Download Latin America*s Environmental Concerns

Latin America’s Environmental
Concerns
Unit 6 Notes
Air Pollution Over Mexico City
Air Pollution in Mexico City
◊ nearly 20 million people live there
◊ second most populated city in the
world--Tokyo is first
◊ Mexico City’s population & location
contribute to its bad air pollution
problem.
◊ considered to be the most polluted city
in the world
Air Pollution Over Mexico City
Air Pollution in Mexico City
Causes
1. huge population = lots of cars
2. Factories produce pollution
3. Sierra Madre mountains
surround the city and trap the
polluted air.
Effects
1.Air is unhealthy causing some
people to have trouble
breathing.
2.Acid rain damages vegetation
and harms buildings and ancient
monuments/ruins in Mexico.
Solutions
To reduce pollution:
1. the city promotes public transportation
(buses, subway).
2. There are new restrictions on car use.
3. Sometimes factories are closed for the
day, which hurts their economy.
Amazon Rainforest
◊ It is the largest rainforest in the world.
◊ The rainforest lies mostly in Brazil.
◊ It experiences a hot, humid, and rainy tropical
climate.
◊ It is home to a huge variety of plants, trees,
insects, birds, & animals.
◊ It produces 1/3 of the earth’s oxygen.
◊ Many plants are used to make medicines.
Amazon Rainforest
Deforestation in the
Amazon Rainforest
Causes:
◊ Forests are being cleared to make
room for farming and create
more land for cattle grazing.
Before…
After…
Effects of Deforestation…
 Plants & animals are losing their homes;
many are endangered, and some are
becoming extinct.
 Loss of trees increases carbon dioxide
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBq
MJzv4Cs8
 Cows in a cleared area and trees
cut for farmland
Clearing land in the Amazon
Rainforest
Cows grazing in an area that
used to be a part of the
Amazon Rainforest
Solutions…
◊ The government is working to fix the
deforestation problem by passing laws
restricting the cutting down of too
many trees.
Oil-Related Pollution in Venezuela
Causes
◊ One of the world’s leading
producers of oil
◊ Oil production has boosted
economy
• Main source of income for many
people
Effects…
• Oil production results in toxic waste, air
pollution, & oil spills which damage the
environment.
• hurts the ability of fishermen to earn a
living
• Oil businesses have damaged Lake
Maracaibo (largest lake in South America).
Result of Drilling for Oil…
Lake Maracaibo
◊ Large amounts of oil have been removed
from the area so the land is changing.
• eastern shore of the lake is dropping about
three inches a year
• government is having to take precautions to
keep water from flooding into nearby towns
Problems…
◊ Money from selling oil is the country’s
main source of income.
◊ Venezuelans are motivated to keep
producing, selling, and burning oil--and
polluting.
◊ Mostly cosmetic fixes are being done.
Solutions…
◊ People are becoming aware that the cost
in the long term may be too great.
◊ Groups are calling for renewable energy
sources and the clean-up and prevention
of pollution.
◊ Mostly cosmetic fixes are being done.