State of our world: some facts — Part 1
Over the years we’ve witnessed countless disastrous events; far-reaching events that negatively impact the very fabric of society, our way of life, well-being, and the planet itself. We are confronted daily with reports of the catastrophic effects of land-based and marine pollution, loss of biodiversity, increasing plastic waste washed up on beaches or strewn in illegal dumps, a marked rise in cases of burnout, disengagement of people in the workplace etc.
The problem we face is complex and multi-faceted.
These facts listed above, that are both as a result of and contribute to this problem, worsen the living conditions of millions, if not billions, of human beings, exacerbate climate change and are slowly destroying our planet and communities.
The purpose of this article is to bring together all these facts into one consolidated list, grouped into categories.
While reading these facts we urge you to keep in mind what Hans Rosling put forward in his book, Factfulness, which is that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a far better state than we might think. That the value in embracing an outlook based on facts, far outweighs directing anxiety about everything all the time, where we can get sidetracked from paying attention to those elements that pose the greatest risk to our wellbeing.
Air pollution :
● The main sources of the majority of today’s global greenhouse gas emissions are: manufacturing (31%), electricity (27%), agriculture (19%), transportation (16%), and buildings (7%).
● The following graph illustrates the link between the growth of fossil fuels in the world and the increase in CO2 emissions since 1800.
● In May 2020, carbon dioxide reached a record level of 417 parts per million (ppm: describes a concentration ;the number of units mass of a contaminant per million units of total mass), as measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory. As a reference point, the global amount of carbon dioxide was around 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution (mid-1700s).
● The lifestyles of the wealthiest nations and the countries with the highest GDP emit huge amounts of CO2 and methane in an uncontrolled way. This accumulated pollution is causing the earth’s temperature to rise. According to the following graph, if global emissions continue to increase at the current rate, they will cause temperatures to rise by +4.1 to +4.8°C by 2100. As it stands, we are currently at +1°C.
● One in five deaths worldwide is said to be linked to air pollution. The World Health Organisation (WHO) attributes 4.2 million deaths to outdoor air pollution or AAP (Ambient Air Pollution) in 2016 and Harvard researchers’ studies show a total of 8.7 million premature deaths as a result of air pollution in 2018.
● If we look at annual global CO2 emissions, numbers rose from 0 tonnes in 1800 to over 35 billion tonnes in 2019.
● CO2 emissions from energy and industry have increased by 60% since 1992.
● Every ton of cement creates a ton of carbon dioxide. The U.S. produces more than 96 million tons of cement a year — nearly 600 pounds per person.
● Asia is by far the largest emitter, accounting for 53% of global emissions. However, as it is home to 60% of the world’s population this means that per capita emissions in Asia are slightly lower than the world average.
Plastic pollution :
● According to figures released by National Geographic, 5,000 billion pieces of plastic are already floating in our oceans.
● 73% of the waste washed up on beaches is plastic: cigarette filters, bottles, corks, food packaging, polystyrene bags and bins.
● Plastic production increased from zero tonnes to over 7 billion tonnes in 2015 according to Our Word in Data.
● Since 2015, more than 6.9 billion tonnes of plastic waste have been produced. About 9% of this was recycled, 12% incinerated and 79% has been left to accumulate in landfills or in nature.
● Almost one million plastic bottles are sold every minute, worldwide.
● Plastic waste leads to the deaths of more than a million seabirds and over 100,000 marine mammals every year.
Marine pollution :
● Land-based sources (such as agricultural runoff, nutrient and pesticide discharges, and untreated wastewater, including plastics) are responsible for approximately 80% of the world’s marine pollution.
● Plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals, marine turtles and fish.
● Marine debris is harming more than 800 species, with 40 % of marine mammals and 44 % of our seabird species affected by the ingestion of marine debris.
● Eight million metric tons: That’s the amount of plastic we dump into the oceans every year. That’s about 17.6 billion pounds, or the equivalent of about 57,000 blue whales, annually. By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh the mass of all the fish in the ocean.
● Today, there are five giant rubbish patches in the world, and the largest — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — contains about 1.8 trillion pieces of rubbish and covers an area twice the size of Texas.
● There is an unquantifiable amount of microplastic in the ocean. The sun and the waves grind up pieces of plastic that end up being ingested by marine animals and contaminate the sea.
● In 2004, scientists identified 146 hypoxic areas (areas with such low oxygen concentrations that animal life suffocates and dies) in the world’s oceans. By 2008, this number had risen to 405. In 2017, in the Gulf of Mexico, oceanographers detected a dead zone nearly the size of New Jersey — the largest dead zone ever measured.
Biodiversity :
● An estimated 80% of the original forest that covered the Earth 8,000 years ago has been cleared, damaged or fragmented.
● Forests are disappearing at a rate of 0.8% per year, and tropical forests are disappearing at an annual rate of 4%.
● Some experts estimate that the rate of species extinction is 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate.
● A sample of 23 common farmland birds and 24 common woodland birds, monitored in 18 European countries, shows a 71% decline in numbers between 1980 and 2002.
● The IUCN, the world’s conservation organisation, considers that 1,677 species are threatened with extinction.
● According to IUCN, 36 species have become extinct in Europe as of 2015, including many freshwater fish, several other Coregonus species (a type of salmon), the freshwater mollusc Graecoanatolica macedonica (a small freshwater snail unique to Lake Dojran in Greece and North Macedonia), and Pensée de Cry, a purple flower.
And what about water? energy? fashion? food? Part two arrives next week…
Which facts did you discover? Which one did you find the most surprising? Don’t hesitate to comment and to add your sources!
