Hello all you wonderful earthling dwellers!
I have come across a most awesome website (well actually I was given the 2006 diary and saw the amazing pictures and startling facts about the Earth we all inhabit) and thought I would share it with you.
You can have a closer look on www.earthfromtheair.com
I did send this via email a few months ago – but I feel I should Blog it too!
Please take time to read the literature as well (I know it looks lengthy, but it's worth it!), and not just the pretty pictures! It puts things and life in perspective and I think that after reading all the facts, figures and statistics, you might find yourself appreciating your own life and blessings in a new light.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own chaotic lives and worlds, we tend to forget that most of the people in the world are not as lucky as we are. We also don’t appreciate the beautiful planet we live on as often as we should or would like to.
Love the Tree Hugging Wannabee OB xxx
Earth from Air Exhibition – by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
“Our Earth is art, the photographer is only the witness.”
Some facts: how people are living in the world today
This Exhibition presents of aerial photographs show the astonishing beauty of natural and man-made landscapes. Closer up there is a starker reality… illustrated by some facts about humanity at the start of the new millennium:
· If the Earth had formed a year ago, on January 1st, life would have appeared on February 26th, dinosaurs would have arrived on December 10th to vanish 16 days later, and Homo sapiens sapiens would only have showed up very late on December 31st. A few minutes later, in less than a second, he would have drastically altered the fragile balance between land, seas and atmosphere.
· In the last century, the population of our planet has been multiplied by 3, the world fresh water consumption by 6.
· 20 % of the world population lacks access to improved water supplies.
· 20% of the world population living in the richest countries consume 60% of commercial energy.
· 40% of the world population does not have access to electricity.
· World population :1800 : 1 billion1960 : 3 billion (30% urban)2000 : 6 billion2050 : 9 billion (70% urban) projected
· Every week, more than 1 million people are added to the urban population in the world.
· The amount of oil consumed in 6 weeks, half of which is used in transportation, would have lasted 1 year in 1950.
· The decade of the 1990’s was the warmest since 1861.
· Half of humanity lives on less than $2 (£1.15) (AU$2.80) (R12.55) a day.
· Total world military expenditure : $798 billion (£457 billion)
· Official Development Assistance : $53.7 billion (£30.8 billion)
· In industrial countries, the volume of garbage generated per inhabitant has tripled in the last 20 years.
· World available reserves of fresh water :in 1950 : 600,372 cubic feet per capitain 2000 : 275,465 cubic feet per capita
· 826 million people are under-nourished in the world.
· 11 of the 15 major fishing zones in the world are in decline today.
· One out of five adults is unable to either read or write ; 98% of them are in developing countries and 66% of them are women.
· Average temperature has increased by 0.6 °C in the last century; it could increase by2 to 6 °C over the next 100 years.
· CO2 releases due to human activities are responsible for over 60% of the increase in greenhouse effect.
· The average thickness of the Arctic ice field has dropped from 3.12 m in the 1960s to 1.8 m in the 1990s.
· During this century, ocean levels should go up by 50 cm *5 . Holland could see 6% of its lands disappear under water, and Bangladesh, 17%. The evacuation of the Tuvalu archipelago in Micronesia has already started.
· The frequency of climate related natural catastrophes has more than doubled between the 1970s and the 1990s.
· From the 1980s to the 1990s, the number of people affected by natural catastrophes has increased by 50%, and the related costs have multiplied by 10.
· The death toll of a natural catastrophe is 47 times greater in developing countries than in rich developed nations.
· Every year, there are 15000 to 20000 casualties due to antipersonnel land mines and other unexploded devices.
· Throughout the world, over 300,000 children, both boys and girls, are soldiers. Many of them aren’t even 10 years old.
· Over the last 10 years, public aids to development have dropped by 29%.
· On average, an American draws 600 litres of water per day, a European, 250, an African, 30.
· 80 countries, accounting for 40% of world population, suffer from serious water shortage.
· 70 % of fresh water are used to irrigate cultivated farmland.
· A third of the world landmass suffers from desertification.
· In developing countries, 80% of farmers do not need to alter their production methods to be certified organic.
· The making of a personal computer necessitates 8 to 14 tons of non-renewable raw materials.
· In the course of his or her life, a child born in an industrialised country will consume more and generate more pollution than 30 to 50 children born in a developing country.
· 40 million people die of starvation every year in a world that produces 356 kilos of cereals per person.
· The food industry spends $40 billion a year in advertising. Children are the first victims: 10% to 30 % of children in developed countries suffer from overweight. At the same time, 500,000 children throughout the world become blind each year for lack of vitamin A.
· At harvesting time in Kenya, 30% of coffee pickers are children.
· The sales of fair trade products in Europe are going up, but they account at best for 3.5% of purchases on their leading product – coffee.
· 600 million people throughout the world live in the insalubrious shantytowns around big cities.
· Some 140 countries out of 200 worldwide now hold pluralistic elections.This is more than at any other time in History. However, 82 countries only, accounting for 57% of world population, are fully democratic.
· Nowadays, dire famines only appear where there is no democracy.
