Data helps us understand the magnitude of climate change. When presented well, it makes sweeping predictions feel tangible and real. Here we use data to help us comprehend the impact climate change is having—and will continue to have—on our communities, on a global scale.
The Butts Stop Here
Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet and the top source of microplastics on beaches.
- 4.5 trillion cigarette butts littered every year
- 1.69 billion pounds of waste produced by butts annually
- Up to 10 years needed for a cigarette butt to decompose
- 70% of seabirds found with fragments of cigarette butts in their intestines
What can we do?
Raise awareness, volunteer for a beach cleanup, donate to groups like Ocean Conservancy or Save our Shores, and of course, don’t throw trash into the world (including cigarette butts).
California on Fire | 2018
The most expensive national disaster in U.S. history.
- Total area 1,893,913 acres burned
- Cost $3.5 billion
- Buildings destroyed22,751
- Fatalities >97 civilians and 6 firefighters killed
What can we do?
Check with your local fire department for tips on making your home and property more fire-resistant. Plant trees, both for yourself and with volunteer orgs. Go off the grid with solar panels and a battery-powered home.
H2 OH!
We can save water by growing our food in it?
- 90% less water used in hydroponic farming
- 25% less space needed
- 200% faster crop growth
- Up to 1000% greater yields
What can we do?
To protect and conserve source water, avoid toxic household cleaners, don’t flush medicines down the drain, dispose of hazardous waste properly, volunteer with a local watershed conservation organization. When you buy food, focus on local and organic farms.
The Buzz on Bees
Less food for them means less food for us.
- Up to 50% of pollinator species to suffer food shortages due to climate change
- 30% annual hive loss due to insecticides, habitat fragmentation, and climate change
- $56 billion spent on pesticides globally in 2018
- Up to $577 billion worth of crops dependent on pollinators
What can we do?
Avoid using insecticides in your home and yard. Buy pesticide-free organic produce. Plant wildflowers—and make sure that the plants or seeds you buy don’t carry neonicotinoids, which kill bees.
On Thin Ice
This summer, Iceland held a funeral for its first lost glacier. In the next 200 years, all 400 of the island’s glaciers are expected to follow the same path.
- 256 billion tons of ice melted year to date globally
- 6-8 inches rise in sea level over the past 100 years
- 200 feet rise in sea level if all the ice in Antarctica melts
- 1.4 billion climate change refugees globally within 40 years
- $40 billion Estimated cost of 80-foot seawall to protect Jakarta, Indonesia
What can we do?
Start fighting climate change by investing in renewable energy like solar and wind—and consider your banking choices. Make sure that your bank isn’t using your deposits to finance things that harm the environment, and tell a friend to do the same.