Some disturbing facts concerning global resources

Direct citation from the Website of Sustainable Tourism

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:

  • Although the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas recycles its water – it still uses 12 million litres of water per year in a water scarce region
  • Buying local could achieve a 4-5% reduction in GHG emissions due to large sources of C02 and non C02 emissions during the production of food
  • The average Canadian household used 326 liters of water per day….a village of 700 in a developing country uses an average of 500 litres of water per month AND a luxury hotel room guest uses 1800 litres of water per person per night…
  • The average person in the UK uses approximately 150 litres of water per day – 3 times that of a local village in Asia
  • A species of animal or plant life disappears at a rate of one every three minutes
  • 70% of marine mammals are threatened
  • The Western world (with 17% of the worlds’ population) currently consumes 52% of total global energy.
  • 1 acre of trees absorbes 2. 6tonnes of CO2 per year
  • 58% of the worlds coral reefs are at risk. 2010 was the warmest year on record
  • Seawater is expected to rise 70 cm in the next 10 years
  • By 2050 climate change could have directly led to the extinction of 30% of species, the death of 90% of coral reefs and the loss of half the Amazon rainforest.
  • Since 1970 a third of the natural world has been destroyed by human activity
  • Half the world’s population lives in urban areas and this figure is expected to increase. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 76% of the population live in urban areas
  • 10% of the worlds coral reefs are in the Caribbean – most under threat
  • By 2036, there will be 1200 million cars on earth – double the amount today
  • A European uses 14x more energy than someone living in India
  • For every 1 degree rise in temperature above 34 degrees Celsius, yields of rice, maize and wheat in tropical areas could drop by 10%
  • Every day we dump 90 million tons of carbon pollution into our atmosphere
  • Although 70% of the earth’s surface is water, only 3% is potable

Max A.E. Rossberg

Max A. E. Rossberg is an avid WIlderness Advocates with extensive experience in Project Manager.

Max A.E. Rossberg has 407 posts and counting. See all posts by Max A.E. Rossberg

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