Land degradation

Desertification is the result of land overuse through deforestation, intensive agriculture and pasture, and mineral extraction and is worsened by droughts, fires and increasing temperature.

Since the pre-industrial period, climate change and temperature increase (risen nearly twice as much as the global average temperature) has adversely impacted terrestrial ecosystems and contributed to desertification and land degradation.

In 2015, about 500 million people lived within areas which experienced desertification between the 1980s and 2000s, mostly in South and East Asia, the Sahara region including North Africa, and the Middle East. People living in already degraded or desertified areas are increasingly negatively affected by climate change.

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Desertification amplifies global warming through the release of CO2 linked with the decrease in vegetation cover.

Increasing temperatures: ice melting &

sea level rise

The total ice sheet holds enough water to raise seas by 7 meters, but nobody knows how how fast that will happen.

Rising waters are already worsening storm surge and causing flooding in cities worldwide.

From 1901 to 2010, the global average sea level rose by 19 cm as oceans expanded due to warming and ice melted. The Arctic’s sea ice has shrunk in every decade since 1979, with 1.07 million km² of ice loss every decade.

Melting from Greenland accounts for 25% of global sea level rise, double the contribution of Antarctica, and its share is growing. Greenland could contribute another quarter-meter of sea level rise by 2100.

Loss of Biodiversity

We are experiencing the sixth largest extinction since the birth of Earth.

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“up to a million species are threatened with extinction and many benefits humans obtain from nature have decreased over the last 50 years, a decline likely continue until at least 2050.”

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 P. Balvanera, Science, Oct- 2019

Pollution

Land and water pollution with household and industrial waste and toxic discharges are impacting large areas of land and freshwater and oceans, limiting viable Life or organisms and causing diseases and death to human beings.

Increasing temperatures due to climate change will worsen the effect of pollution on health.

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Warmer temperatures make air pollution a much bigger problem. "Global deaths attributable to ambient fine particulate matter remain at 2·9 million in 2016 and total global air pollution deaths reaching 7 million.

Watts et al. 2019, Lancet

"Air pollution damages lungs, your heart and can negatively impact every other vital organ. The impact accumulates over time, leading to problems later in life, as well as causing problems like asthma in the immediate term.

As temperatures rise, there is more of a chance for disease to spread."

  Watts et al., Lancet, 2019

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Aviation emissions were approximately

492 million tonnes of CO2  and 2.06 million tonnes of NO in 2002

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By 2050 they could grow by a further 300-700%. Technological improvements are being continually eclipsed by the increase in air traffic volume.

'Passengers should be fully informed about the ecological effects of flying as they are currently understood by the scientific community. Only on this basis can environmental awareness and climate protection grow and flourish' (Atmosfair).

Emissions of CO2 and NO will increase to 1029 and 3.31 million tonnes respectively by 2025,

despite projected efficiency innovations to airframes, engines, aerodynamics and flight operations.

The continued aviation growth threatens the ability of many developed countries to meet CO2 emission reduction goals necessary to contain the temperature increase to even 4° or 6 °C.

By 2020, global international aviation emissions are projected to be ca.

70% higher than in 2005.

​Emissions by passenger by km: about 200 g/km CO₂eq per passenger on long distance flights.

The carbon footprints of business class and first class are 3 times and 9 times higher than economy class.​