FIGURE 1.3 Human impact on Earth. It is impossible for millions of people to inhabit an area without altering it. (a) In 1880, fewer than 6,000 people lived in Los Angeles. (b) In 2013, Los Angeles had a population of 3.9 million people, and the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area was home to nearly 13 million people.
(a: The Granger Collection, New York; b: LA/AeroPhotos/Alamy)