Yes, The Eastern US Is Frigid. Yes, The Average Global Temperature Is Warmer Than Average.

Wetlands losses and gains for different land use categories. While, historically, agriculture was responsible for the vast majority of wetlands losses, government incentive programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program have encouraged farmers to restore former wetlands on their lands, contributing to a net gain of wetlands from the agriculture sector 2004-2009. In contrast, silviculture (forestry) is contributing heavily to wetlands losses, with urban and rural development also destroying wetlands. Urban and rural development combined accounted for 23 percent of the wetland losses 2004-2009, while silviculture accounted for 56% (a decrease from 1998-2004 for urban and rural development and an increase for silviculture).

*"Other" included areas such as native prairie, un-managed forests, scrub lands, barren and abandoned land, lands enrolled in conservation easements or other lands designated as wildlife management areas. Conservation programs are largely responsible for high wetlands gains from these areas.

The American Lung Association released its 2012 "State of the Air" report. Among their findings, they report that the air quality in many places has improved, but that over 127 million people—41 percent of the U.S.—still suffer pollution levels that are too often dangerous to breathe. The report includes this graph from EPA, showing that emissions of the six common air pollutants have fallen 59% since 1990 as a result of Clean Air Act regulations. These reductions have occurred even as population, energy consumption, vehicle miles traveled and GDP have increased, debunking the myth that environmental regulations hurt economic growth.

*The "six common pollutants" are fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead.

Domestic cats allowed to roam freely outdoors are not native to the ecosystem and can cause substantial damage. Cats hunt birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians and insects that are important components of ecosystems. The first graph shows that birds and mammals are the primary prey targets of outdoor cats, while the second shows estimates for the numbers of birds and mammals killed annually by cats in the mainland United States.

The figures from the previous post on deforestation (from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization) have a significant impact on carbon emissions and climate change. Because deforestation releases carbon stored in plants and soils, deforestation has become a major source of global carbon dioxide emissions. Countries with greater deforestation have greater emissions as a result.

Forest conversion in Brazil 1990-2010 released 25.8 billion metric tons of CO2. The next four greatest emitters from deforestation were Indonesia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Venezuela. Combating climate change will require reigning in deforestation.

Growth of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Source: https://imgur.com/cK5xOR9

Average annual net loss and gain of wetlands in the lower 48 states of the U.S. Wetlands protection regulations (such as those under the Clean Water Act 404), incentive programs (such as the Wetlands Reserve Program) and disincentive programs (such as the Swampbuster provision of the Food Security Act of 1985) have substantially reduced wetlands losses.

Once just an alluring pet, the ravenous lionfish is now a predatory threat to reefs in the Atlantic. Learn more: to.pbs.org/2c3CjnU

In 2013 the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected global coal use to grow 39% by 2040. Their 2017 projected revises that growth to... about 1%.

While the coal industry is fighting Clean Water Act protections for rivers and streams from mountaintop removal mining (MTR), this 2011 poll of residents in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee found strong support.

Other interesting results:

57% of voters oppose MTR; 20% support

64% of Democrats, 60% of independents and 51% of Republicans oppose MTR

As the Trump administration rolls back Obama’s Clean Cars program, meant to increase the fuel efficiency of American cars and light trucks, demand for electric vehicles [EV] - both battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) - is soaring globally. 

But as Brad Plumer points out, a good deal of this growth is the result of policy meant to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles and build up EV infrastructure.

As a result, electric vehicles now make up more than 1 percent of sales in China, France, Denmark, and Sweden. They make up 9.7 percent of sales in the Netherlands, and 23 percent of sales in Norway, which offers some of the most generous tax incentives around, worth about $13,500 per car.