News of varying environmental issues comes across our screens everyday. Because the environment is ever-changing and our impact on it is ever-evolving, it’s hard to keep up with where we stand with many of these environmental issues. Here’s a breakdown of the state of our environment in 2020.
Climate Change
2019 was .95 degrees celsius warmer than the 20th century average
Atmospheric carbon concentrations are at an all time high
19 of the 20 warmest years have all occurred since 2001
Arctic sea ice is declining at a rate of 12.85% per decade
Sea levels are steadily rising, with each inch of sea-level rise moving the ocean 50 to 100 inches inland
Indonesia is having to move its capital city because the current one is sinking
The U.N. says the world is on track for up to 3.9 degrees celsius warming by 2100
In 2018, just 15% of world energy consumption is from renewable energy
This past January was the warmest on record, putting 2020 on track to be one of the top 10 warmest years in history
This warming is increasing storm intensity and making weather patterns more variable
Deforestation
The world is losing an area of forest the size of the UK every year
17% of the Amazon has been destroyed in the past 50 years
Cattle ranching and soy production are the two largest contributors to deforestation in the Amazon
In tropical and subtropical countries, 73% of deforestation is linked to agriculture
Soy producing countries are rapidly being deforested, mostly to grow soy for livestock
Deforestation is the second largest source of human carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere
Stopping deforestation could have the same carbon impact as removing all cars off earth
Biodiversity Loss
Average wildlife populations have dropped by 60% over the past 40 years
Nearly two dozen species were declared extinct in 2019, but the total number of species lost was probably in the thousands
Over half of the worlds biodiversity is gone, and this percentage is continuing to rise
Increased temperatures from climate change will hurt biodiversity
Water Scarcity
Water scarcity impacts one in three people
One in nine people lack access to safe water
60% of water used in agriculture is wasted due to leaky irrigation
Have of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed since 1990
Plastic Pollution
8 million pieces of plastic find their way into our oceans every day
12.7 million tons of plastic enters the ocean each year
7.9% of the 8.3 billion tons of plastic that has been produced since 1950s has ended up in landfills or oceans
Drink companies produce 500 billion single-use plastic bottles annually
Starbucks produces 4 billion disposable coffee cups each year
So, what can you do?
Vote, protest, call your politicians, and be generally politically active
Vote with your dollars each and every day
Write and call environmentally unsustainable companies and encourage them to change their policies
Eat less meat
Carry around a zero waste kit to avoid creating waste on the go
Buy used items when possible
Kayla Guilliams
is the blog manager for Zero Waste Club, combining her love for writing with her passion for all things environmental sustainability. She is currently a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is studying journalism, environmental studies, and food studies in hopes of building a career in environmental activism. You can find her on Instagram as @kaylaguilliams.