• 700,000 tons of plastic waste has been dumped in oceans globally, this year.
• Almost 5 billion of people have no sewage system globally, right now.
• There have been around 250,000 deaths from dirty water and related diseases globally, this year.
• Almost 3.4 billion people need water globally, right now.
• There have been over 60,000 deaths from air pollution in cities worldwide, this year.
• There are 52 years left to the recovery of the ozone hole.
• Around 2.8 million tons of electronic waste has been thrown out worldwide, this year.
• Around 350 billion plastic bags have been produced worldwide, this year.
• Around 150 million tons of waste has been dumped in oceans globally, this year.
• Over 1000 people have been killed from mining globally, this year.
• Less than 30% of wild forests is left globally, right now.
• Over 9000 species have gone extinct so far this year.

• 5000 people die every day due to lack of clean drinking water.
• It is estimated that there are less than 30 years left to the end of seafood.
• Over 60% of rubbish could have been recycled. So, think about what you throw in the bin!
• The percentage of wild forests left globally right now is under 30% - less than a third.
• One tonne of recycled paper can save around 20 trees.
• One million sea creatures die every year due to plastic that is dumped in the oceans.
• The USA is responsible for producing 30% of the earth’s waste and uses up 25% of the earth’s resources.
• However, the USA is at the number 2 spot of the world’s biggest producer of carbon dioxide. The top spot is held by China.

 It’s no surprise that we humans are destroying the planet that we live on, but some of these facts and figures might be surprising – and not in a good way. Here are some statistics and harsh realities on the human impact on the earth.

• Global warming is responsible for the extinction of over one million species. And it doesn’t end there: many species are endangered due to pollution and other damage caused by humans to the environment.
• We need over 1.68 planet Earths to provide the resources we need and absorb the waste we produce.
• Almost 3.7 million tons of resources have been extracted from the Earth globally this year.
• Over 147 million tons of waste has been dumped globally, this year.
• Carbon dioxide emissions don’t just have a negative impact on the air – they also affect the sea, making the pH of the seawater lower (more acidic) which in turn causes damage to marine life.
• There are over 500 million cars in the world. This figure is expected to double by the year 2030, which means that the pollution levels will also rise accordingly. This makes it increasingly important to take proactive measures to minimize pollution caused by cars. Using public transport is an easy way to decrease air pollution. If you need to travel to areas that are not easily accessible, then car-pooling is another option, as it reduced overall pollution by transporting more people per journey.
• Most of us think of the outdoors when we hear the words ‘air pollution,’ but indoor air pollution is also a threat, and is the cause of 600,000 premature deaths per year in Africa. This is primarily because the region uses biomass for indoor activities such as lighting, heating and cooking, which results in 90% of the population being exposed to this type of pollution, which is detrimental to their health.
• In Western Europe, the use of plastic is increasing by about 4% every year, and 275,000 tonnes of plastic are used every year in the UK. In general, plastic consumption is increasing around the globe, and most people throw away plastic that could be recycled. This is bad news, as it takes almost 500 years for a plastic bottle to degrade.
• One person in the UK consumes 38kg of newspapers per year. All the more reason to recycle! In fact, if we recycled every single newspaper, we would be able to save over 250 million trees per year. Of course, recycling doesn’t end with paper. Many people might not think that they can make a difference, but if everyone recycled their paper, plastics, aluminium and glass, they would not only help to save trees and marine life, but also to conserve energy and therefore create less greenhouse gases which cause global warming.
• One person in the USA produced 2kg of rubbish per day. That’s 730kg per year!
• On the other hand, there are people who recycle their rubbish. In fact, in 2010, composting and recycling prevented 85 million tons of rubbish from being dumped.
• One of the biggest problems in West Asia is the scarcity of renewable water resources, which results in the inability to produce enough food to supply the population’s needs. Only four out of twelve countries in the region are above the water scarcity threshold of 1000 cubic metres per person per year.
• Ice in the Arctic sea is melting as a result of global warming. In fact, Arctic sea ice coverage has decreased by around 4% every decade since 1979.
• One of the effects of melting Arctic ice and glaciers is the rise of sea levels, by 3.4mm per year, representing the fastest rise for more than 2000 years.
• Earth Overshoot Day is the day of the year when humanity’s consumption outstrips the earth’s production of resources. This day is shifting every year, and taking place earlier and earlier. This year, we consumed all of the earth’s 2017 resources on the 2^nd In the year 2000, it was in October.