United States Environment Overview

The United States boasts a diverse environment characterized by a wide range of climates and land use patterns. Predominantly temperate, the climate varies considerably across the country, with tropical conditions in Florida and Hawaii, arctic climates in Alaska, and arid environments in the southwestern Great Basin. Notably, Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in the U.S., is recognized for its extreme cold weather conditions. In terms of land use, 46.1% of the U.S. is dedicated to agricultural activities, with forest cover accounting for 33.8% of the land area as of 2023. Urbanization continues to rise, with 83.3% of the population residing in urban areas. Environmental challenges include air and water pollution, deforestation, and conservation of species. These factors, alongside substantial methane and carbon dioxide emissions, underscore the importance of sustainable practices and policies in the country.

Climate

The climate is predominantly temperate, with tropical conditions in Florida and Hawaii, arctic climates in Alaska, semiarid regions in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid environments in the southwestern Great Basin. In the northwest, low winter temperatures are occasionally mitigated in January and February by warm chinook winds originating from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Land use

other

18.7% (2023 est.)

forest

33.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land

46.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

83.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane emissions

other

758.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

4,974 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

20,500.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

9,063.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

265.225 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

14.8% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

Issues include air pollution, water pollution resulting from pesticide and fertilizer runoff, diminishing natural freshwater supplies in the western regions, deforestation, mining activities, desertification, conservation of species, and the presence of invasive species

Total water withdrawal

municipal

58.39 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

209.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

176.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

4.795 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.76 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

777.302 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.258 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.069 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution - Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution - Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change - Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping - London Protocol

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