Thursday, Mar. 27, 2008

Numbers

SANITATION

216 Reported cases of salmonella poisoning in Alamosa, Colo., stemming from unsanitary tap water, which could take months to fix

$3 billion Amount spent by the U.S. Agency for International Development on overseas projects that include water-sanitation programs

STABILITY

24 Rank of the U.S.--behind Malta--in a new report that measures countries by stability and prosperity

193 million The estimated number of guns in America; the report cited the proliferation of small arms in the U.S. as a reason for its low score

WILDLIFE

521 The total number of species that Bill Clinton added to the endangered-species list during his two terms as President; George H.W. Bush designated 231 species in one term

59 The total number of species that George W. Bush's Administration has added to the list in the past seven years; WildEarth Guardians has filed a lawsuit to add 681 species at once

COMMUNICATION

50% Decline in British pay-phone use in the past three years as a result of the increasing popularity of cell phones

30,000 The approximate number of iconic red phone booths--one-third of the nation's total--that British telecom giant BT has removed in the past six years in response to decreased usage

Sources: AP; USAID; Times of London; Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence; Washington Post (2); USA Today (2)