Discover the key challenges and discoveries about Earth as scientists warn about our planet’s future. Let’s begin with:
Greenhouse gases now at a 4.5 million-year high
Greenhouse gas levels have reached their highest point in 4.5 million years, largely due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels. This sharp increase is driving global warming, causing severe impacts on ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable practices and reducing emissions.
Climate change will destroy wealth
Climate change is a serious threat to global wealth, affecting ecosystems, economies, and infrastructure. Extreme weather, rising sea levels, and disruptions to agriculture can cause significant economic losses. If you don’t own a mansion now, your chances of getting one could diminish further if current trends continue.
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Climate change has increased suicide rates
Rising global temperatures could lead to an increase in suicide rates. A study in *Nature* found that for each 1°C rise in temperature, suicide rates increased by 0.7% in the US and 2.1% in Mexico. If temperatures keep rising, there could be an additional 9,000 to 40,000 suicides in these countries alone by 2050.
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People still believe the climate-denying media
One of the most alarming aspects is that many people in the world’s most powerful country are influenced by climate-denying rhetoric often promoted on TV channels like Fox News. For instance, host Brian Kilmeade has suggested that man-made climate change is merely a matter of opinion or that all scientific consensus is incorrect. This kind of misinformation is deeply concerning.
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Truck loads of plastics are dumped into the ocean every minute
According to UN Environment, there are 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile of ocean. Plastic pollution has even reached the deepest parts of the ocean and Antarctica, and recent findings of plastic in human feces confirm that it has entered the food chain.
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The soil is dying
A quarter of the Earth’s surface, land that could feed 1.5 billion people, has already been lost due to erosion, deforestation, and poor farming practices. We have only about 60 years of harvests left before the world’s soils may no longer support life. We need to take action now if we have any chance of reversing this trend.
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The sunniest places are “unsuitable” for solar
It’s surprising that a senior executive at Malaysia’s national electricity company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, claimed Malaysia is “not suitable” for renewable energy due to its rainy season. Given that Malaysia is near the equator and experiences year-round sunshine—twice as much as Northern Europe—this reasoning seems questionable.
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‘Green coal’
A troubling notion gaining traction among Asia’s pro-coal advocates is that coal can be considered “green.” Some major industrial plants in Indonesia are promoting the false idea that coal can be sustainable if burned in small amounts. This is incorrect, as coal is the largest fossil fuel contributor to greenhouse gases globally.
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The planet has seen 20,000 years of change in 170
In just 170 years, Earth has experienced changes that would normally take 20,000 years. Human activities, particularly industrialization, have sped up climate change, leading to unprecedented shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and ecosystems. This rapid transformation highlights the urgent need for effective climate action and environmental stewardship.
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The hottest month ever recorded was July 2021
July 2021 was recorded as Earth’s hottest month ever. Extreme heatwaves affected the globe, turning deserts and cities into sweltering zones. This intense heat underscores the urgent need to tackle and address climate change.
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Planting trees isn’t enough
Planting new forests is a noble and regenerative effort, but to absorb enough carbon emissions to reach ‘net zero’ by 2050, we would need 1.6 billion hectares of new forests. This is five times the size of India or more than all the farmland in the world, according to Oxfam.
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Famartin via Wikipedia Commons
Antarctica had t-shirt temperatures in 2020
That’s indeed troubling. In February 2020, a research base in Antarctica recorded a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly a full degree higher than the previous record set five years earlier. This increase is particularly concerning for wildlife that depend on snow and icecaps for survival.
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Our planet faces warming
Climate change is affecting every corner of the globe. In 2020, record temperatures were recorded in numerous countries, including Belarus, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine, as well as Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Seychelles. Additionally, the town of Blenheim, New Zealand, experienced a record-breaking 64-day dry spell.
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Dangerous diseases are coming
Climate change is speeding up the spread of infectious diseases like dengue fever and malaria by creating conditions in new regions where these diseases can thrive. According to medical experts at *The Lancet*, dengue fever had expanded by as much as 15% compared to a 1950s baseline by 2018.
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Melting icecaps may release ancient pathogens
In addition to the rise of known diseases, scientists are concerned that melting icecaps could release ancient pathogens that have been preserved for centuries. Our modern immune systems might not recognize these pathogens, potentially leading to widespread outbreaks of new infectious diseases.
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Climate change results in extreme weather events
Climate change drives extreme weather events, making hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and heatwaves more intense. Increased temperatures and changed atmospheric patterns heighten the frequency and severity of these disasters, threatening communities, ecosystems, and global stability. Immediate action to mitigate climate change is crucial to manage these growing risks.
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Deaths from heatwaves are up
Blistering temperatures are proving deadly, with *The Lancet* reporting a 53.7% increase in heat-related deaths among people over 65 in the past 20 years. In 2018 alone, this resulted in 296,000 premature deaths worldwide, which is enough to fill Fenway Park eight times over.
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75 million children suffer from food insecurity
In 2020, at least 155 million people—nearly half the population of the US—were pushed into acute food insecurity due to extreme weather, conflict, and economic shocks, according to the World Food Programme. This included over 75 million children under five who showed signs of stunted growth.
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Production of plastic is up
Plastic production and use are expected to double in the next 20 years and quadruple by the early 2050s. Each year, 17 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic, and 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean, according to the UN. Consider this impact the next time you forget your reusable water bottle.
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Around a million species are at risk
A staggering 40% of all known amphibian species, about 3,200, are under threat due to human activities, according to the UN. Climate change, pollution, deforestation, overfishing, development, and invasive species are all endangering biodiversity.
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Fires are worse and more frequent
Wildfires are burning longer and spreading farther than ever before, from Australia to California and Greece. According to the United Nations, these fires devastated about 30 million acres of land between 2018 and 2020—over 100 times the size of New York City.
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Deserts are growing fast
Each year, over 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification, land degradation, and drought, according to the UN—an area equal to all of Germany’s arable land. While some may enjoy vacations in the desert, it won’t be as appealing when your favorite ski resort is buried in sand.
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In 70 years, homes of 200 million people will be below sea level
By the end of this century, 200 million people worldwide could live below the tideline if sea levels continue to rise. Since 1900, sea levels have increased by 178mm (7 inches) and are currently rising by 3.4mm each year. In 2020, sea levels reached record heights for the ninth consecutive year. China, Bangladesh, and India are especially vulnerable to this ongoing threat.
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Antarctica loses an Everest of ice yearly
Antarctica is losing 151 billion tonnes of ice each year, which is about the same weight as Mount Everest. Considering how many animals depend on this ice for survival, it’s alarming to realize how quickly we are causing it to disappear.
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Frank K via Wikimedia Commons
Spring comes earlier
While we enjoy seeing cold winters give way to new life, an early spring signals something more troubling. Nature is struggling to keep up with the earlier springs and later autumns caused by rising temperatures. In the UK, the pedunculate oak’s ‘first leaf’ date was 10 days earlier in 2020 than the average for 2000–09.
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UK rain is rising
The UK is experiencing more extreme weather events as the climate changes. This summer, London saw 48% more rainfall than the city’s long-term average. Last year was the UK’s fifth wettest since 1862, with 116% of the 1981–2010 average and 122% of the 1961–1990 average rainfall. Similar patterns are being observed worldwide, including in the US, so it’s a good idea to keep an umbrella handy!
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Coastal erosion stats are astounding
From permafrost thaws causing cliff collapses in Alaska to rising seas and reduced sediment flow in the Mississippi, a staggering football field-sized area of land is lost every hour from the Louisiana coast. The combination of a warming climate, extreme storms, sea level rise, and human activities is literally eroding the ground beneath our feet.
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One-third of the planet’s most precious habitats are currently under threat
Vulnerable ecosystems are increasingly at risk due to climate change. Of the 252 natural World Heritage sites, 83 are under threat, including Brazil’s Pantanal Conservation Area and South Africa’s Cape Floral Region Protected Areas. Climate change is causing these beautiful and historically significant natural wonders to vanish.
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The Great Barrier Reef suffered an apocalypse
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has lost an estimated half of its corals since the 1990s due to sustained rises in ocean temperatures, which have caused widespread bleaching. What was once an underwater rainbow is now a stark reminder of the damage we are inflicting on our planet.
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dmitry brant via wiki commons
The rich aren’t so green
Between 1990 and 2015, the richest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for over twice as much carbon emissions as the poorest 50%, according to Oxfam. The estimated average carbon footprint of the wealthiest 1% could be up to 175 times larger than that of someone in the poorest 10%.
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Global temperatures are expected to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next 20 years
In the next two decades, global temperatures are expected to rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a crucial threshold associated with severe climate impacts. If warming continues unchecked, it will increase the risks of extreme weather, sea level rise, and loss of biodiversity, highlighting the urgent need for strong climate action.
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Our extinction rate is 1,000 times the natural rate
Our current extinction rate is 1,000 times the natural pace, driven by human activities, habitat destruction, and climate change. This unprecedented loss of biodiversity threatens ecosystems, food security, and the balance of our planet, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts and sustainable practices to address this alarming trend.
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Climate change is happening
Most of the global warming caused by previous generations is already irreversible. However, we can still make a difference. Climate models indicate that to limit temperatures to 1.5°C by the end of the century, we need to remove 6 billion tons of CO2 annually by 2050 and achieve rapid emissions reductions.
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World leaders aren’t taking it seriously
The United States is known for its influential fossil fuel lobbyists, who outspend green lobbyists by 10 to 1, and for its former president’s alarming views, such as claiming climate change is a China-made hoax and that polar bears are thriving. It is crucial for world leaders to prioritize climate change reduction and invest in a greener future.
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Carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere are higher than at any point in human history
The atmosphere now contains more carbon dioxide than ever before, mainly due to industrial activities and deforestation. This increase enhances the greenhouse effect, driving climate change. Urgent global action is essential to cut emissions, protect ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable future for our planet.
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The remaining carbon budget is small
Scientists say the remaining carbon budget to limit global heating to 1.5°C is now “tiny,” signaling a “dire” message about the current state of climate action. This is particularly concerning because if the planet becomes uninhabitable by 2050, there will be no resources left to invest in other priorities.
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Humans influenced two-thirds of extreme weather events in the past 20 years
Carbon Brief, a UK-based climate science website, analyzed data from 400 studies on “extreme event attribution” and found that 71% of extreme weather events in the past 20 years were intensified or made more likely by human-caused climate change. This includes 93% of extreme heatwaves.
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Sea levels are rising much faster than before
Global average sea levels have risen eight to nine inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. By 2022, sea levels reached a new record high—101.2 mm (4 inches) above 1993 levels. If trends continue, you might soon be able to sail to the summit of Everest, which would certainly defeat the purpose of climbing it.
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Ambareesh Sridhar Photography via pexels
Average wildlife populations have declined by 60% in just over 40 years
According to WWF’s Living Planet Report (LPR) 2022, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish have experienced an average decline of 69% since 1970. While it may seem like a joke that future generations might not know what a giraffe or elephant is, this could become a grim reality if current trends continue.
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In 80 years, cities like Shanghai, Bangkok, Manila, and Jakarta will become scuba-diving destinations
By 2100, cities such as London, Shanghai, Bangkok, Houston, Miami, Osaka, Jakarta, Manila, Dhaka, Venice, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and Lagos could become scuba-diving destinations for disaster tourists. Even more concerning, these cities are growing rapidly, with 60% of humanity expected to live in urban areas by 2030.
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