BIOtheNUMBERS

-The human population quadrupled during the 20th century, increasing from about 1.5 billion in 1900 to about 6.8 billion in 2009

-This explosive population growth reached a peak of 2.1% growth rate in the late 1960s, the most significant demographic process since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

-The world population is expected to reach 9.1 billion in 2050 and to be increasing by about 33 million persons annually at that time.

-The population growth of the 49 least developed countries is still the fastest growing in the world, at 2.3% per year.

-During 2010-2050, nine countries are expected to account for half of the world’s projected population increase: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the United States, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Republic of Tanzania, China andBangladesh, listed according to the size of their contribution to global population growth.

-Globally, life expectancy at birth is projected to rise from 68 years in 2005-2010 to 76 years in 2045-2050.

-In terms of annual averages, the major net receivers of international migrants during 2010-2050 are projected to be the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia and France.

-The number of cities of one million or larger was 76 in 1950, 522 in 1975, 1,122 in 2000, and is set to exceed 1,600 by 2015. Using current population projections to 2050, most of the forthcoming growth in population will be in cities, with poor countries having “to build the equivalent of a city of one million people each week for the next 45 years” (Cohen, 2005).

References:
United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Cohen, J.E. 2005. Human Population Grows Up. Scientific American Sept 2005: 48-55.
McNeely, J.A. and Mainka, S.A. 2009. Conservation for a New Era. IUCN, Gland,  Switzerland. 220 pp.

-1.5 billion animals moved across US border by importers from 2000-2006

-That equals 5 pets per person in the US

-90% came from wild populations where disease testing is not mandated

-More than 67% came from Southeast Asia

-52% were only identified by Class

-13.6% were classified by Species

-11.9% were identified by Family

-11.1% were labeled only by Genus

-3.9% were identified by Order

-7.5% of animal imports were labeled as unknown

Data: Conservation Magazine July/Sept 2009

According to Conservation Magazine’s reporting of an Environmental Science & Technology publication, “It can take 800 gallons of irrigation water to produce the amount of corn necessary to make one gallon of ethanol.”

Here is a breakdown of the amount of water needed to produce the fuels needed to quench our energy needs (Liters per Megawatt hour):

Oil refining: 80-150

Oil Shale: 170-681

Natural Gas Combined Cycle power plants: 230-30,300

Coal: ~900

Nuclear, closed loop cooling: ~950

Geothermal, closed loop cooling: 1,900-4,200

Enhanced Oil Recovery: ~7,600

Natural Gas Combined Cycle power plants, open loop cooling: 28,400-75,700

Nuclear, open loop cooling: 94,600-227,100

Corn ethanol irrigation: 2,270,000-8,670,000

Soybean biodiesel irrigation: 13,900,000-27,900,000

Data: Conservation Magazine July/Sept 2009

More than 1,000 species of sharks and rays inhabit the earth’s oceans

Basking sharks filter up to 1,500 gallons of water per hour

The smallest is a lantern shark, averaging just 8 inches

The largest fish in the world is the whale shark and can reach lengths of over 40 to 60 feet

The fastest shark is the Mako, which has reached speeds of more than 45 miles per hour

Blue sharks have been tracked swimming more than 10,000 miles

Sharks may hear a fish a mile away

Sharks can smell blood in the water from 1/3 of a mile away

The Spiny dogfish has a gestation period close to 2 years, which makes it one of the longest of any animals

Spiny dogfish females are thought to reach breeding age at 35 years

Dusky shark females reach breeding age at 20 years

The smalltooth sawfish population has declined by 99%

The IUCN estimates that 20% of sharks are in danger of extinction

Worldwide shark takes have tripled since 1985

Tens of millions of sharks are accidentally caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries each year

According to Oceana, “estimates of the total number of sharks killed each year for their fins range from 26 to 73 million per year.”

Data: Ocean Conservancy and Oceana

“Oil-palm plantations cover over 13 million hectares, primarily in Southeast Asia, where they have directly or indirectly replaced tropical rainforest.”

Estimates indicate “it would take between 75 and 93 years for the carbon emissions saved through use of biofuel to compensate for the carbon lost through forest conversion, depending on how the forest was cleared.”

“If the original habitat was peatland, carbon balance would take more than 600 years.”

“Conversely, planting oil palms on degraded grassland would lead to a net removal of carbon within 10 years.”

“Tropical forests also store around 46% of the world’s living terrestrial carbon, and 25% of total net global carbon emissions may stem from deforestation.”

“In 2006, 85% of the global palm-oil crop was produced in Indonesia (43%) and Malaysia (42%)”

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