Back | Possible Indicators Local Indicators: Air and Water Quality The indicators in the following list are those rated 5 or higher from Appendix A of the The Guide to Sustainable Community Indicators, Second Edition, by Maureen Hart, 1999. Air Indicators: CO2 emissions from transportation CO2 emissions by source CO2 emissions relative to 1990 levels Number of days air pollutants exceed healthful levels Air quality: CO, SO2, SPM, and O3 measurements Emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases Air pollutants from stationary sources Exposure to substandard ambient air quality Days per year that air quality standards are met Production of acid-forming emissions Ration of SO2 and smoke levels to EC limits Air quality index Particulate matter in air. Biodiversity Indicators: Biodiversity -amphibian Biodiversity - plant Song bird diversity or population Number of species at risk Proportion of species approaching target population size Acres of occupied grizzly habitat Tailed frog population Stream miles opened for migratory fish Fish Indicators: Fish species with consumption restricted Commercial salmon catch in watershed Overfished fisheries compared to fisheries not overfished Wild salmon returning to spawn Acres of closed shellfish beds Oyster Condition Index Global Indicators Output to sink / capacity of sink to absorb or assimilate C02 emission per capita, relative to fair earth share Greenhouse gas emissions measured in metric tons of carbon equivalents Groundwater Indicators Water level in aquifer wells Monitored wells showing groundwater contamination Groundwater quality index Human Indicators Indoor air quality Surface Water Indicators Percentage of estuarine areas not suitable for shellfish harvesting Quality of river water entering country / quality leaving country Number of days all beaches are open for swimmming Percent of streams you can drink from Fishable and swimmable river miles and lake acres Fecal coliform count in surface water Miles of rivers not suitable for fishing due to dioxin Percentage area of lakes fully suitable for swimming Index of watershed naturalness Bernie Fowler's Sneaker Index - water clarity Amount of road salt used on rural regional roads Compliance with dissolved oxygen standards River compliance with metals water standards Bay grasses recovering, in acres Wetlands Indicators Acres of natural and restored wetlands Size and distribution of significant wetlands Related Topics: Consumption Contamination and Hazardous Materials Economic Prosperity Ecosystem Integrity Education Global Climate Change Government Housing Human Health Population Public Safety Scientific & Technological Advancement Status of Natural Resources Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Transportation http://www.sdi.gov/indicators/ci_awq.htm Last Modified: 4/22/02