We live in what a growing number of scientists call the Anthropocene. Combining the Greek root word anthrop- (human) and the suffix -cene (new or recent), the Anthropocene is a period of time in which human activity is understood to have grown so impactful as to alter Earth's conditions. Examples of these planetary changes include (but are not…

Michael Oppenheimer and Jesse Anttila-Hughes begin with a primer on how the greenhouse effect works, how we know that Earth is rapidly getting warmer, and how we know that the recent warming is caused by human activity. They explain the sources of scientific knowledge about climate change as well as the basis for the models scientists use to…

Climate change may be particularly dangerous for children in developing countries. Even today, many developing countries experience a disproportionate share of extreme weather, and they are predicted to suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change in the future. Moreover, developing countries often have limited social safety nets,…

Increasing population, total economic volume, and human consumption levels have resulted in problems of resource shortages, climate change, ozone layer depletion, land regression, and deteriorating environmental pollution. Printing and related industries constitute one of the major sources of environmental pollution due to heavy energy and…

Surveys the effects of federal regulation upon energy self sufficiency and fuel development in the United States. Recommends ways the public and the government can alleviate the energy problem. Five appendices discuss the greenhouse effect, sulfur dioxide, acid rain, zero population, pollution, and zero health risk. (SK)

While mineral development in Indian Country offers economic benefits, it can also pollute the air and water and destroy the land itself. Article describes three different approaches that Laguna, Acoma and Santo Domingo Pueblos are using to deal with exploitation of their natural resources. (DS)

Federal natural-resource-management agencies combined efforts with volunteer scouting staff to develop a conservation area at the 1997 National Boy Scout Jamboree. Profiles the program, which adopted the theme of environmental stewardship, and focuses on how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers interpreted water resources. The exhibit highlighted the…

Discussed is the idea that the use of fossil fuels could render Earth uninhabitable long before supplies of them are exhausted. Possible solutions to this problem are described and include a revolution in technology, worldwide economic strategies, and a change in the way people think. (KR)

Provides background information on the many natural resources we extract from the earth's crust, including metals, graphite, and other minerals, as well as fossil fuels. Contains teaching activities such as a geologic scavenger hunt, a geology chronology, and the recycling of aluminum. Includes a reproducible handout for the activity on aluminum.…