Earth Day, celebrated on 22 April, is the
world's biggest moment to reflect on the
damage that is being done to our planet,
and how humanity can help. And these
charts show that there is much for
people to do.
The designated day, which the UN hopes
can help save the environment and the
people that rely on it, is intended to help
change people's behaviour so that they
can work to protect the planet.
As these charts show, that mission has
never been more vital. But it has also
never been more difficult.
Our sea ice is vanishing
Area of Arctic sea ice, sq km
The rise in global temperatures is
causing the ice to melt. This affects sea
levels and the habitats for animals who
live in the Arctic. Animals such as polar
bears whose habitat revolves around the
ice are also affect by the changes.
The waters are rising
Global mean sea level, mm
This graph shows how much the sea
levels have risen as a consequence of
global warming. The hotter the earth
gets, the more the ice melts, which leads
to rising sea levels and thus flooding.
Global population
It’s no secret that the world population
is booming. This graph shows the extent
that humans are inhabiting the earth,
putting pressure on the earth’s natural
resources. There are around an extra
2,042m people living on the planet
compared to 25 years ago.
It's getting hotter
Global Land-Ocean Temperature Index in
0.01 degrees Celsius (base period:
1951-1980)
Due to global warming the planet is
heating up, which is having several
knock-on effects. For example, the rise in
temperatures is leading to the polar ice
caps melting and also leading to
droughts.
The Amazon rainforest is
disappearing
We've lost around 759000m sq km of
the rainforest
The deforestation of the Amazon
rainforest has been happening since the
70s. In order to collect wood and create
space for the cattle industry, the lush
rainforests in the Amazon are cut down,
destroying habitats and affecting climate
change. www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/earth-day-5-charts-that-show-how-much-were-killing-our-planet-10195035.html