As this title of the “Chemtastrophe!” series suggests, environmental occurrences, from how much rain falls to how long it takes garbage to break down in landfills, all happen because of chemistry. A brief overview of science in general and specifically chemistry prepares readers to understand how chemistry works all around us. “Fun Facts” sidebars reveal chemistry-related tidbits like the fact that there are approximately 95,000 chemists working in the United States today. Inset “How We Know” sections offer historical information about such topics as the toxic gas leak in Bhopal, India.