Fact Sheet for Ecological Crisis

Soil
It takes 5 centuries before one inch of topsoil is made all around the globe. We are losing topsoil at the rate of –

150-300 million hectares (10-20 percent of world total) is degraded

As of 2001, food production worldwide has declined by 13 percent due to land degradation

Plants take up nutrients and can leave soil slightly more acidic but it is decaying matter that helps in reducing soil acidity. Farming and forestry which take away plants (harvesting for example) contribute for increased soil acidity.

Earth’s land area is 130 meter kilometer squared; 35% is at risk of desertification.

Water
There are 421 rivers in the Philippines. Fifty are already biologically dead. There are 158 major rivers and not one of them has safe drinking water.

Seventy percent of the planet is covered with water. Some water is lost to outer space but is also replaced from outer space. Water was where life was born and where life has existed for most of its history. Water and life has maintained a fairly narrow range of temperature on the planet, even though the heat from the Sun has varied by as much 25%.

97 percent of the water on the planet is salty. Two percent is fresh but frozen at the ice caps. This means that only one percent is fresh water and of that 0.6% is buried in aquifers. Only 0.1% is found in lakes and rivers.

One week without water and we die.

One of two people in the world drinks from water coming from mountains.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural lands seep into the sea and cause eutrophication.

2 billion people are water-stressed.

By 2015, 40 percent of the world will be living in water stressed conditions.

One six inch silicon water results in 14 kg of solid waste and 11,000 liters of waste water

Atmosphere
Troposphere is the part of the atmosphere that supports oxygenated life, it is 8 km above earth’s surface. Primary air pollutants are CO, CO2, SO2, NO, hydrocarbons, ozone, lead, CFC, photochemical smog.

CO replaces O2 in the blood, causing O2 deficiency and if exposed for several hours, leads to death.

Ozone is the one that provides the blue color of our atmosphere.

The ozone layer affects global climate and weather patterns. Its thinning can cause changes in climate.

Acid rain caused by sulfur dioxide from burned coal and oil. Nitrogen oxides from vehicles also contribute to acid rain. Effect of acid rain is on structures, on soil fertility (turns coil acidic), interferes with photosynthesis, kills marine life.

Climate change
Our production of carbon dioxide is a major enhancer of the greenhouse effect (this is a natural phenomenon that keeps our atmosphere warm enough) that brings about global warming. The sudden increase in temperature causes floods and increased sea levels. Possible increase in temperature by 2100 of 1-3.5C will be significant enough to change climate, similar to last ice age. Decline of mountain glaciers is an effect of global warming. This affects agriculture, settlements, etc. biodiversity also affected. Soil erosion due to floods is another effect.

In 2001, the increase in temperature has been correlated to increased floods in Vietnam, Siberia and Africa and droughts in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, North Korea and Japan.

Social
1.2 billion live on less than P50.

3 million are dying from AIDS yearly

100-150 million suffer asthma

2.4 billion lack basic sanitation

2001 was second warmest year in the last century

Food Production
Unnecessary protein intake pushes the production of more fish, cattle, poultry, that are raised in conditions that are hazardous –

We have fished 90% of the big fish in our oceans. (Newsweek, 2003)

Rainforests
We are destroying 20 million hectares of rainforest each year. If this continues, we will have no rainforests in 40 years. (ENFO, 1997) 21.6 hectare per minute of rainforest are being cleared (ENFO, 1998).

Rainforests are cleared for ranches (Central America, 2/3 lost to ranches), absorbed and lesser water vapor coming from trees.

It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper. 34% of our waste is paper (ENRO, 1998).