In 1969, a drilling platform off Santa Barbara, CA exploded, leading to one of the greatest oil spills in history. In 1970, the Cuyahoga, one of the world's most polluted rivers, actually caught fire. These environmental catastrophes and countless others woke North Americans up to the problems of heedless economic growth and a frontier attitude that said resources were boundless and the landscape was a dump for civilization's refuse.

A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing the vast and diverse continent that is North America.

North America, tells the story of this environmental awakening and the continuing problems that the continent faces. It tackles the tough issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies of the North American environment.

According to some estimates, one out of every nine barrels of oil used in the world every day is consumed by a North American motorist. In 1996, World Wildlife Fund Canada estimated that the country was losing wilderness to development at a rate of more than one acre every 15 seconds. Today, this pace of destruction has been faulted for eroding much of the continent's fabulous natural wealth, and new emphasis is being placed on finding a more appropriate balance between development and conservation.

• Interesting sidebar articles, tables and figures, and photographs
• Overview maps of the continent and a listing of environment-related organizations on the Internet