Plants, Animals, and Other Things
Did you know....
…. 36,500 species are estimated to become extinct every year - mostly due to human activities?
….about 16 million people in the world have lost their land and homes due to environmental damage?
….many coral reefs are 5,000 to 10,000 years old, making them one of the world’s oldest ecosystems, and one of the most diverse as well, with around 3,000 species of coral in one reef? They are dying due to global warming at an alarming rate.
….although tropical forests cover only 6% or 7% of the earth’s surface area, they are home to 50% to 90% of the earth’s 40 to 80 million species?
….66,000 square miles of rainforest are being destroyed a year, with 44% of this loss happening in Brazil, Zaire, and Indonesia?
….an area of tropical forest equal to about 37 city blocks is destroyed every minute?
….40% of birds of prey, 90% of non-human primates, 80% of insects, and two thirds of all known plants live in tropical forests, and are disappearing with them?
….about 250 million people live in tropical forests, and are also being threatened by the destruction of these forests?
….many countries have already lost much of their tropical forests? Haiti has lost 98% of their tropical forests. The Philippines has lost 97%. Madagascar has lost 93%.
….in 1983, Costa Rica only had 17% of its tropical forests left? The country had much soil erosion, pollution, pesticide contamination, and one of the highest deforestation rates in Latin America. Now, it has almost completely reversed its deforestation and has resolved the pollution issues. It is considered environmentally sustainable and “the greenest country in the world”. Costa Rica is now planning to be the first carbon-neutral country in the world by 2021.
….about 25% of the food produced in the United States is wasted?
….about 15% of the food sold in the United States for households is wasted?
….one brown bat can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour?
….one large bat colony in Texas, United States, eats at least 125 tons of insects every night during the warm months?
….red or yellow packaging is the kind that is most likely to contain toxic lead or cadmium?
….for every ton of paint made, 10 tons of waste are created?
….for every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are left still standing?
….it takes several hundred to several thousand trees to build an average new house?
….60% of trees in the United States that are cut down are used for the building of new houses?
….there are only around 9,000 to 12,000 wild cheetahs left today, but in 1900 there were more than 100,000?
….there are only 3,500 to 5,000 wild tigers left in the world today, and three kinds have become extinct already?
….only around 2,500 to 3,300 wild Sumatran elephants are left in the world?
….Berlin has set a goal to be climate neutral by 2050?
….pollution kills more than 100,000 sea mammals and 1 million seabirds each year?
….7 U.S. states (Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) want to sue the EPA over contamination issues associated with fracking?
….the State of Vermont in the U.S. has banned fracking because of all the harm it is doing to people and the environment?
….90% of Americans want GMOs (genetically modified or engineered foods and organisms) labeled?
….62 countries have mandated the labeling of GMO foods and/or banned GMOs seeds, crops, and the import of GMO foods? The U.S. and Canadian governments are among those who have put no restrictions or labeling requirements on GMOs despite the wishes of their people.
….it was illegal to refuse to grow hemp in the U.S. in the 17th and 18th centuries?
….from 1631 into the early 1800s, American people could pay their taxes with hemp?
….the American Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper?
….George Washington and Ben Franklin grew hemp?
….hemp oil has been known to cure cancer?
….about 16 million people in the world have lost their land and homes due to environmental damage?
….many coral reefs are 5,000 to 10,000 years old, making them one of the world’s oldest ecosystems, and one of the most diverse as well, with around 3,000 species of coral in one reef? They are dying due to global warming at an alarming rate.
….although tropical forests cover only 6% or 7% of the earth’s surface area, they are home to 50% to 90% of the earth’s 40 to 80 million species?
….66,000 square miles of rainforest are being destroyed a year, with 44% of this loss happening in Brazil, Zaire, and Indonesia?
….an area of tropical forest equal to about 37 city blocks is destroyed every minute?
….40% of birds of prey, 90% of non-human primates, 80% of insects, and two thirds of all known plants live in tropical forests, and are disappearing with them?
….about 250 million people live in tropical forests, and are also being threatened by the destruction of these forests?
….many countries have already lost much of their tropical forests? Haiti has lost 98% of their tropical forests. The Philippines has lost 97%. Madagascar has lost 93%.
….in 1983, Costa Rica only had 17% of its tropical forests left? The country had much soil erosion, pollution, pesticide contamination, and one of the highest deforestation rates in Latin America. Now, it has almost completely reversed its deforestation and has resolved the pollution issues. It is considered environmentally sustainable and “the greenest country in the world”. Costa Rica is now planning to be the first carbon-neutral country in the world by 2021.
….about 25% of the food produced in the United States is wasted?
….about 15% of the food sold in the United States for households is wasted?
….one brown bat can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour?
….one large bat colony in Texas, United States, eats at least 125 tons of insects every night during the warm months?
….red or yellow packaging is the kind that is most likely to contain toxic lead or cadmium?
….for every ton of paint made, 10 tons of waste are created?
….for every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are left still standing?
….it takes several hundred to several thousand trees to build an average new house?
….60% of trees in the United States that are cut down are used for the building of new houses?
….there are only around 9,000 to 12,000 wild cheetahs left today, but in 1900 there were more than 100,000?
….there are only 3,500 to 5,000 wild tigers left in the world today, and three kinds have become extinct already?
….only around 2,500 to 3,300 wild Sumatran elephants are left in the world?
….Berlin has set a goal to be climate neutral by 2050?
….pollution kills more than 100,000 sea mammals and 1 million seabirds each year?
….7 U.S. states (Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) want to sue the EPA over contamination issues associated with fracking?
….the State of Vermont in the U.S. has banned fracking because of all the harm it is doing to people and the environment?
….90% of Americans want GMOs (genetically modified or engineered foods and organisms) labeled?
….62 countries have mandated the labeling of GMO foods and/or banned GMOs seeds, crops, and the import of GMO foods? The U.S. and Canadian governments are among those who have put no restrictions or labeling requirements on GMOs despite the wishes of their people.
….it was illegal to refuse to grow hemp in the U.S. in the 17th and 18th centuries?
….from 1631 into the early 1800s, American people could pay their taxes with hemp?
….the American Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper?
….George Washington and Ben Franklin grew hemp?
….hemp oil has been known to cure cancer?
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