1.2 Facts and Figures
- The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, as of May 2020, is the highest it has been in human history. (DARA, 2012)
- NASA data show that average global temperatures in 2019 were 1.8 degrees (0.85 C) F warmer than the 20th century average. In fact, the five warmest years in the 1880–2019 record have all occurred since 2015. (NASA, 2020)
- Oceans have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished and sea level has risen. The global average sea level rose by 19 cm as oceans expanded. (DARA, 2012)
- 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are due to deforestation — comparable to the emissions from all of the passenger vehicles on the planet. (DARA, 2012)
- Eleven percent of the world’s population (800 million) is currently vulnerable to climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, heat waves, extreme weather events and sea-level rise. (DARA, 2012)
