engl 23 final
climate impact of unsafe cooking practices
"3 billion people cook over open fires or on rudimentary stoves. The cooking fuels used by 40 percent of humanity are wood, charcoal, animal dung, crop residues, and coal. As these burn, often inside homes or in areas with limited ventilation, they release plumes of smoke and soot liable for 4.3 million premature deaths each year. Traditional cooking practices also produce 2 to 5 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions worldwide."
hidden expenses that go into producing food
"A $5 Big Mac would cost $13 if the retail price included hidden expenses that meat producers offload onto society. Animal food producers impose $414 billion in hidden costs on American society yearly. These are the bills for healthcare, subsidies, environmental damage, and other items related to producing and consuming meat and dairy. That means that each time McDonald's sells a Big Mac, the rest of us pay $8 in hidden costs."
impact of animal agriculture
"Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean "dead zones," and virtually every other environmental ill.
describe the flooding in bangladesh
"Each year in Bangladesh ...10,000...square miles...(around 18% of the country) is flooded, killing over 5,000 people and destroying more than seven million homes." "During severe floods the affected area may exceed 75% of the country" of Bangladesh. "30 million people were made homeless." "Climate experts predict that by 2050, rising sea levels will submerge some 17 percent of...[ Bangladesh's]...land and displace about 20 million people.
nationalities of people trying to cross the southern border into america
"In 2011, 86 percent of people arrested trying to cross [the southern border into the United States] were from Mexico; in 2019, 81 percent were [not surprisingly, if you are familiar with what is happening in the Dry Corridor) from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador."
africa's main oil producer and its per capita income
"Nigeria is Africa's main oil producer...The petroleum industry accounts ...for almost 90 percent of all export value" in Nigeria. However, this does not at all translate into wealth for the Nigerian people, where the per capita income is under $2400 (US dollars) per year.
what percentage of people around the world without access to power lives in India.
"One out of every five people around the world without access to power lives in India."
health and emissions impacts of coal mining
"The rate of fatal injuries in the coal mining industry...[is]...nearly six times the rate for all private industry." ... it is the seventh most dangerous job in America. In addition, there are range of other health related problems associated with this industry, such as heart and lung disease.; "[i]n 2018, methane emissions from coal mining and abandoned coal mines accounted for about 11% of total U.S. methane emissions."
US landfills emit ___?____ kg CO2e per person per year
"US landfills emit 1,300 kg [i.e. 1.3 metric tons] CO2e per person per year
what percentage of overall water consumption does doing laundry take up in a typical american household
"Washing laundry is a significant use of water in the average home; accounting for 15% to 40% of the overall water consumption inside the typical household of four persons."
what fraction of ghg emissions are due to food production, and what fraction of that is due to livestock (cows)
"[a]bout 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to food production, and about 1/2 of this (15% of global emissions) is due to livestock, mainly cows."
"[t]he average American diet emits ___?____ kg CO2e per year,"
"[t]he average American diet emits 2,900 kg CO2e per year,"
how many kg of co2 does the avg american buying new stuff every year emit
"each dollar spent on new stuff represents roughly 0.5 kg embodied CO2e emissions (counting manufacturing, packaging, and shipping)." As "[t]he average US person spends a little over $6,000 per year on new stuff...average emissions are something like 3,000 kg CO2e," which translates into three metric tons per American
what would happen if humans consumed the crops [i.e. corn and soybeans] instead of feeding them to animals
"if humans consumed the crops [i.e. corn and soybeans] instead of feeding them to animals, the world supply would be enriched by approximately 70 percent more food, which would adequately support another 4 billion people."
dry corridor strip
"so-called slow onset events such as desertification": the "Dry Corridor strip stretches from Southern Mexico down to Panama and suffers from severe inclement weather due to El Niño... it symbolizes the region's vulnerability to the effects of climate change."
how much microplastic is released when doing laundry
"the breakdown of plastic fibers caused when synthetic textiles are washed" was one of four primary sources "making up more than three quarters (78%) of microplastic pollution in the ocean. Another study found that over 700,000 synthetic microplastic fibers could be released when washing a single average load of laundry.
top 5 ways to reduce climate change according to project drawdown
-top 5 solutions: reduced food waste, health and education, plant rich diets, refrigerant management, tropical forest restoration
what percentage of the average american's carbon footprint comes from our homes (with specifics)
17% of the average American's carbon footprint comes from heating and cooling their homes. In addition, 15% comes from other home energy use, such as lighting and appliances. Suffice it to say that, at approximately a third when combined (32% to be exact), a large chunk of the average American's climate footprint comes from our homes; a ton of CO2 or equivalent gases is released when a house is built. Actually, about 80 metric tones are released to build a typical house.
how many households in the us have one or more cars
19 out of 20 households in the US have one or more cars
how many women are effected by lack of family planning and education globally
225 million women in lower income countries say they want the ability to choose whether or when to become pregnant but they lack access to necessary contraceptives. Also, there are 62 million girls around the world that are not able to access an education because of economic, cultural, and safety related barriers
world hunger stats
"1 in 9 people [on earth] go to bed hungry" and a "child dies from hunger every 10 seconds."
how much more beef do us citizens consume than the avg person on earth
US citizens consume far more than twice as much beef as the average person on earth
U.S. rank in terms of happiness and avg amount of co2 emissions per person
United States ranked #19 worldwide in terms of happiness (source). With respect to the climate crisis, we emit about 16 metric tons of CO2 per person
wasting less food and switching to largely plant-rich diets would reduce how many gigatons of co2e every year
When combined, wasting less food and switching to largely plant-rich diets would result in a staggering reduction of 137 gigatons of CO2 or equivalent gases every year.
buses, subways, and trains and gas stats
When compared to a 25-mpg car (which is currently the average efficiency of a new automobile in the US.) with a single occupant (three out of four cars on the road have just one person in them), a bus is 14 times more efficient (i.e. one gallon of gasoline can transport a single person 350 miles), a subway 20 times more so (500 mpg per person), and a passenger train 30 times more efficient (750 mpg).
freegan
a freegan is a "person who eats discarded food, typically collected from the refuse of shops or restaurants, for ethical or ecological reasons."
how much republicans say the green new deal would cost us
a number of Republican politicians have argued that the Green New Deal would cost $93 trillion to implement. Donald Trump rounded this number up to $100 trillion.
air travel multiplies your carbon footprint by how much
air travel could be doubling or tripling your personal climate footprint. In a single 24-hour period, that flight from LA to Paris thus expends your entire CO2 allocation for a year and a half.
air travel only accounts for about what percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions globally but why it doesn't matter
air travel only accounts for about 2%, maybe 2.5%, of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, However, somewhat paradoxically, air travel can literally double the size of their climate footprint of one Americans. The problem is that traveling by air is a practice exclusive to the wealthiest, most privileged people, as 19 out of 20 people on the planet have never set foot in an airplane. Even among Americans, half do not fly annually. By some estimates, 80% of flights are made by just one percent of all people on the planet
green revolution
application of "fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation to create conditions in which high-yielding modern varieties...[of plants, like corn, soybeans, and wheat]...could thrive,"
coal releases roughly __?___ as much CO2 as does natural gas
coal releases roughly twice as much CO2 as does natural gas
climate impact of doing our laundry
doing our laundry is responsible for more than 8% of total residential greenhouse gas emissions - that's the equivalent to the total energy needs of 21 million US homes; "[c]lothes washers use about the same amount of energy regardless of the size of the load."; drying our clothes requires at least two times more energy than washing clothes
education and family planning would roll back how many gigatons of GHG emissions
education and family planning would roll back 103 gigatons of GHG emissions
health and financial benefits of going plant-based
emissions could be reduced by as much as 70 percent through adopting a vegan diet and 63 percent for a vegetarian diet, which includes cheese, milk, and eggs. $1 trillion in annual health-care costs and lost productivity would be saved
f 50-75 percent of food waste is reduced by 2050, avoided emissions could be equal to _____?______ gigatons of carbon dioxide
f 50-75 percent of food waste is reduced by 2050, avoided emissions could be equal to 13.6-26.0 gigatons of carbon dioxide
impact of reducing food waste in comparison to switching to led lightbulbs
globally reducing food waste can have nearly ten times the impact of switching to LED lightbulbs residentially.
how many people were forced to become climate migrants in 2017 and what events caused this
in 2017, 68 million people worldwide were forced to become climate migrants. 'sudden onset' weather events—flooding, forest fires after droughts, and intensified storms. desertification, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, air pollution, rain pattern shifts and loss of biodiversity."
how much did the trump administration slash funding to bangladesh
in 2018 the Trump administration slashed funding to Bangladesh to two thirds the level of the previous administration
compare how many americans own cars versus people in bangladesh
in a country like Bangladesh, only four people in a thousand own a car. In contrast, in the US. 838 people in a thousand have cars.
what other gases are emitted by airplanes besides co2
in addition to CO2, other gases emitted by your plane, such as mono-nitrogen oxides increase your short-term climate impact by as much as two or three times more
how much water does it take to produce a single pound of beef
it takes "2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef."
our houses account for what % of our emissions
our houses account for 32% of our emissions
replacing beef with a plant-based diet would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of ?
replacing beef with a plant-based diet would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of 25. Allow me to restate that, plant-based food has just 4% of the climate footprint of beef.
According to Peter Kalmus, what is the idea of "Half-Earth" about?
reserving half the Earth in order to sustain biodiversity
what percent of worldwide anthropogenic ghg emissions come from cattle
roughly 10% of worldwide anthropogenic GHG emissions comes from cattle
what percentage of global co2 emissions comes from the manufacture of steel
somewhere between 4-5% and 8% of percent of global CO2 emissions comes from the manufacture of steel. - washers and dryers
income that we can survive on and be happy with in america
studies have found that beyond a certain point, more money does not bring greater happiness - around $75,000
switching from car to bus could reduce our individual climate footprints for transportation by a factor of ______
switching from car to bus could reduce our individual climate footprints for transportation by a factor of fourteen. Yet, with fewer than 5 percent of Americans taking the bus to work, as opposed to 85 per- cent using cars to commute
what percentage of americans are obese and what percentage of people globally experience hunger daily
the US. has an obesity epidemic, which impacts 40% of Americans, while one in ten people across the globe experience chronic hunger daily.
other issues that the beef industry causes besides the release of methane
the beef industry not only contributes the climate crisis through the release of methane, but causes a range of other environmental problems, such as habitat loss ( 40% of the land in the US. is used to feed livestock animals), the use of many trillion gallons of water, waste removal, pathogen runoff, a range of issues relating to herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, etc.
impact of family planning and education for women on ghg emissions
the education of women and girls and family planning are together #2. Simply put, we need to educate more girls and women, as well as promote family planning (globally, there are roughly 85 million unintended pregnancies every year). These two things together would roll back 85 gigatons of GHG emissions.
five countries with the happiest people on the planet and how much they emit in comparison to us
the five countries with the happiest people on the planet (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands) all have individual emissions that are on average about half of the United States
how much does the production of food account for in terms of climate footprint
the production of our food also is responsible for an extraordinary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
lentils vs beef ghg emissions
the same amount of greenhouse gasses are released in producing one pound of beef as are released in producing thirty pounds of lentils, also a great source of protein.
how much the project drawdown solutions would reduce ghg emissions and how many are actually useful
these solutions could not only halt the rise of GHGs, but actually drawdown these emissions; the top 25 are particularly noteworthy, especially as, taken together, the top three solutions would do more to drawdown global GHG emissions than the bottom 75 combined; the top three changes alone can take us nearly a quarter of the way to where we need to go to get GHG emissions under control
impact of wasting less food and eating a largely plant-based diet
wasting less food and eating a largely plant-based diet (#1 & 3 on the list) is bigger than anything else on the list at 152 gigatons of GHG emissions for the pair; if we just stopped wasting food, we could cut the single largest greenhouse gas emissions problem on the planet nearly in half.
how much food do we waste
we waste between 1/3 and 1/2 of the food that we produce - around 1.3 billion tons, enough to feed 3 billion people and "[o]ver 90% of wasted food in the US ends up in landfills,"
what percentage of human beings on the planet now live in cities
55%, of human beings on the planet now live in cities
what percentage of people now commute to work or school by bike in Copenhagen.
62% of people now commute to work or school by bike in Copenhagen.
what percentage of flights are made by just one percent of all people on the planet
80% of flights are made by just one percent of all people on the planet
According to the Project Drawdown site, what is silvopasture?
A carbon-sinking farming practice that combines trees and pasture into a single system for raising livestock
What is a climatarian?
A person who tries to eat locally sourced food, has CO2-conscious dietary habits, avoids the most energy-consuming of meat products, and selects food that has generated the least environmental impact during production.
how much does stuff we buy account for in terms of climate footprint
All the stuff that we buy, "from tangible items like clothes and furniture to services like haircuts and healthcare," also amounts to around a quarter.
what percentage of ghg emissions do animal products account for
Animal products account for about 15% of total greenhouse gas emissions
At its height in the US. a generation ago, how many Americans were either directly or indirectly employed by the car industry
At its height in the US. a generation ago, one in six Americans were either directly or indirectly employed by this industry
what is the per capita meat consumption for bangladesh and how many people are close to starvation
Bangladesh, where the per capita meat consumption is 4 pounds per year (compared to 265 pounds per year in the US.). and approximately 40 million people are close to starvation there and "40% of the country falls under three categories: hunger, starvation and chronic hunger."
california's rank for states that have the most livestock animals and has more milk cows than any other state
California ranks #3 in the nation for states that have the most livestock animals and has more milk cows than any other state
costa ricas rank in terms of happiness and their emissions/income vs americans
Costa Rica, which ranks number 12 in terms of worldwide happiness (hence Costa Ricans are significantly happier that Americans at number 19) has greenhouse gas emissions that are about one seventh of the United States, though the average American is thirteen times wealthier than the average person in Costa Rica
ghg emissions for ev
Even though manufacturing an electric car produces 15-68% more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than a similar gasoline car, over their lifetimes electric cars generate half of the emissions of their gasoline counterparts
For every gallon of gasoline that we burn, _____ pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere
For every gallon of gasoline that we burn, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere
what percentage of our climate footprint comes from owning a car and how many metric tons of co2e does a typical car emit annually
For the average American, 25% of our climate footprint comes from owning a car, as typical car in the US. emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 or equivalent gases per year
how much does transportation/cars account for in terms of climate footprint
For the average American, owning and driving an automobile accounts for around a quarter of our individual climate footprints. - A typical car in the US. emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year
how many unintended pregnancies are there globally annually and how many end in birth? what percentage of pregnancies in america are unintended
Globally, there are 85 million unintended pregnancies every year. 32 million of these (i.e. 38%) result in births. In the US, nearly half (45%) of all pregnancies are unintended
how much does housing account for in terms of climate footprint and what are the main problems with it
Housing can account for a third of your climate footprint, especially if you live in a large suburban or rural home. The main problems are heating, cooling, and home energy use.
If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world's ______ largest emitter of greenhouse gases
If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases
how many cars are in china/the whole world
In 1985, there were 1.78 million total vehicles in China. In 2017, car ownership alone had soared to 172 million; There are currently just over a billion cars on the planet. Because the rest of the world is now also quickly becoming infatuated with them like Americans, that number is expected to double to two billion in by 2040.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, what percentage of women do not have unrestricted access to an abortion as an option of last resort
In Latin America and the Caribbean, for example,97% of women do not have unrestricted access to an abortion as an option of last resort
what can we do to eliminate our emissions that result from doing our laundry
In the US, 70% of the energy used for laundry goes to drying clothes. By using a clothesline, we eliminate all of this. 19% of the energy used goes to heating water for washing machines. By using cold water, we eliminate all of this. 11% goes to the electricity running the washing machine. If we do full loads, my guess is that this drops to less than 10%.
compare how much an american flies per year versus people in bangladesh
In the US. there are 2.5 flights per person per year. In contrast, in Bangladesh, just 1 in 55 people fly every year
how many tons of co2 is released into the atmosphere by car manufacturing
Manufacturing a typical midrange car (a Toyota Prius, which is a hybrid) releases about 17 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. A top-of-the-line SUV (a Range Rover) about 35 metric tons.
how much more likely are new yorkers to use mass transit than the avg american
New Yorkers, incidentally, are eleven times more likely to take mass transit like subways and buses to work than the average American
how much would it cost to fix the unsafe cooking problem and how much it would cost if we did nothing
Project Drawdown estimates $129-264 billion. That's quite a bit of money. But, what if we fail to spend this money, what then? It would cost us somewhere around $2-4 trillion dollars. In other words, it would cost us around 10 to 20 times more if we do not act.
south korean recycling program
South Korea, which, in 2013, introduced a compulsory food waste recycling program nationwide. Prior to the introduction of the program, only 2% of food waste was recycled through composting and other means. In 2021, that number dramatically increased to 95%.
impacts of the gulf war
Tens of thousands of people, including civilians, died during the Gulf War. And there were environmental costs. Iraq intentionally "dumped 400 million...gallons...of crude oil into the Persian Gulf, causing the largest offshore oil spill in history at that time," and set fire to 700 oil wells, thereby, as this person notes, "ruining the conditions of innocent people who live in war zones."
how many cars in the us
The US. has fewer than 4 percent of the planet's population, yet a quarter of its cars. Placed end to end, they would circle the earth - 31 times.
impact of hurricanes iota and eta
These two storms, hurricanes eta and iota "impacted 6 million people, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced nearly 600,000 [people] in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua." up to 80% of the agricultural sector was decimated by the storms - an industry that...provided one-third of the country's employment." Shortly after hurricanes Eta and Iota hit, "[w]ith few options at home, in mid-January [of 2021] up to 9,000 people gathered to join a caravan in Honduras heading to Mexico and the United States in search of opportunity."