Environmental Issues of Latin America The Neotropics

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Environmental Issues of Latin AmericaThe
Neotropics
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Struggle Between Economy And Environment

• Latin America has the benefit of seeing other
  regions mistakes and trying to avoid them
• Economic Pressures make that a difficult task

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Mexicos Central Plateau

• Very attractive for settlement
• Year round mild temps
• Rich, volcanic soil
• Ample water supply

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Mexicos Central Plateau

• Ironic that the topography that grants all that
  good creates a lot of bad

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Mexico City Smog
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Mexico City Smog
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Water Problems

• Scarcity
• Many of the large lakes were filled or drained
  for farm land
• Pollution
• Unlined canals leaking into aquifers

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Water Problems

• Subsidence
• Pumping out the aquifer creates instability of
  the soil
• 30 feet in the 20th century
• Some places as much as 20 inches in a year
• 40,000 water line ruptures a year

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Water Problems
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Deforestation

• Different than deforestation in other parts of
  the world
• Clearing for agricultural land
• Expansion of cities
• Creation of grazing lands
• (grassification)

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Degradation of Farmland

• Soil Erosion
• Loss of soil fertility
• Large farming corporations force the little guy
  onto unstable hillsides etc.
• Poor use of pesticides
• Health problems
• Water contamination

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Urban Problems

• Squatter settlements in danger from industrial
  waste
• 1984 fire in Cubatao Brazil
• 1985 Ammonia leak

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Urban Problems
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Urban Solutions

• Cities like Curitaba the Green City
• Planning for drainage
• Clean public transportation
• Public education on environmental issues
• Recycling programs

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Urban Solutions
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Urban Solutions
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Altitudinal Zonation

• The relationship between elevation, different
  temps, and different vegetation
• Environmental Lapse Rate
• 3.5 degrees / 1000 ft of elevation

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Altitudinal Zonation

• 4 levels
• Tierra Caliente lt 3000 ft
• 3000lt Tierra Templadalt6000
• 6000ltTierra Frialt12,000
• 12,000lt Tierra Helada

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Altitudinal Zonation
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El Nino

• Warm Current that brings increased rains to
  Ecuador and peru every year and big time every
  ten years
• Brings floods and ruins crops
• Can cause drought in the periphery