Every day is Earth Day. We work each and every day to bring the latest news on the many exciting ways to inhabit the Earth in a smarter, greener, more sustainable way. So while Earth Day may have an element of business as usual, it's also a great time to take stock of the persistent threats posed to our Earth. Studies frequently cite the dark future the planet will face if we do not change our our habits and activities on every imaginable level. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development referred to the environmental outlook of the planet as, quite simply, "grim." So this Earth Day, we're considering the most important environmental threats to our planet, and a few of the steps we can take to create a healthier future for ourselves, our communities and of course, the Earth.
WATER
Water; we can’t live without it, and thankfully much of the Earth is made up of it. Yet we face major problems where the life-sustaining liquid is concerned. While there is technically enough freshwater available for all 6.8 billion of us, one-fifth of the world’s population live in areas of physical water scarcity. Vast improvements in infrastructure are required in order provide freshwater to areas which remain without, but also to ensure continued access in the face of widespread pollution, wastage and drought.
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DEFORESTATION
Deforestation has long posed a threat to our Earth. Forests cover 30 percent of the planet's land, and provide vital protection from sandstorms and flooding as well as the substantive natural habitat for wildlife. They are one of our greatest resources for offsetting some of our outrageous carbon emissions and without the canopy we leave areas vulnerable to intense heat, further driving climate change. Yet every single year we lose an area the size of Panama.
FOOD
Food production comes with a hefty carbon footprint, with damage caused by deforestation, the use of fertilizers which pollute our water, and pesticides which kill our bees. And, as we noted, food demand is expected to rise sharply — the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that by 2050 a population of 8.9 billion will eat, on average, a diet with 340 calories more than the 2000 average of 2790, other studies posit that our food demand will double by that same date. Some of this projected increase is attributed to an expectation that areas which currently have inadequate access to nutrition will see improvements in the coming decades, a huge, important and challenging development.
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ENERGY
In the US alone we've made the Gulf of Mexico toxic with oil, we've caused earthquakes in the midwest while fracking for natural gas, and we've blasted through mountains in Virginia looking for coal. In the course of turning non-renewable resources into energy we're releasing all manner of toxic gases into the atmosphere, driving climate change and creating a hazardous environment for all living beings.
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TRANSPORTATION
While studies show young people to be driving less, many of us still aren't going to be doing without cars any time soon. As long as urban developments are built to be un-walkable (we're looking at you, Apple and your new Cupertino Campus), we're going to have to find a way for everyone to be able to get from a to b and back again without destroying the planet. As it stands, the Environmental Defense Fund estimates that a full 20 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions come directly out of our tailpipes.
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WASTE
As a growing population, we have a lot of stuff. From consumer electronics to clothing to diapers, a worrying proportion of our 'stuff' is made using finite resources, with environmentally destructive practices only to be used for a relatively short amount of time before being tossed into landfill. And if you're reading Inhabitat, chances are you've thought about this at least once or twice in your purchasing practices.
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GLOBAL WARMING
Everything on this list is a contributing factor in global warming, and yet we still have elected officials who argue that it isn't 'real.' A poll recently commissioned by Yale University brought some refreshingly reassuring news, as the majority of participants agreed that global warming was worsening an increasing stream of extreme weather events and natural disasters.
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sources: http://inhabitat.com
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