Do You Know Your Green World?

World Environment Day, or WED, is an United Nations-sponsored World Environment Day. Held annually during the week of June 5, the event is commemorated with an international exposition hosted in a different city each year. Started in 1972, the goal of WED is to encourage awareness of environmental issues and spark public and political action.

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Based on studies of the fossil record, Paleontologists estimate the "background" extinction rate (rate of extinction without the presence of humans), to be between one and 10 species per year, per million present at the time.

However, many scientists believe that the extinction rate could now be as high as 100 to 10,000 species per year (adjusting for an estimated 10 million species on earth). The increase is attributed to loss of habitat, global warming, and diminished resources.

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The United States is responsible for 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions, pumping an average of 6.049 billion metric tons into the atmosphere every year. China, with 18% or 5 billion tons, and the European Union, with 14% or 4 billion tons aren't too far behind.

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Most scientists agree that between the 1899-1901 and 1999-2001 measurement periods, the average global temperature has risen from 13.88 degrees Celsius to 14.44 degrees, representing a 0.56 degree increase. It might not seem like a lot, but the change is alarming for a few reasons. Most worrying is that the rate of increase has climbed dramatically in the last two decades, suggesting that the future will bring radically warmer temperatures.

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The NRDC estimates that the cost from just four things— hurricane damage, real estate losses, energy costs, and water costs—impacted by global warming could cost the United States $1.9 trillion annually by 2100.

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Most estimates place the number of bicycles in the world between 1 billion and 1.5 billion. Compared to the global population, which now exceeds 6.5 billion, this doesn't seem like a lot. Still, it's more than twice the number of passenger vehicles, which still hovers around 500 million. While cheap cars being manufactured in India threaten to shift this ratio, several projects are also underway to bring pedal power to even more people.

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Current models show half the world's population living in areas of "acute water shortage" by 2030. Even today, access to potable water is a significant issue. In May 2009, more than 50 acts of violence over water were reported. Experts believe that using 2.5 gallons per person per day is sustainable for the world but Americans use an average of 100 gallons per day. Clearly, something must be done if we are going to avoid a "Peak Water" scenario.

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Worldwide, 284 million tons of meat is produced annually. This has increased dramatically from the 71 million tons produced in 1961. Global meat consumption has exploded due to increased affluence and the spread of industrialized production and some experts believe that consumption will double again by 2050.

So what does this mean for the environment? Producing meat requires 16 times more energy than the same weight of rice and vegetables and generates 24 times the emissions.

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Since the 1950s, global annual consumption of plastic materials has increased from 5 million tons to nearly 100 million tons. Americans alone throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year. It's true that plastic is used in a wide range of applications, from medical technology to electronics, housewares to transportation. Still, 35% of all plastic is used for packaging purposes.

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Though environmental problems are global in reach and daunting in their severity, it's important to remember that there is still some time to effect change. Biking to work instead of driving, avoiding meat on a regular basis, and doing what you can to reduce water consumption are all ways to act locally that can have a global impact.

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Why to Go Green
How to Go Green: Back to Basics
Global Warming: Technology vs. Choice
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