2011 Almanac of Environmental Trends

by Hayward, Steven F.

• ISBN13: 9781934276174
• ISBN10: 1934276170
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-04-22
• Publisher: Pacific Research Inst for Public

Summary

This Almanac of Environmental Trends is an example of the creative destruction of the marketplace, or, in the language of popular culture, a ;reboot ; of a stale franchise-the annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators. Since 1994, the Index has reported highlights of environmental trends in the United States, most-though not all-of which have been steadily improving. The 2011 Almanac of Environmental Trends brings tracking environmental progress fully into the 21st century of real-time analysis and commentary. The Almanac explores the nature and sources of environmental progress, affirming the central role of markets, technology, and human creativity in solving the environmental challenges of our time.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
A Retrospective on a Century of Environmental Progress	p. 2
Improving Trends: Causes and Consequences	p. 5
Environmental Performance and Economic Freedom	p. 12
What Are the World's Most Serious Environmental Problems?	p. 24
Conclusion	p. 27
The Environmental Kuznets Curve	p. 28
Air Quality	p. 31
Introduction	p. 32
Air Quality Index	p. 38
Main Types of Air Pollution	p. 40
Emissions versus Ambient Air Pollution	p. 55
Other Hazardous Air Pollutants	p. 62
Most Polluted Cities	p. 65
Prospects for Further Improvement	p. 71
Flashback	p. 78
Stratospheric Ozone	p. 83
Energy	p. 87
Introduction	p. 88
The Top Five Environmental Issues We Don't Know Enough About	p. 94
Climate Change	p. 103
Introduction	p. 104
Temperature	p. 106
Precipitation	p. 110
Tropical Storm Activity	p. 112
Sea Ice	p. 115
Sea Level	p. 117
Climate Policy Indicators	p. 121
Water Quality	p. 129
Introduction	p. 131
National Water Indicators	p. 133
U.S. Geological Survey	p. 136
Total Water Use	p. 139
Drinking-Water Quality	p. 145
A Primer on Hypoxia	p. 147
NASQAN	p. 148
Case Study: Long Island Sound	p. 157
Case Study: Chesapeake Bay	p. 163
The Cuyahoga Story	p. 172
Case Study: Lake Tahoe	p. 176
Wetlands	p. 178
The Great Lakes	p. 179
The Everglades: Restoration Lagging	p. 185
Toxic Chemicals	p. 187
Introduction: Thinking about Chemical Risks	p. 188
Toxics Release Inventory	p. 192
Hazardous Waste	p. 194
Human Exposure at Superfund Sites	p. 195
Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals	p. 196
Mother Nature as Polluter?	p. 197
Lead	p. 198
Mercury	p. 199
Dioxin Decline	p. 203
Pesticide Residue	p. 205
Cancer Rates	p. 208
Forests and Land	p. 211
Introduction: Global Deforestation Trends	p. 212
Private Land Trusts on the Rise	p. 218
Forest Trends in the United States	p. 218
More Wilderness than We Think?	p. 221
Forest Fires	p. 225
Tropical Deforestation Overestimated?	p. 228
Soil Erosion in the United States	p. 230
Biodiversity	p. 233
Introduction	p. 234
The IUCN Red List	p. 236
Fish Stock Sustainability Index	p. 237
Bird Populations in the United States	p. 239
The Dozen Best Environmental Books	p. 241
Public Opinion	p. 242
Is Green the New Blah?	p. 250
Appendix	p. 251
Endnotes	p. 257
About the Author	p. 267
Statement of Research Quality	p. 268
About Pri	p. 269
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