SOURCE 1. *The Neolithic Revolution took place about 10,000-12,000 years ago

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1 SOURCE 1 *The Neolithic Revolution took place about 10,000-12,000 years ago

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3 SOURCE 3 Prior to and through the early decades of the Industrial Revolution, life expectancies were low in Western Europe and the United States. Thousands of people died from infectious diseases such as typhoid and cholera, which spread rapidly in the crowded, filthy conditions that were common in early factory towns and major cities, or were weakened by poor nutrition. But from about 1850 through 1950, life began to improve dramatically. These improvements included: Improving urban sanitation and waste removal Improving the quality of the water supply and expanding access to fresh water Improving medical care, research and treatment such as vaccines and antibiotics Adopting workplace safety laws and limits on child labor Promoting nutrition Improving education

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5 SOURCE 6 As humans have increased in number they have also increased their impact on culture. They have built cities, created priceless works of art, written operas and symphonies, filmed classic movies, developed language, cured diseases, written novels, embraced religion, family, developed government, foods, sports and have increased their knowledge world around them. Humans have traveled to the top of the highest mountains, the bottom of the deepest oceans, explored the heart of the densest rainforest and traveled into the stars. SOURCE 7

6 SOURCE 8 One-third of the world s tropical forest is found in the Amazon, which stretches across parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Its intricate web of life is home to one in every 10 species on Earth, from more than 100,000 types of insects and nearly 40,000 plant species. Deforestation of the Amazon has taken place at an alarming rate. The forest is being cleared for a number of economic and developmental reasons including: lumber, in order to build roads and build infrastructure to connect cities, to build bigger urban areas and to increase agriculture (both farming and ranching) to meet world-wide demand for food like soy and beef. More than 30 million people live in the region, and many depend on the forest and its rivers for their livelihoods. As Earth s largest river basin, the Amazon is the source of around one-sixth of all the water that flows into the sea from the world s rivers. The Amazon also plays a huge role in the Earth s climate not just as a massive store of carbon, but in the way it affects rainfall patterns. Climate models suggest Amazon deforestation could lead to droughts and crop failures across the Americas, and possibly in other agricultural regions as far away as Europe.

7 SOURCE 9 The Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam, which produces nearly half of the country's rice, is particularly vulnerable to global sea level increase. Currently, sea levels are rising as global temperatures increase. The rice fields are being flooded with sea water instead of fresh water from the river. The salt water kills the rice and threatens the ability of Vietnamese farmers to grow food and provide rice to the region. The Mekong Delta is densely populated and rising sea levels could directly affect 1 million people by Additionally, reports say that there are about 12 million people in 23 coastal cities across China, Japan, and Korea who make up 28 percent of the total global population living in low elevation coastal zones at risk of severe flooding from rising sea levels.

8 SOURCE 10 As China s population has grown to over 1 billion and they have developed, the nation s need for energy has drastically increased. Much of this energy has come from burning coal. The people of China have seen increased wages and standards of living. However, Studies by the World Bank, WHO, and the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning China now estimate that China produces the largest number of major pollutants in the world, and accounts for half the world's coal consumption. The WHO has concluded that between 350,000 and 500,000 people die prematurely each year as a result of outdoor air pollution in China.

9 SOURCE 11 The Cambodian government intends to build a network of 17 dams, hoping that they will generate enough CLEAN electricity to meet domestic demand, reduce energy costs and export surplus energy abroad. This goal of transforming Cambodia into the power plant of Southeast Asia promise economic gain for a country in desperate need of an economic boost. The Chong people, who are considered Khmer Daem (or original Khmers), have lived in this valley for over 600 years. They grow rice, forage for roots and mushrooms, and fish in the streams and river. They oppose the dam as it would It would flood at least 26,000 acres displacing them and destroying hundreds of years of Khmer culture as well as threatening the habitats of 31 endangered animals. SOURCE 12

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