The following is a unit compilation for chapters 6, 10 (10.1,10.2, 10.6), 7 (7.1 – 7.4),11
of Cunningham, William P., and Mary Ann Cunningham. “Principles of Environmental Science –Inquiry and Applications, 6th ed.” (New York: Copyright 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2011)
Table of Contents
Chapter 6
Topic:
Environmental Conservation
Sub-topics:
British Columbia Preserve
Forests of the World
Forest Management and Protecting Forests
Different Types of Wood Harvesting
Forest Fires
Grasslands
Parks and Preserves
British Columbia Preserve
British Columbia has decided to protect the western
coastline. It is a large preserve about half the size of Switzerland. This is a
temperate rainforest there are mass amount of diverse species including a rare
black bear that is white or cream in color. The natives call this bear the
great “spirit bear”. The coastline preserve also aids sea creatures with a safe
haven such as whales.
http://youtu.be/84zIj_EdQdM • accessed 2/20/12
Forests of the World
There are many different types of forest. Some are more
abundant than others like the boreal and tropical forest. The largest tropical
forest in the world is the Amazon River basin. Old growth forests are high in
biodiversity and need special protection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest • accessed on 2/20/12
There is a delicate balance between human need and
conservation. Forests provide wood and wood is used in a lot of different ways
to make our lives better. Five percent of wood is used to make paper, and over
half of all wood harvested is used for fuel. Rapidly being cleared are Tropical forest. There are many causes of deforestation. Forests are clear cut and burned
to make room for farmland, roads, ranches, and other human needs.
In case study “Saving and African Eden” (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e • accessed on 2/18/12) you have the study of Goualougo in the Republic of Congo where animals
show little fear of humans. This land has been left alone and undisturbed by
logging and human involvement. Goualougo is protected by two rivers that
surround it and there is also thick forests on both sides. This area shows no
signs of intrusion and could be the last area in the world untouched by man.
Case study “Protecting forest to Preserve Rain” (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e • accessed on 2/18/12) talks about the importance of how a forest on lowlands can affect the
clouds in the mountains. Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud forest Reserve has been
protected for years but due to deforestation in the lowlands the participation
is less and is affecting the life of the reserve. Pastures and croplands
created by cutting down forests warms the air and dries it out. Only 18% of the lowland forest of Costa
Rica remain.
Forest Management and Protection Forests
Humans get greedy and management of the forest is important
in order to preserve life. Only one fourth of the planets forest are managed
and tropical forest are being cleared one acre per second on the average around
the clock.
REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation)
program is one of the world wide programs in place today that is trying to
manage the forests of the world and set up programs for conservation.
![]() |
The case study of the “Disappearing Butterfly Forests” is
about the monarch butterflies that fly from Canada and the United States to
Mexico for the winter months. The conditions are just right for the butterflies
in the oyamel forest. They cling to the trees and wait out the winter before
fly back north. The area is one of the rarest and most endangered forests in
Mexico. In 1986 they set up the Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca but
there is no enforcement to keep people from disturbing the area by logging,
agriculture and recreational activities. (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e •
2/18/12)
Different Types of Wood Harvesting
Temperate forests are at risk of becoming over harvested. There
are several different types ways to harvesting wood. Clear cutting is one of the
most common methods. This cuts all the trees in a given area and is time and
cost effective for the logging companies. Clear cutting is very bad for
forests. It creates erosion and loss of plant and animal life. Shelterwood
havesting is where only mature trees and removed in a series of two or more
cuts. Strip-cutting trees is when a narrow corridor of trees is harvested.
Selective cutting is the least disruptive and only cuts a small percent of
mature trees and takes the trees in rotations.
Logging road are also a big concern. These roads open up the
forest to recreational use as well as logging.
In the case study of
the “Forestry for the Seventh Generation” we learn about how the
Menominee Nation occupies a reservation in Wisconsin. Throughout the years the
Nation has managed a large forest and did a great job. They ran a lumber
business and mill. They only cut down the worst trees and left the old growth
trees. The forest flourished. (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e
• 2/18/12)
"Forests support many tribal communities across the world. Forests provide wood products, clean water, traditional products for subsistence like wildlife and plants, places for spiritual and traditional activities, as well as a source of jobs and economic income. There is an estimated 18 million acres of forestland on Indian reservations in the United States, according to the December 2003 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States."(http://www.sustainabledevelopmentinstitute.org/NativeAmPortfolio/portfolios/IndianForestLand.asp • accessed 2/20/12)
The Northern Spotted Owl is a great example of the delicate balance between human needs and conservation. The Spotted Owl need a lot of space in old growth trees. The almost extinction of the owl but loggers out of business and the Spotted Owl in the headlines.
Forest Fires
![]() |
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/ • accessed 2/20/12
Forest management used years of fire
suppression but it has been concluded that some fires are needed to decrease
the chances of a big fire. In resent years forest management has begun to use
prescribed burns to decrease the chances of big fires.
Objectives
- Fuel reduction
- Expose mineral soil for seedbeds for regeneration of wind-disseminated species
- Control of insects, diseases, and competing vegetation
- Improvement of natural ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and range forest"
http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/wildfire/prescribedburns.htm • accessed on 2/20/12
Grasslands
Grasslands are important too. I personal grew up in South
Dakota and have seen how truly remarkable the diversity in grasslands can be.
The biggest threat to the prairies, savannas, steppes, open woodlands, and
grasslands is farming. Another threat to these areas is over grazing.
![]() |
I took this photo looking towards Sturgis from Bear Butte in S.D. |
Parks and Preserves
The world started preserving lands thousands of years ago
with holy lands or sacred lands. The Greeks had sacred lands set aside for the
gods. In the last fifty years the world has really started to develop and
recognize the impotents of environmental conservation. Many counties have
nature preserves. Venezuela calms to be protecting sixty percent of the land in
their country. The U.S. only protects twenty-two percent.
The idea of preserving land so that nature can have a place
to exist can sometime be opened up for the benefits of man. Such cases of this
are seen in the U.S. with over recreational use, mining and other amusements.
It isn’t only the land that needs to be protected. We also
need to protect our oceans. Marine ecosystems are in jeopardy from destructive
harvesting methods, rising temperatures, coral mining and sediment fun off.
Currently Australia has the biggest marine reserve in the world.
Table of Contents
Chapter 10
Sections 10.1, 10.2, 10.6
Sections 10.1, 10.2, 10.6
Topic:
Water: Resources and Pollution
Sub-topics:
Water Resources
Water Pollution
Healthy Water
Water Resources
The case study of when Lake Mead will go dry is disturbing.
Not if, but when will it go dry! The southwest is in an eight-year drought.
Lake Mead drops 12 feet each year. The Hoover Dam needs 1,050 feet in order to
produce energy. Currently we are at 1,097 feet. L.A., Phoenix, and Los Vegas
all depend of water and power from the Colorado River that feeds Lake Mead and
Lake Powell. In 2017 there will not be enough water to power these cities. By
2021 the lakes will be gone.
![]() |
http://www.good.is/post/lake-mead-is-drying-up/ • accessed 2/20/12 |
The cycle in which water goes though is called the
hydrologic cycle. Water evaporates into the atmosphere, it then rains or snows,
water passes through living organisms, and water returns to the ocean. 75
percent of all precipitation is returned to the atmosphere by plants. Water has
a residence time that it spends in any given compartment. Water molecule stay in the ocean for up
to 3,000 years and it can be in the sky for ten days before if falls as
moisture. The atmosphere has the smallest compartments at .001 percent but it
is the most important for redistributed water.
The video below shows how devastating human involvement on water can be. I believe that the Salton Sea is the best example of this. The Salton Sea exists because we detoured the Colorado River. It two years to stop the flooding. Because the water was only fed by agriculture run off the water became very salty and everything died. This made the whole area uninhabitable.
http://youtu.be/otIU6Py4K_A • accessed on 2/20/12
Water Pollution
Point source pollution is easy to monitor and regulate. For
example factories, power plants, coalmines, and oil well pollute from specific
locations like drainpipes, ditches, and sewer out falls. Nonpoint pollution is
hard to monitor and regulate. There is not a singular point of pollution
leaking. You see this kind of pollution with runoff from city streets and feed
lots.
Water can be polluted with pathogens, which cause diseases
like typhoid, cholera, polio, and yellow fever. Many people die from polluted
water every year.
The case study “A flood of Pigs” talks about how the state
of North Caroline has a lot of pig farms. In 1999 Hurricane Floyd washed all of
the pig sewage and dead pig from the storm into the water stream. Because of
this they encountered a 350 square mile dead zone where not fish could survive.
There is currently no regulation for treatment for animal sewage and when it
floods it kills other species. (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e
• 2/18/12)
Inorganic pollutants like metals, salts and acids can affect
water quality for humans and animals. Metals are minerals that accrue naturally
and unnaturally in the environment. The most toxic metal is mercury. It can be
ingested into the food chain and it reaches dangerous levels in top predators.
Arsenic is also a natural mineral that we find in water that can be very
harmful. The salts that the northern states use on the icy roads can find its
way into the water supply and pollute the water.
![]() |
http://www.healthparley.com/water-arsenic-the-decision-of-the-tar.html • accessed 2/20/12 |
“Arsenic in Drinking Water” is a case study that shows how
the natural mineral arsenic gets in drinking water. It also states that it is
stored in hair, bones and nails. Over population and stains on a water supply
can drop water levels and stir up arsenic minerals. (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e •
2/18/12)
Acids and bases are released into our environment by
industrial processes. Industry also pollute with organic chemicals like
pesticides. Thermal pollution disrupts species by releasing warm water from
power plants into water. Species in that live in the water do not adapt to
change in temperature and die. Sediment released into the water have bad
affects by smothering small life and blocking the sunlight.
Healthy Water
The more oxygen that is in the water the better the water
environment is for the organisms that depend on it and this is called (BOD)
biochemical oxygen demand. In rivers there is a decline of oxygen down stream
as it is used up.
Plastic isn’t good for you. People think that drinking water
out of plastic bottles is better than tap water but that is incorrect. Tap
water is tested more often than bottled water and is safer to drink. 80 percent
of all plastic bottles end up in landfills. It takes 3 – 5 time the amount of
water in the plastic container to create the plastic container than what it can
hold.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=234814419945244&set=at.102015203225167.3021.100002500624738.100002485715746&type=1&theater • accessed on 2/24/12
Table of Contents
"I have been a witness, and these pictures are
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=234814419945244&set=at.102015203225167.3021.100002500624738.100002485715746&type=1&theater • accessed on 2/24/12
Table of Contents
Chapter 7 (7.1 – 7.4)
Topic: Food and Agriculture
Subtopics:
Brazil’s soy
Food Trends of the World
Eating Healthy
The Foods That
We Eat
Living Soil
Brazil’s soy
The case study at the beginning of this chapter addresses
the conflicts that arise with farming. In Brazil they have discovered great
land for farming soy. Big industry has come in to develop these farmlands to
feed the world. In this process the small farmers and their families have been
displaced and the greatest wetlands of South America face deforestation.
Food Trends of the World
We see trends in the world’s food market. There is an
overabundance of food produced yet many people in the world go hungry due to lack
of food distribution. We also see an increase of food cost. Lack of food
security in developing countries is responsible for a lot of death. Developing
countries can be plagued with war, political issues and instability that lead
to bad food distribution. In the U.S. we see bad health due to diet because of
poverty and job loss.
![]() |
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ • accessed 2/24/12 |
my testimony. The events I have recorded should
not be forgotten and must not be repeated."
-James Nachtwey-
Eating Healthy
We have see images of staring children with big bellies.
This is caused from a malnourishment of protein. A more widespread problem is
people going without vitamin A, folic acid and iodine that are found in
vegetables. 350,000 people go blind each year due to a vitamin A
deficiency. Large goiters can form
on the thyroid gland due to a lack of iodine.
Scientist of the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich created a form of rice that has
been genetically engineered to produce vitamins. This rice is called “Golden
Rice” or by critics “Frankenfoods”. One concern is that this rice may have bad
effects on the environment. (www.mhhe.com/cunningham6e
• 2/24/12)
In contrary to
starvation, over eating is a growing concern. There is a growth of heart
attach, stroke and diabetes in wealthy nations. In these countries diets of
sugars, fats, and processed foods are to blame. 400,000 people die each year in
the U.S. due to obesity related illnesses.
The solution
to reducing hunger is not increasing production. We need better management and
distribution.
![]() |
http://www.thenewsburner.com/2011/12/04/fat-america-infographic/ • accessed 2/24/12 |
The Food That
We Eat
There are many
different edible plants and animals in the world but we mainly feed on a
selected few. Crops like corn, soy, wheat, and rice are consumed the most. Some
of these are consumed less directly such as corn and soy that are used to feed
livestock. They are also used in sweeteners, oils and other products.
Eating meat is a great source of protein but it is
considerably more expensive than crops. You have to take into consideration the
whole process of growing an animal for food and how that goes into the overall
cost of meat. Technology has played a big part in be able to produce meat for
the masses. (CAFO) Confined animal feeding operations has been a big player.
Animals are housed and fed corn, soy, and animal protein. This ensures the
rapid growth of animal for meat consumption. These meat houses have to use
antibiotics heavily and they can be the cause of local water and air pollution.
http://youtu.be/EWt9Ex1Mlo8 • accessed 2/24/12
The world relies on eating fish for protein. In some parts
of the world this is their main source of protein. There are currently no
regulations in the world when it comes to fishing. It is a free for all. There
are many destructive fishing techniques that are devastation for the
environment and reproduction of fish for the future.
The current imbalance of food and consumption is a growing
problem. We need to focus more as a community on the potential problems and
current problems. I feel that knowledge is key and that we should talk about
these issues openly. Share these issues you have read about with your friends
and family.
Living Soil
Soil is so much more that dirt. I can even be considered an
ecological community of it own consisting of many living things like: organic
molecules, bacteria, fungi, insects and bugs. Plants need the nutrients in soil
in order grow. Over use of farm land can deplete the land of nutrients.
There are all different kinds of soils and mixtures. There
are six main components that give variety to soils they are: sand and gravel,
silt and clay, dead organic material, soil fauna and flora, water, and air.
Soil consists of layers. The first layer is the surface
litter layer called “O” for organic horizon. Then you have the A horizon that
is the surface soil and it contains organic matter, living organisms, and
inorganic minerals. Under that layer you have a zone of leaching that moves the
matter downward to layer B. Layer or horizon B is called Subsoil and it is made
up of iron, aluminum, humic compounds, and clay that has leached down form the
top. Lower you have the C layer that is mostly rock fragments and broken down
inorganic minerals. The last layer of the soil horizons is the Parent Material.
This material is the material on which the soil builds on. The food that we eat
comes mostly from the organically rich A horizon.
![]() |
http://www.uvm.edu/place/analyze/soil_horizons.html • accessed 2/24/12 |
Chapter 11
Topic: Geology and Resources
Subtopic:
Earth’s Components
Rocks and Minerals
Mineralogy and Economic Geology
Removing Resources
Waste Not Want Not
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Flooding
Earth’s Components
The world is full of resources but it is also full of
geologic hazards like volcanoes and earthquakes.
The earth is made up of layers. In the center of the earth
we have the core, which is made up of a dense, hot mass of metals. Surrounding
the core layer is the mantle layer. This layer is less dense and is made up of
oxygen, silicon and magnesium. The outer layer of the earth is called the
earth’s crust. The crust is thicker on the continents that in the oceans.
![]() |
http://www.ducksters.com/science/composition_of_the_earth.php • accessed 3/3/12 |
Earthquakes reshape the earth’s continents by a process
called the Tectonic Process.
Tectonic plates are large mosaic sections of the earth’s
crust that slowly move. Magma, from volcanoes comes up through the gaps between
two plates.
In the ocean we have the mid-ocean ridges where the magma
has created a large underwater mountain range, the largest mountain range in
the world. With the constant slow movement of the plates we can predict that in
30 million years L.A. will pass San Francisco. When looking into the past we
can see evidence that at one time Antarctica and Australia were once connected
to Africa.
These plates go through a slow cycle of being recycled, for
example if one plate is on top of another then the bottom plate will be forced
down into the earth. This subducted plate will melt and then rise back to the
surface as magma.
![]() |
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm • accessed 3/3/12 |
Rocks and Minerals
Minerals are a natural, inorganic solid that occurs with a
certain chemical composition that has a crystal structure. Minerals are only
considers minerals in solid crystal form. Rocks are solid masses that have a
mix of one or more minerals.
Three rock classifications are: igneous, metamorphic and
sedimentary. Most rocks on earth are igneous, which means they have solidified
from molten, magma or lava. Deep under the earth’s surface rocks are squeezed,
heated, and folded into metamorphic rocks. We are all familiar with the
metamorphic rock, the diamond; it is created under these extreme conditions.
Sedimentary rocks are created by the combination of loose grains and other
rocks that are combined by time and pressure. Sandstone is a wonderful example
of a sedimentary rock.
Rocks and minerals on the surface of the earth go through a
process called weathering. One examples of this is river rocks being rounded by
the flowing water. Chemical weathering of rock is when the surrounding elements
weather a stone. Oxidation is a form of chemical weathering. When the rocks and
minerals are weathered little particles as are carried away by the wind, water,
or ice. This is called sedimentation.
![]() |
http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/113S3040S11553.html • accessed 3/3/12 |
Mineralogy and Economic Geology
When testing the earth for minerals we find more than 4,400
different kinds. Studying the minerals that have value because of their use or
beauty is called economic mineralogy. In 1872 the U.S. encouraged mining of
public lands to try and build up the economy. Many environmentalists have tried
to stop this but so far Congress still allows mining on public lands.
Metals are minerals. We heavily use iron, aluminum, copper,
chromium, and nickel. Most metals are mined in South America but are used by
the United States, China, Europe, and Japan.
Precious metals are big ingredients in green energy and
electronics. Shortages in these minerals would hinder the green energy
development. China has limited their exports of the rare metals. These are
elements that are essential to the modern electronics, high efficiency lights,
lightweight batteries, lasers, and the hybrid cars.
In mining the miners use strong acid slurry to remove the
metals from the ore-bearing rocks. Large amounts of toxic water are produced
and stored. This toxic water can leak and cause damage to the water and
ground.
The most consumed nonmetal mineral resources are sand and
gravel. We use sand and gravel for roads, concrete construction and many other
things. Other great nonmetal minerals in high use are limestone, evaporates,
glass, sulfur, and gemstones.
Metals and gemstones have been desired for their monetary
value. Countries that are rich in these minerals have fallen into violent
states due to people warring over these mineral most notably South Africa and
the blood diamonds.
http://youtu.be/aaqQjIzIbiY • accessed 3/3/12
Oil, coal, and natural gas are not minerals because they do
not crystallize but they are considered part of the economic mineralogy because
of their importance in our lives. These geologic deposits create most the
energy in the world.
Removing Resources
We have come to rely on geological resources for our every
day lives. They light our way at night and warm our homes but there is a down
side. The way that we mine or pump these resources out of the earth can
sometimes have severe environmental consequences. The EPA has found more than 100 toxic pollutants from mines
in the U.S. Chemicals are used to separate metals from the minerals and water
contamination is a large environmental problem.
There are many different kinds of mining techniques. One of
the most visually disturbing is open-pit mining. You also have strip-mining and
underground mining. This subject is very personal to me. My father has been an
underground miner since he was a young man. Underground mining is very
dangerous you can have tunnels collapse, natural gas can explode, and water
seeping into the mineshafts can dissolve toxic minerals. My father got his
start in the uranium mines in Wyoming but in the 1980 president Reagan decided
not to make nuclear bombs anymore and closed down uranium production. We then
moved to S.D. where my father mined gold for the Black Hills gold mine. I was
able to see first hand the visual devastation of an open-pit mine. Currently
they have closed down the Black Hills gold mine and my father is working for
the government in Montana. He works for MSHA. MSHA works to regulate mines in
the U.S. for safety of the miners and the environment.
Methane gas is a clean burning source of energy. Currently
in Wyoming the industry is proposing 140,000 well for extraction. Although this
is a clean burning fuel there are drawbacks in obtaining this fuel. Some are
the massive amounts of roads, pipelines, service facilities that all have an
impact on wildlife and remote areas. The worst of the environmental impacts of
methane gas mining is the effect on the water supplies. The process of removing
the gas produces up to 75,000 liters of salty water. Water is also pumped into
the ground mixed with sand and toxic chemicals when drilling. This can
contaminate underground water aquifers.
A newer form of mining is called mountain top removal. In
West Virginia the coal industry has been removing the tops of mountains to get
to the coal. They dump the unwanted materials into the valleys. It is said that
over 560 miles of streams have been buried. The EPA has issued these
restrictions on this type of mining because of the Clean Water Act.
![]() |
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/amd/index.html • accessed 3/3/12 |
There are over 550,000 abandoned mines in the U.S. Most of
these mines went bankrupt and closed down with out any effort to restore the
land. They left behind large ponds of chemical waste to decay.
Waste Not Want Not
After studying this chapter I really see the value in
conservation and recycling. “less waste to dispose of, less land lost to
mining, and less consumption of money, energy, and water resources.” “Less is
more!”
Recycling uses less energy that mining. Minimills take iron
and steel and process them into new product. New materials are also replacing the need to mine new
materials. Plastic is a great example of a new material that has replaced a lot
of metal and glass products.
![]() |
http://www.sms-concast.ch/en/products_service/minimill.html • accessed 3/3/12 |
Earthquake
Chapter eleven starts off with a case study talking about
the recent earthquake in Haiti. This is a poor island in the Caribbean and most
of the buildings are not make to withstand earthquakes. The aftermath of the
earthquake was escalated due to the poor economics in the area. People started
looting and Haiti became a very dangerous place for relief workers. The people
were experiencing homelessness, bad water, missing family members and food
shortages.
Tectonic activity is what causes most earthquakes. The earth
is made up of giant plates that shift and move. Areas that the plates come
together are called fault lines. Plate tectonics or the moving of the plates is
what causes the earth to shake. Tsunami is a sea swells that are caused by
earthquakes and can break as high as 200 feet. There have been studies that the
rising and lowering of water can induce an earthquake.
Volcanoes
The source of most of the earth’s crust is volcanoes and
undersea magma vents. Weathered volcanic soil is considered to be the most
richest and fertile. However, volcanoes are very dangerous. Like earthquakes
they are unpredictable and leave little to no time for escape. Hot lava is not
the only dangers; you also have a rain of ash, dust, and sulfur.
![]() |
http://www.fukubonsai.com/bi3.html • accessed 3/3/12 |
Flooding
Rivers have floodplains. When water levels raise the excess
water will run off into these flat plains. The ground in these floodplains is
futile and attractive for developers. Floodplains can remain dry for years and
may only flood once every 100 years. Due to this fact communities develop in
floodplains and when a flood comes many people are killed. Out of all types of
natural disasters floods kill more people and damage more property than any
other natural disaster.
Works Cited
Cunningham, William P., and Mary Ann Cunningham. “Principles of Environmental Science –Inquiry and Applications, 6th ed.” (New York: Copyright 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2011)
Chapters 6
Chapter 10 (10.1,10.2, 10.6)
Chapter 7 (7.1 – 7.4)
Chapter 11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest • accessed on 2/20/12
http://youtu.be/84zIj_EdQdM • accessed 2/20/12http://www.un-redd.org/ • accessed 2/20/12
http://www.natow.org/tribes/menominee-nation/ • accessed 2/20/12
http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/wildfire/prescribedburns.htm • accessed on 2/20/12
http://www.good.is/post/lake-mead-is-drying-up/ • accessed 2/20/12
http://youtu.be/otIU6Py4K_A • accessed on 2/20/12
http://www.healthparley.com/water-arsenic-the-decision-of-the-tar.html • accessed 2/20/12
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ • accessed 2/24/12
http://www.thenewsburner.com/2011/12/04/fat-america-infographic/ • accessed 2/24/12
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ • accessed 2/24/12
http://www.thenewsburner.com/2011/12/04/fat-america-infographic/ • accessed 2/24/12
http://youtu.be/EWt9Ex1Mlo8 • accessed 2/24/12
http://www.uvm.edu/place/analyze/soil_horizons.html • accessed 2/24/12
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.ducksters.com/science/composition_of_the_earth.php • accessed 3/3/12
http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/113S3040S11553.html • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/amd/index.html • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.sms-concast.ch/en/products_service/minimill.html • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.ducksters.com/science/composition_of_the_earth.php • accessed 3/3/12
http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/113S3040S11553.html • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/amd/index.html • accessed 3/3/12
http://www.sms-concast.ch/en/products_service/minimill.html • accessed 3/3/12