oil fields in 1968, the Bay has undergone dramatic changes Rapidly changing grasslands of Upper Green River, United States The landscape in 1989 Over 3000 wells (black/white dots) Have been approved in the basin, and development is occurring at a rapid rate Mexico’s largest natural lake – Lake Chapala, Mexico • 1983: Level of the lake has declines; noticeable decreases in wetlands • 2001: Alteration in the contours of the shoreline is clearly visible Substantial increase of Knife River Delta Canada • 1973: Impact of snow geese on coastal vegetation • 1996: Overgrazing has turned the shoreline into an enormous mudflat Logging in Gaspe Peninsula, Canada The changes in the forest due to logging between 1993 and 2000 Forest clearing along Tensas River Basin United States • 1972: Clearing of forest during the 1960s and 1970s increased flooding and erosion • 2001: Land cover change on the Louisiana side of the image is striking Impact of logging in British Columbia Canada • 1975-1999: Shows the impact of logging on reasonably pristine landscape Temperate forests of Olympic Peninsula United States • 1974: Shows patchwork of purple and pink, indicating clearcutting • 2000: Evidence of good re-growth of trees in forest reserve areas Difference in vegetation cover across borders Guatemala/Mexico • 1974 - 2000: Conversion of forest to agriculture. Now country border can be seen even from space Angangueo – important habitat of monarch butterflies, Mexico • 1986: Images show degradation of forest area • 2001: Between 1984 and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded Visible changes in cropland of Torreón Mexico • 1972: There has been significant decrease in cropland due to drought • 2000: Cropland around the city is continuously decreasing Las Vegas – fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States • 1973: A small settlement • 1991-2000: Rapid urbanization • 2006: The landscape is now dramatically modified Images courtesy USGS Conversion of desert to residential area in Las Vegas, United States • Expanding Las Vegas Drought in western United States 2000 Lake Mead 2004 PhotoView 18 meters Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Landscape changes in Lake Mead United States New Golf Courses since 2001 Explosive expansion of Mexico City, Mexico • 1973 -Urban growth is concentrated in the center of the city • 2000 -Now expands dramatically into surrounding rural areas Growth of a Mega city Urban encroachment on Florida’s Everglades, United States • 1973: Rapid urban expansion has converted farmlands to cityscapes • 2002: Existence of vast wetlands “Everglades” threatened by urban encroachment Growth of San Francisco, United States 1970-2000: Population grew from 4.6 million to 7.2 million in the Bay Area Energy consumption depicted through night lights On 14 August 2003, parts of northeastern United States and southeastern Canada experienced widespread power blackouts Ice North dam inAmerica: the Hubbard Glacier Angangueo United States • 1986 –Hubbard Glaciershow blocks • 1986: Images Russell Fjord Degradation of forest area • 2002 –Hubbard Glacier blocks • 2001: Between 1984 Russell Fjord again and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded • 2003 – Glacier has retreated Hubbard Glacier advance North United America: Angangueo States • 1986: Images show Degradation of forest area • 2001: Between 1984 and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded 10 Aug 2002 14 Aug 2002 Devastation of Hurricane Charley Florida, United States • July 28 2002: Crisp, neat neighborhoods of Punta Gorda, Florida • August 15 2004: Debris scattered across roads, parking lots, and yards, giving the scene a “messy” appearance Mapping lava flow during Kilauea Volcano Hawaii, United States Maps of lava-flow field from the Pu`u `O `o and Kupaianaha vents of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, January 1983January 1991 Jan 83-Oct 86 Jan 83-Dec 86 Jan 83-Dec 89 Jan 83-Dec 91 Visible devastation after Kilauea Volcano Hawaii, Unites States Inspiration leading to tree plantation in Washington D.C., United States • Satellite images showing the dramatic loss of trees in the District moved Mrs. Casey to action • Casey Trees Endowment Fund was created to restore the tree cover of the District of Columbia Urban Forest in Washington D.C. United States Satellite images show urban forest in Washington D.C. Pentagon, 2002 Photo: Digital Globe Photo: Digital Globe Fort McMurray, Canada 1974-2004: Massive oil extraction from oil sands have remarkably changed the land area of Fort McMurray in Alberta Ecosystem changes in Mount St. Helens United States • Ecosystem recovers after a major Volcanic eruption • 1973:The Mountain Peak 10 years before eruption • 1983: 3 years after eruption • 2000: Vegetation re-growth around the volcano NORTH AMERICA One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment Thank You! Free Downloads: www.na.unep.net Purchase: www.Earthprint.com