Facts about the Environment that will Keep You Up At Night

8 Facts about the Environment that will Keep You Up At Night 

We find ourselves here once again, with another Busy Bins blog that may keep you at night, but for all the wrong reasons this time!

We have interesting facts, environmental facts, scary facts, all the facts you can get your hands on.

These facts will keep you turning and tossing more then Gordon Ramsey making a salad. From the jaw-dropping statistics that will leave you wondering, to the urgent challenges that demand our attention.

Prepare to be shocked, surprised, and a little bit scared, as we uncover the fascinating facts about our planet's health and the roles we all play!

Fact 1: In the last 500 years, human activity is known to have forced 869 species to extinction 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/extinct-species

Scientists don't know how many species of plants, animals, fungi and bacteria exist on Earth but...human activities impact on nature is staggering. Over the last 500 years, 869 species have been driven to extinction due to our actions. This loss of life disrupts ecosystems and threatens the delicate balance of life on Earth. 

Humans cause other species to become extinct by hunting, overharvesting, introducing invasive species to the wild, polluting, and changing wetlands and forests to croplands and urban areas. Even the rapid growth of the human population is causing extinction by ruining natural habitats.

We really are Natures Most Dangerous Animal!

Fact 2: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains between 1.1 to 3.6 trillion pieces of plastic

https://eradicateplastic.com/10-interesting-facts-about-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/

It is said that plastic takes over 1 million years to decompose.

The enormity of plastic pollution is showcased by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirling mass of plastic debris in our oceans. With an estimated 1.1 to 3.6 trillion pieces of plastic, this patch shows the urgent need to address plastic waste and its devastating effects on marine life. 

In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that ocean-based sources, such as cargo ships and cruise liners had dumped 14 billion pounds of garbage into the ocean. 

It is estimated to roughly be 3 TIMES the size of FRANCE. Just think how many fishing nets, bags and other plastic items there must be.

Is the cost of the ocean really worth it for some plastic?

Fact 3: In the past 40 years, around 20 percent of the Amazon jungle has been wiped out

https://greentumble.com/amazon-rainforest-deforestation-facts#:~:text=In+the+past+40+years,years+since+European+colonization+began. 

The Amazon rainforest, often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth," has faced significant loss. Over the past 40 years, a troubling 20% of this ecosystem has been destroyed, highlighting the ongoing challenge of deforestation and its impact on global climate patterns.

What would happen if we lost 100% of the Amazon? 

• Floods would be more frequent - With no rain forest, there would be zero rain cover, which means less trees to absorb water. Floods would be inevitable. 
• Climate Change would speed up - The millions of trees growing here absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. The Amazon helps to dilute the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, so this is why they are called the 'Lungs of the Earth'. Without the rain forest, climate change would undoubtedly speed up. 
• More fires in Amazon countries - Sao Paulo experienced an hour of complete darkness in 2019, due to the smoke coming from an Amazon rain-forest fire. More fires will occur due to deforestation. As more trees are chopped down this leaves open areas for fires to engulf vegetation and plants. 
• Poverty - With local workers relying on the Amazon for a source of income, the loss of it would devastate families and life.
• More species will be lost forever -  On average, 1 new species is discovered every day in the amazon. If we lost the Amazon, many animals would die before we even come to know of them.

Do we need to do more to protect our Amazon?

Fact 4:  United Nations predicts that within the next 10 years, 50 million people in the drylands will be displaced due to desertification.

https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-about-desertification/#:~:text=Today%2C+the+rate+of+degradation,fertile%2C+food+insecurity+subsequently+rises. 

Desertification, driven by climate change and unsustainable land use, threatens to displace 50 million people from drylands within the next decade, according to the United Nations. There are a number of factors that can cause desertification. 

Around 2 billion people rely on and live in dryland areas. This overpopulation can actually impact the soil in the area making it unusable. 

One way to combat desertification is to stop overgrazing and unsustainable farming, Then if we look to plant trees and plants that don't guzzle water, you can start looking at more efficient water and land management techniques, such as: Harvesting water from rainfall or reusing water. 

It is drier then Ghandis' flip flop out there!

Fact 5: An estimated 25% of coral reefs have already disappeared and an estimated two-thirds of all coral reefs are at risk today

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2011/06/13/losing-our-coral-reefs/

Just think of Coral reefs like bustling underwater cities built by tiny animals called coral polyps. These animals work together to create colorful and rocky homes that provide shelter and food for lots of sea creatures, just like how a big apartment can have many different families living in it.

The rapid decline of coral reefs is a grim reality. Already, 25% of coral reefs have vanished, and two-thirds of the remaining reefs are at risk. This loss diminishes marine biodiversity and the vital services these ecosystems provide.

The main threats come from over-fishing and damaging fishing techniques. Pollution from trash and chemicals can also make the water dirty and hurt the corals. Also, when the ocean gets too warm because of climate change, the corals get stressed and turn white, which is called "coral bleaching."

All these things are giving the reefs a hard time and making it tough for them to stay healthy. 

We need to be kinder to our oceans and stop doing things that hurt the corals so they can grow and thrive again!

Fact 6: Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV 

Pollution's widespread impact on human health is staggering, affecting over 100 million people globally. Comparable to major diseases like malaria and HIV, pollution emphasises the urgent need for cleaner environments and sustainable practices. 

While children make up 10% of the world’s population, over 40% of the global burden of diseases fall on them. More than 3 million children under age five die annually from environmental factors such as: Air Pollution and Water Pollution. 

It is not just humans that pollution harms though....Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed just by ocean pollution alone every year. 

If this isn't a wake up call to everyone, we don't know what is!

As Helen Lovejoy from the Simpsons would say...'Just think of the children'

Fact 7: According to NASA, the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate of 9% per decade. The thickness of the Arctic Ice has decreased by 40% since the 1960s.

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3122/five-facts-to-help-you-understand-sea-ice/#:~:text=More+than+70+percent+of,to+wind+and+atmospheric+conditions. 

The polar ice caps alarming rate of melt, with a 9% decrease per decade, points to the ongoing effects of climate change. NASA's findings, including a 40% reduction in Arctic ice thickness since the 1960s, highlights the need for global climate action.

If glaciers keep melting at this rate, it would have serious effects on the sea level and the polar ecosystem. The loss of these ice caps would contribute to rising sea levels, as when the ice caps melt, they eventually end up in the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. 

These ice caps also act as a water shield, this stops the suns rays from heating up the ocean and the global temperature.

How can we stop these alarming rates of melting?

Fact 8: In 2022 there were over 389,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers, totalling over 2.4 million hours of pollution.

https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/

The alarming release of untreated sewage into UK rivers, totalling over 2.4 million hours of pollution from 389,000 discharges in 2022, showcases the negative impact of pollution on water quality and ecosystems. Addressing this issue is crucial for safeguarding both human health and the environment.

It is said that 75% of UK Rivers pose a serious risk to human health. Approximately 40% of the lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming & each year 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are dumped into US water.

UK and US rivers have turned into sewage speedways. Move over, speedboats, sewage is the new champion of water pollution racing.

Remember, while these facts might induce a nervous chuckle, they also highlights the pressing need for serious action to protect our environment and secure a sustainable future.

3 Positive Facts to help you get a little bit of shuteye 

It is not all doom and gloom!

Oh no, there will always be people and companies out there who try to do right by the planet and its people by creating incentives or schemes that can positively affect us and the next generation!

1. World Biggest Beach Clean Up - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/30/mumbai-beach-goes-from-dump-to-turtle-hatchery-in-two-years - Over in Mumbai, the worlds biggest beach clean up took place, where it took volunteers over 2 YEARS to transform the plastic ridden sand trap to a bustling coastline. Since the clean up, over 80 turtles have been spotted floating around. The team have cleaned 13 million kgs of debris from the beach in the past two years and are still going strong to this day! 
2. Cheap Public Transport in Germany to Reduce Pollution - The Germans get most things right (Let's not talk about the thing they got horribly wrong!) One of the things they have got spot on, is their public transport. Germany have specifically made public transport cheap to help reduce pollution and attract people away from using their cars to travel to the corner shop (We all do it!). It is not only encouraging you to use public transport, it encourages you to stay active from the extra steps you will notch up walking to and from public transport destinations. It's a win-win – less pollution, less stress.
3. The Great Ocean Clean-up - This company understands the importance of what our planet is and what we need to do to combat big corporations dumping plastics and debris into the ocean. The Great Ocean Clean-up was created by a scuba diver who, whilst on holiday in Greece, noticed the sheer amount of plastic that was piled up in the ocean. So he decided to take action. Thus The Ocean Clean-up was born.

Here are some facts about The Ocean Clean-up:

• The Ocean Clean-up is an initiative founded and lead by Boyan Slat. In 2013 Slat founded the non-profit organisation ‘The Ocean Cleanup’.
• Thanks to crowdfunding and donations from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, The Ocean Clean-up raised over $31.5 million USD to launch the biggest ocean clean-up in history.
• The Ocean Clean-up is developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.
• Their aim is to have removed 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040 which we all know how beneficial to the environment this would be.

So there you have it! 8 facts about our planet, that we hope have been eye-opening, interesting and has got your brain thinking!

These 8 interesting facts about the environment, shed light on the challenges that we are all facing! From our rain-forests to our waters. We need to protect the environment and take adequate steps to combat environmental issues together. Saving the planet is serious business but that doesn't mean that we can't have a laugh along the way. 

So stay green, stay curious, keep asking questions and may your recycling bin always be full!