Earth's Environment in Danger

There is a limited supply of freshwater on our planet. However, many people think that it is much easier to come by than it actually is. All living things depend on water and yet more than 1.1 billion people worldwide lack daily access to freshwater. Some water is contaminated with water-borne diseases and in some places such as the Sahara Desert there just simply isn't any water for people. This book explores the causes of the freshwater crisis and ways students can participate in being more mindful of water availability and their own personal water use.

Recently, waste disposal practices have come under intense scrutiny. Several industries produce waste that must be disposed of in certain ways to avoid pollution. Nuclear power plant waste is radioactive and causes serious health issues if it isn't disposed of properly. Landfills cause other environmental issues by leaching hazardous materials into groundwater sources and contributing harmful gases to the environment. This book highlights the different types of waste disposal, the problems associated with each, and methods some countries have developed to mitigate problems caused by waste disposal.

Crude oil and natural gas are two forms of fossil fuels. Harvesting and burning fossil fuels are incredibly harmful to the environment. Some of the planet's most biologically diverse habitats also feature large underground deposits of oil and gas. Oil drilling often results in spills, which threatens many plant and animal species. The fracking process can also leach carcinogenic chemicals into freshwater supplies, further putting biodiversity at risk. This book exposes the dangers of oil drilling and fracking and focuses on alternative energy sources. The topics covered adhere to elementary earth and life science curricula.

Our natural resources include freshwater, forests, oceans, clean air, and land. Humans are steadily depleting each of these resources. We constantly use more resources than our planet is able to replace. People take long showers, use paper products produced as a result of deforestation, buy more food than they can possibly eat, drive cars that pollute the air, and mine the land. Each of these human activities has a number of negative consequences. This book reveals how students can reduce their contribution to natural resource depletion and efforts to find alternative sources of energy.

Forests are essential to human and animal survival. Trees produce the oxygen animals need to live. They also provide homes for animals and resources for people. However, Earth's forests are under attack. Deforestation is caused by fires, clear cutting, logging, and climate change. Forests are important to mitigating climate change because they suck up harmful carbon dioxide. Without forests, many plant and animal species would be at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. Complete with manageable text and stunning photographs of forests, both healthy and threatened, this book covers essential concepts featured in elementary earth science curricula.

Biodiversity is the foundation for maintaining the balance between all living things. When species begin dying out, it upsets this delicate balance and can cause ecological tragedies. Earth's rainforests are homes to vast biodiversity. However, the rainforests are also one of Earth's most threatened habitats. There, animals risk losing their homes through pollution and deforestation. The information presented in this book highlights at-risk animal and plant species and discusses ways readers can lessen their carbon footprint. Colorful photographs of animals and habitats transport readers to distant locations where biodiversity takes center stage.