ENST 215: Environmental Planning: Environmental Data

Environmental data is typically the most challenging to find for this assignment. There is not one central site you can consult for environmental data; rather, it often takes strategic searching and persistence. Here are some suggestions for approaching the environmental data piece of the assignment:

(1) When picking environmental indicators, think about what you know about your hometown and surrounding area. Are you close to a major body of water (e.g., river, lake, bay, etc.)? Is your hometown region a predominantly agricultural? Are there large factories in your area? Thinking about what you know about the surrounding environment can help you determine what environmental indicators to hone in on.

(2) Environmental data may not be collected on a regular schedule, and it's entirely possible you won't be able to find data across as wide a time period (15-20 years) as you can for census data. This is okay and to be expected. 

(3) Data may refer to varying scales (e.g., regional or state). Depending on the size of your hometown, it's very possible you may not be able to find data for your specific town, but may need to look at a nearby, larger size town.