p. 710 How the use of Natural Resources Affects
the Environment
United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN)
This United Nations Development Program site is the place to find out everything about human populations. It lists population by country and includes a worldwide directory of population institutions. Some of the reports are available in the six official languages of the United Nations. Use the site to find out what the world’s population was in 1960. How many years did it take to add 1 billion people to the total population in 1960? In 1974? In 1987? In 1999? If this trend continues, by what year do you think the world’s population will reach 7 billion?
Frequently
Asked Questions about Population Growth
At the site sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists you
can find answers to frequently asked questions about world population
growth. Click on how many people can the earth support to see what scientists
have to say about this topic.
Carrying
Capacity: How many coyotes can live in a woodlands?
Visit this Population Education site by the Iowa State University
extension service for a science activity that demonstrates carrying
capacity. Work with a group of friends or classmates and find out how
many coyotes a woodlands can support.
Exponential Growth
Visit this site for a graphic application of exponential growth in a
fish population. Click on the run applet to see the interactive graphic,
then click run to see how quickly the fish population grows. You can
manipulate the graphic by following the directions at the site.
Earth
Observatory: Tropical Deforestation
At this National Air and Space Administration (NASA) site you
can learn more about deforestation in tropical areas. Find out why deforestation
occurs and how it affects the global carbon cycle. Click on After Deforestation.
What kind of farming allows the tropical rain forest to grow back in
just 20 years?
p. 725 Global Warming
Welcome
to EPA’s Global Warming Site!
This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site has information
on all aspects of global warming. It includes information on climate,
greenhouse gases, impacts of global warming, and what can be done about
it. Click on Global Warming for Kids to go to the kids site, then click
on Games to play word search, hangman, checkers, and more – all about
global warming.
Global
Warming Information Page
At this site you can access information about how politics,
science, and economics affect global warming. Click on Global Warming
in Brief for an overview of the subject, or you can click on student
research page for links to other sites and articles about global warming.
This site is sponsored by the Cooler Heads Coalition, National Consumer
Coaltion.
Global
Warming FAQ
Visit this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
site for answers to frequently asked questions about global warming.
Find out if the climate is warming and if any observed climatic changes
can be explained by natural variability.
The
Ozone Hole Tour: Home Page
Visit this Center for Atmospheric Science, University of Cambridge,
England site for an overview of the ozone hole over Antarctica. Click
on The Discovery of the Ozone Hole to find out how this thinning of
the ozone layer was first identified. Is the ozone hole related to global
warming?
p. 736 Methane Hydrates
Gas
(Methane) Hydrates – A New Frontier
At this site sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
you can find out more about what methane hydrates are and where they
are located. In the United States, where are the largest deposits of
methane hydrates found?
Methane
Hydrates: Energy Prospect or Natural Hazard?
Learn more about methane hydrates at this site by the National
Council for Science and the Environment. What is one of the biggest
environmental concerns about utilizing methane hydrates for fuel?
Fire and Ice: The Story of Gas Hydrates
This site includes information about hydrate formation, hydrate deposits, and hydrate production. Click on simple summary: what are hydrates? to find out how hydrates form and what the problems are with hydrate extraction.
