• Global
  • Decreased salinity and water density due to fresh water from melting ice could be weakening Atlantic currents
  • Oil rig off the coast of England
  • Ecosystems, such as this wetland in Botswana, provide many services that are vital to human well-being
  • The United Nations 2005 World Summit addressed most major environmental issues
• Africa
  • Maize crop in Swaziland stunted by drought
  • Drought affected areas in Africa in 2005
• Asia and the Pacific
  • Recovery efforts have gained momentum in tsunami-ravaged Banda Aceh, Indonesia
  • Urbanization in Asia and the Pacific has intensified the deterioration in urban air quality
  • Materials recycling in China
• Europe
  • Discarded appliances, packaging, and wastewater are just some of the many forms of waste in Europe
  • Extreme weather events in 2005 caused drought, forest fires and flooding in Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Collecting drinking water, Guatemala
  • Water levels in the central reaches of the Amazon River, at Manaus, Brazil, approached the lowest in 100 years
  • Humpback whale calf, breaching
• North America
  • Caribou in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• West Asia
  • Flash flooding in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Rapid urbanization in West Asia has resulted in poor housing conditions as seen in this neighbourhood in Tripoli, Lebanon.
  • Air pollution in many West Asian cities like Baghdad is on the rise
• Polar
  • Krill, at the base of the Antarctic food chain, are adversely impacted by a reduction in Antarctic sea.

Feature Focus: Energy and Air Pollution

• Indoor Air Pollution From Solid Fuels
  • The use of energy efficient biogas stoves like this one could improve indoor air quality emissions
  • Scanning electron micrograph of ultrafine suspended particle (PM2.5)
• Urban Outdoor Air Pollution
  • Mexico City’s geographical situation causes air pollution to be trapped over the city
  • Improved public transportation can help to address urban air pollution
• Long-Range Transport of Air Pollution
  • Renewable energy, including wind power, accounted for 13 per cent of the total primary world energy supply in 2002
• Dealing with Air Pollution
  • Geothermal power plant, Iceland
  • Leaded gasoline is still used in some parts of the world, however efforts to phase out its use are ongoing
  • Gasoline/electric hybrid engine
  • Sudanese woman using a new LPG stove
  • Solar and wind energy are promising options for rural areas that are not connected to the electricity supply grid

Emerging Challenges – New Findings

• Crop Production in a Changing Climate
  • Temperate zones may benefit from an extended growing season
  • Intercropping could help conserve soil moisture
• Fish and Shellfish Farming in Marine Exosystems
  • Nearly one-third of fish consumed by humans is now produced in fish farms
  • Salmon farm
  • Net pen rearing in the US
  • Clams growing inside a cage, feed on suspended detritus before being harvested
  • Mangrove forests are removed to make way for shrimp farming in Thailand