Measurement and Adaptation of Vehicle Activity Variables in Mexican Sample Cities
De acuerdo al Inventario Nacional de Emisiones para México-1999, los vehículos automotores son una de las principales fuentes de emisión de contaminantes a la atmósfera, debido a que emiten cantidades importantes de óxidos de nitrógeno (NOx) e hidrocarburos (HC), los cuales, además, son los principales precursores de la formación de ozono. También, las fuentes móviles […]
Green Building in North America: A Mexican Perspective
This public workshop allowed panelists and participants to exchange with one another ways to improve sustainable building practices in North America. It had a special focus on issues and opportunities in Mexico and provided an opportunity for leading experts from Canada, Mexico and the United States to share experiences and lessons learned in this rapidly […]
The North American Mosaic
An invasive species is a plant, animal or microscopic pathogen that, once transported out of its native range, has established itself, spread and caused harm to the environment, economy or human health in its new habitat.
The North American Mosaic
refers to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of surface and groundwater. These characteristics affect the ability of water to sustain human communities, as well as plant and animal life.
The North American Mosaic
Ozone is a gas present throughout the earth’s atmosphere. protects life on earth by absorbing harmful rays from the sun as they pass through the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere). Because the ozone present at the earth’s surface is detrimental, ozone is often described as being “good up high and bad nearby.”
The North American Mosaic
Acid deposition primarily results from the transformation of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into secondary pollutants such as sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. Acidic particles and vapors can be deposited on the earth’s surface as acid precipitation (wet deposition) or via particles such as fly ash, sulfates, nitrates, and […]
The North American Mosaic
Industrial pollution and waste encompass the full range of unwanted substances and losses generated by industrial activities, including emissions to air or surface waters and the substances sent to sewage treatment plants, deposited in landfills, released or applied to the land, treated, injected underground, controlled through storage, recycled or burned for energy recovery.
The North American Mosaic
—the continuous saltwater bodies that cover more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface—shape its climate, provide a means of transport and are home to an important part of the planet’s biodiversity. —where land meets the sea—provide a wide range of valued goods and services, including fisheries, trade routes, recreation and tourism, oil and gas […]
The North American Mosaic
are directly related to a variety of human and ecological needs: agricultural, industrial, domestic and environmental. Human development and the environment depend on adequate supplies of clean water.
The North American Mosaic
(PBTs) are chemicals that do not degrade easily in the environment. PBTs typically accumulate in fatty tissues and are slowly metabolized, often increasing in concentration within the food chain. Certain PBTs have been linked to adverse health effects in both humans and animals.
The North American Mosaic
refers to the purposes to which humans commit land cover such as forests and grasslands. Some land uses—particularly those that are less intensive or involve less alteration of natural systems—cause less disruption to ecosystem services such as water purification, recharging of groundwater, nutrient recycling, decomposition of wastes, regulation of the climate and maintenance of biodiversity.
The North American Mosaic
is a colorless, highly irritating gas created by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds produced largely by fuel combustion, gasoline vapors and chemical solvents.