10 facts to know about the environment

The Salesian Bulletin in Brazil has listed 10 data items on the environment on which to reflect.

1. 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water, of which 2.2% is fresh water and only 0.3% is available for consumption;

2. 3.4 million people, on average, die every year in the world due to contaminated water;

3.  Deforestation is the main concern in terms of environmental issues;

4. One tonne of recycled paper saves around 22 trees, saves 71% electricity and pollutes the air 74% less than producing new paper. In addition, 10,000 litres of water are consumed to produce one tonne of new paper, while only 2,000 litres are consumed to produce the same amount of recycled paper.

5. Between 200 and 450 years is the time in which plastic cups decompose in nature;

6. 500 years is the maximum decomposition time of aluminium and batteries;

7. The United States, China, India and Brazil are the four countries that produce and consume the most plastic;

8. $8 billion: the impact of plastic pollution on the world economy;

9. 1970: the date on which World Environment Day was first celebrated. The date was created by US Senator Gaylord Nelson to protest against the pollution of the planet, after seeing the consequences of the Santa Barbara oil disaster;

10. Different materials can be produced by recycling e-waste.

Source: ANS