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It's the duty of every human on Earth to read the new IPEBS Biodiversity Report, which paints a beyond-grim picture.
Over 1,000,000 species are threatened, w/ extinction rates at 10s to 100s of times higher than they have been in the past 10 million yrs.
nytimes.com/2019/05/06/cli…
Over 1,000,000 species are threatened, w/ extinction rates at 10s to 100s of times higher than they have been in the past 10 million yrs.
nytimes.com/2019/05/06/cli…
Direct link to IPBES Media Release: ipbes.net/news/Media-Rel…
Key facts:
75%: terrestrial environment “severely altered” to date by human actions (marine environments 66%).
15%: increase in global per capita consumption of materials since 1980.
Key facts:
75%: terrestrial environment “severely altered” to date by human actions (marine environments 66%).
15%: increase in global per capita consumption of materials since 1980.
>85%: of wetlands present in 1700 had been lost by 2000 – loss of wetlands is currently three times faster, in percentage terms, than forest loss.
+/-10%: tentative estimate of proportion of insect species threatened with extinction.
+/-10%: tentative estimate of proportion of insect species threatened with extinction.
>500,000 (+/-9%): share of the world’s estimated 5.9 million terrestrial species with insufficient habitat for long term survival without habitat restoration.
Almost 33%: reef forming corals, sharks and shark relatives, and >33% marine mammals threatened with extinction.
Almost 33%: reef forming corals, sharks and shark relatives, and >33% marine mammals threatened with extinction.
300%: increase in food crop production since 1970.
100-300 million: people in coastal areas at increased risk due to loss of coastal habitat protection
+/-50%: live coral cover of reefs lost since 1870s
100-300 million: people in coastal areas at increased risk due to loss of coastal habitat protection
+/-50%: live coral cover of reefs lost since 1870s
290 million ha (+/-6%): native forest cover lost from 1990-2015 due to clearing and wood harvesting.
68%: global forest area today compared with the estimated pre-industrial level.
68%: global forest area today compared with the estimated pre-industrial level.
US$345 billion: global subsidies for fossil fuels resulting in US$5 trillion in overall costs, including nature deterioration externalities; coal accounts for 52% of post-tax subsidies, petroleum for +/-33% and natural gas for +/-10%.
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70%: proportion of cancer drugs that are natural or synthetic products inspired by nature.
>80%: global wastewater discharged untreated into the environment.
>80%: global wastewater discharged untreated into the environment.
300-400 million tons: heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other wastes from industrial facilities dumped annually into the world’s waters.
10 times: increase in plastic pollution since 1980.
+/-821 million: people face food insecurity in Asia and Africa.
10 times: increase in plastic pollution since 1980.
+/-821 million: people face food insecurity in Asia and Africa.
1 degree Celsius: average global temperature difference in 2017 compared to pre-industrial levels, rising +/-0.2 (+/-0.1) degrees Celsius per decade.
16-21 cm: rise in global average sea level since 1900.
16-21 cm: rise in global average sea level since 1900.
5%: estimated fraction of species at risk of extinction from 2°C warming alone, rising to 16% at 4.3°C warming.
