United States: New Mexico (NM)

1994 2013 In 1916 Elephant Butte Hydroelectric Dam was constructed on the Rio Grande River in New Mexico forming the Elephant Butte Reservoir. The hydroelectric dam produces enough renewable electricity every year to provide electricity for over 3,500 houses. Most electricity comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which produces carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide has been shown to raise global temperatures. Hydroelectric power does not produce carbon dioxide. In 2013, there was a massive drought in New Mexico due in part to rising global temperatures. This as well as a growing need for water due to increased population caused the reservoir to reach an all-time low of only 3% of its full capacity in 2013.

Japan

Before 2011 After 2011 In March of 2011 there was an earthquake in Japan (currently the 4th most powerful earthquake ever recorded), which also caused a tsunami. These natural disasters caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant (used for generate electricity for Japan) to undergo major damage and ultimately the nuclear fuel in the plant melted down and escaped to the surrounding areas. Above are pictures of the tidal pools near the plant before (left) and after (right) the disaster. Before the disaster ~7,000 unique species could be found in the tide pools. After the disaster only ~100 unique species could be found in the same area.

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United States: Alaska (AK)

1941 2004 Scientists have shown that carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere can capture the heat given off by the Earth preventing it from escaping into outer space. Carbon dioxide is emitted anytime things are burned. Since 1900, we have increased the amount of fossil fuels that we burn and therefore have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This has led to a rise in global temperatures. The pictures above show the Muir Glacier in Alaska which sits on a bay in the Pacific Ocean. When glaciers melt, brown dirt is exposed, which absorbs more light than the white ice, further raising the average global temperature.

Kenya

1973 2009 The Mau Forest in Kenya is the largest mountain forest in East Africa. This area has some of the largest rainfalls in Kenya with multiple rivers originating in the forest. The forest was traditionally inhabited by Ogiek people who have a hunter-gather lifestyle. Recently, other ethnic groups have been moving into the area who rely on converting forestland into farmland for their food source. In addition, logging is a major industry in the area. The plants in the forest make parts of the pictures green.

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Brazil

1975 2009 The fifth largest export of Brazil is meat. Each year the country exports 13.3 billion dollars of meat to other countries. Rising demands for beef has led ranchers to search for more areas for cows to graze. Brazil contains 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, which is home to over 59,000 unique living species. The green seen in the pictures above is the lush vegetation of the rainforest. This vegetation helps reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere (carbon dioxide has been seen to raise global temperatures) by transforming the carbon dioxide into oxygen.

United States: California (CA)

1968 2005 In 1970 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed the Clean Air Act. This legislation was used to limit the emissions of both stationary (factories) and mobile (cars) sources of air pollution. The gases produced from factories and cars can lead to acid rain. In addition, when these gases are in the atmosphere they trap heat that would normally escape from the Earth’s surface into outer space.

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United States: Virginia (VA)

1984 2016 A common coal-mining practice in the Appalachian Mountains is called Mountaintop Removal Mining. Explosives are used to remove up to 400 vertical feet of mountain to expose the coal that lies below. Coal from mountaintop removal is used to produce about 4% of the electricity in the United States. Coal is a nonrenewable source of electricity that also emits carbon dioxide when burned, leading to a rise in global temperatures. The extra rock and soil they remove from the mountaintop is dumped into nearby valleys, contaminating the water supply and impacting the ecosystem. This method of coal mining is less expensive and requires fewer employees than traditional coal mining.

Australia

2015 2016 Coral and algae depend on each other to survive. A healthy coral has special algae, called Zooxanthellae, living within its tissues. The algae provide the coral with food and also make corals colorful. In turn, the corals provide a place for the algae to live. A rise in global temperatures has caused the water in the ocean to gradually become warmer. When water is too warm, the algae that lives together with corals becomes stressed, and leaves the coral. The coral loses its color and turns white, called coral bleaching. Once a coral has become bleached, it is more likely to starve or get sick and die. Much of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef has become bleached, leading to the death of fish and other sea creatures that rely on the coral.

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Romania

Before January 2000 After January 2000 The Rosia Montana Gold Corporation signed a deal in 1995 to develop land in the mountains of Romania to extract gold and silver. They began the project at two old mining sites in the area. They removed the gold through the process of gold cyanidation, which involves pumping cyanide (a poison) into the ground to extract the gold from the mixture of ore and rocks present in the mountains.

United States, New York (NY)

1893 1895 The Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY) was founded in 1881 as the Department of Street Cleaning and became one of the first sanitation agencies in the world that democratically cleaned and picked up snow from every street, regardless of neighborhood. One of the Department’s first Commissioners, Colonel George E. Waring, Jr., pioneered such current practices as recycling, street sweeping, and a dedicated uniformed cleaning service. The June 22, 1895, edition of Harper’s Weekly compared photos of a street corner before and after Department of Street Cleaning had started to provide regular maintenance to show what an incredible transformation street cleaning had. Today, the New York City Department of Sanitation is the largest sanitation department in the world.

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