The most accurate world map is a globe. Like the planet Earth, a globe is shaped as a ball. When you look at a globe you can truly see the way the world looks in all of its complexity. All the countries are shown in true size relative to each other. You can see how far apart different cities are, and you can learn what time it is in another part of the world.
Earth materials is a general term that includes rocks and materials that are not by definition rocks but are commonly regarded as rocks. Examples of the latter are coal and volcanic glass, which are not composed of minerals. Materials also like copper, silver, gold and lead are found in extinct volcanoes. These are other Earth Materials.
The diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km across. But this number is actually an average. That's because the Earth is spinning in space. The spin of the planet cause the equator to bulge out further than the poles.
So imagine the Earth as a slightly flattened sphere. Measured from pole to pole, the diameter of Earth is 12,713 km across. And measured across the equator, the Earth's diameter is 12,756 km across. In other words, points on the equator are about 21 km further from the center of the Earth than the poles.
One interesting result of this is that Mount Everest isn't actually the tallest mountain on Earth when you consider its distance from the center of the Earth. It's the highest above sea level; however. The highest place on Earth is Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador in the Andes mountain chain – it's about 2.4 km higher than Everest.
You can read more articles from Universe Today about the Earth. For example, did know know that the Earth has an inner, inner core? And here's a nice photograph of the Earth and Moon, seen from Mars.
Here's how the diameter of the Earth was first measured, thousands of years ago. And here's NASA's Worldbook entry on Earth.
Almost every day, new alarming pollution facts that will affect the earth, is being discovered. If we take each and every individual we'll actually discover a very low environment consciousness awareness that allows for the care and regeneration of ecosystems, the recycling of most house waste and the respect for nature in the tiniest aspect.
The following pollution facts serve as an example for our level of ignorance and lack of commitment to an environment-friendly lifestyle.
Ships and cruise boats
About 60 000 people dies every year because of the water pollution ships and cruise boats are creating. The most polluting and busiest ports in the world include Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai with the biggest health threat in the world. Such pollution facts should make us think about the future of maritime trade and transportation.
Power plants
To generate electricity, Power plants are becoming more and more popular. The bad thing about it is that it causes about three thousand lung cancer cases and over thirty-five thousand heart attacks only in the USA on a yearly basis. Moreover, the same statistics indicate that pollution facts are even more serious in the under-developed areas of the globe where the industrial and the private sectors do not apply consistent environment protection rules.
Air and water contamination
Some very important pollution facts refer to the close connection between air and water contaminants; thus the chemicals in the water evaporate and fall back on the ground under the form of acid rains. Rainwater is not treated like the one in the sewers and the pollutants are merely changing their aggregation state while still remaining present in the atmosphere or the water.
Soap
If you like to wash your car at home, chances are that the soap that you are using will pollute and destroy the chemical balance of an ecosystem. At the car-wash the waste water will be sent to the sewer and will eventually undergo some treatment before being released in the river, lake or ocean. The water from your back yard will not get this treatment and will release into the ground with all the gas residues and detergent in it.
Animals
Last but not least, animals can pollute too. Livestock that has access to a stream will carry potential and unwanted harmful bacteria to the water, not to mention that the water that runs over fields and pastures could very well bring fertilizers into the streams as well as in the underground water sources.
All the important issues relating to our surroundings are covered by the Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Biosciences will make a growing impact in the 21st century as it contributes greatly to the very much needed sustainable development of our world. In the meantime geosciences will continue to play a crucial role in the understanding of critical environmental issues that are facing mankind. There is a continuity of informational transfer from genome up through cell, community and environment and defining characteristics of life thus depends strongly on flux from the environment.
The Life, Earth and Environmental Standing Committee aims to better understand biological, environmental and Earth systems across time and space. It covers activities from molecular and systems biology to global change of the environment.
LESC facilitates new activities in interdisciplinary areas by initiating and funding networks and projects. Many LESC projects have involved policy makers and industry.
Covered fields
The Life, Earth and Environmental Standing Committee covers the following fields:
