| There is more carbon dioxide in the air than ever before in human history |
Climate change |
| From 2030-2050, climate change will cause 250,000 deaths a year |
|
| If not stopped, global temperatures may reach tipping point in 2030 |
|
| The 20 warmest years on record were all since 1997 |
|
| Indonesia is moving its capital city because of climate change |
|
| 15 billion batteries a year end up in landfill sites |
Recycling |
| 9.5 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year in the UK |
|
| Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees |
|
| Only 75% of aluminium drink cans are recycled in the UK |
|
| There is no limit to the amount of times glass can be recycled |
|
| One wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power 1,400 homes |
Clean energy |
| Just over a third of the UK's energy comes from renewable sources |
|
| Solar panels on the moon could supply all of the energy we need |
|
| Hydropower currently produces around 17% of the world’s electricity |
|
| The US generates the most geothermal energy |
|
| A 5-minute shower uses about 50 litres of water |
Sustainability |
| A bath can use up to 180 litres of water |
|
| Agricultural emissions could be reduced by 70% if we all became vegan |
|
| Mobile phones contain 30 times more gold per gram than gold ore |
|
| Batteries produce 50 times less energy than they take to make |
|
| 80% of ocean pollution comes from the land |
Ocean pollution |
| There is more plastic in our oceans than stars in our galaxy |
|
| Every year, 100,000 sea mammals are killed by ocean pollution |
|
| There is six times as much plastic in the oceans than there is plankton |
|
| Noise pollution from ships causes cellular damage to invertebrates |
|
| Air pollution causes 36,000 deaths in the UK a year |
Air pollution |
| Diesel exhaust fumes cause cancer |
|
| Having plants inside your home helps to reduce air pollutants |
|
| 92% of us live in places where air pollution exceeds safe limits |
|
| Air pollution kills more people than smoking does |
|
| An area of foret the size of a football pitch is cut down every second |
Deforestation |
| If deforestation continues at current rates, they will be gone in 100 years |
|
| Most forest is cut down to make way for farms |
|
| Half the word's plants and animals live in rainforests |
|
| The Amazon rainforest produces 6% of the world's oxygen |
|
| There are several hundred international environmental agreements |
Treaties |
| The Montreal Protocol was finalised in 1987 to protect the ozone layer |
|
| The Madrid Protocal makes Antarctica a natural reserve |
|
| 2nd worst polluter, the US, withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement |
|
| Japan, Iceland and Norway all hunt whales despite its ban in 1986 |
|
| Rachel Carson highlighted the dangers of chemical pollution in 1962 |
Activists |
| James Lovelock came up with his Gaia Theory in the 1960s |
|
| Jane Goodall is famous for her work to conserve wild chimpanzees |
|
| Greta Thunberg is known for leading protests against global warming |
|
| Extinction Rebellion makes non-violent protest against climate change |
|
| Populations of vertebrates have more than halved since 1970 |
Extinction |
| Species are dying off 1,000 faster than they did before humans arrived |
|
| 50% of species may be extinct by the end of the century |
|
| 40% of amphibians are in danger of extinction |
|
| Humans are causing a 6th mass extinction. Dinosaurs died in the 5th |
|
