NATURAL CONDITIONS AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE UNITED
What are the basics?
The government tracks data on the status of the environment and human effects on it. Information includes data on the weather that helps interpret climate trends, greenhouse gases emitted due to human activity, and conservation-related metrics such as land protections and species listed on the threatened and endangered species list. This page provides some of these measures on the environment and natural resources to answer fundamental questions about the natural world.
Average temperature difference (°F) from 20th-century average in the contiguous US In 2022, the average temperature in the contiguous US was 1.35°F higher than the 20th-century average of 52.02°F.
1900192019401960198020002020-2-10123
Source:
National Centers for Environmental Information.
Greenhouse gas emissions In 2020, 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (or equivalent) were emitted in the US.
199019952000200520102015202001B2B3B4B5B6B
Source:
Environmental Protection Agency.
Protected area land share: 2022 In 2022, 29.8% of the area of the US was protected to maintain biodiversity.
MENDWIMINYRISDIAILINOHNEMOKYWVVAMDDEKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGATXNHWAMTNMAZHIVTMNMAPANJCTFLCOCAAKWYORIDNVUT1%14%27%40%54%67%80%
Source:
United States Geological Survey.
REFERENCE 1. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/north-america-resources/
2.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18625.
3. https://usafacts.org/topics/environment-natural-resources/
4. https://www.google.com/search?q=natural+conditions+a nd+natural+resources+of+the+United+States&rlz=1C1GCEA_
