Markus Castro
Interesting things about Earth
Table of Contents
We’ve broken down some fascinating Earth-related facts into intriguing planet-related statistics and helpful advice on what you can do to help preserve natural resources. The major goal of this article is to make it simpler for us to consider how humans have affected the planet Earth.
Earth’s Position in the Universe
The age of the Earth ranges from 5.6 to 4.5 billion years. For thousands of years, experts believed that the Earth was flat and in the center of the cosmos. Copernicus did not postulate the idea that the Earth circled around the sun until 1514. With this knowledge, it was feasible to conclude that the sun is part of a system with other planets and stars. According to estimates made by astronomers, the Milky Way galaxy, in which Earth is situated, contains about 100 billion additional galaxies. The Earth is the only planet we know where life survives in various forms, despite its enormity.
Alert more than red on biodiversity
More than 1 million plant and animal species are in danger of extinction. Scientists estimate that at least 680 vertebrate species have entirely vanished since the 16th century. In the terrestrial environment, 20% of the species have gone extinct in 120 years. The human component is mostly to blame for these issues, including habitat loss, pollution, global warming, climate change, and the introduction of exotic species.
What you can do: You may alter your personal consumption patterns in addition to contributing to organizations that strive to conserve creatures at risk of extinction. Agriculture and livestock operations account for a significant portion of the deforestation that results in the loss of flora and animals. Therefore, cutting down on your meat intake, supporting small, local producers, and forming daily routines that lower your carbon dioxide emissions may all have a big impact.
Every drop of water counts a lot.
Given that water covers 70% of the planet’s surface, the Earth might alternatively be referred to as Planet Water. Only 2.5% of this freshwater indicates that people may drink it. The fact that the majority of this freshwater (69 percent) is contained in glaciers, another 30 percent is in inaccessible subsurface natural reservoirs known as aquifers, and just 1 percent is dispersed in rivers, lakes, and other surface water bodies makes the issue much more difficult.
What you can do: The most apparent is to spend less money on daily necessities, such as shower waste and domestic chores. The quantity of water required to manufacture everything we consume, from food to the devices we use in our houses, is known as “virtual water,” however. A tremendous quantity of water is required to create and deliver everything to you. For reference, a glass of wine uses around 110 liters of water. A harmless cup of coffee takes 130 liters of water to get to you.
Earth is already at its limit.
Natural catastrophes, climate change, and global warming are just a few of the effects and indications that the Earth is approaching its breaking point. The responsibility for all of this mostly rests with people. Globally, there are now 7.8 billion people living on Earth. The most astounding aspect of this figure is that it took the world’s population an average of 200,000 years to reach the first billion people. Two hundred years later, there were 7 billion people on Earth. UN projections indicate that by 2050, there might be 10.9 billion people on the planet.
However, the Earth’s capacity to replenish and make resources available to feed the planet’s population is not kept up with this expansion. As a result, the British organization New Economics Foundation developed a calculator that estimates the quantity of natural resources humanity would require to sustain itself, given present consumption patterns and the amount of time it will take the planet to generate those resources. According to a study, we use enough resources to fill 1.5 piles of Earth per year. For instance, it is predicted that by July 29, 2020, mankind will have eaten all of the Earth’s annual production. We entered a period of terrestrial overload after that date.
What to do: It’s important to share this knowledge with others in addition to reevaluating consumption patterns. Making others around you aware will help them become more earth-conscious. The Earth will soon be unable to fulfill the necessities for human life and those of all other natural species if global population growth and consumption levels remain unchanged.
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