Sustainability Facts to Make Every Day Earth Day

This is our future.

Sustainability Facts to Make Every Day Earth Day

River flowing through a forest in Finland

Human beings are strange. We've purposefully soiled and polluted our own home, and now we're having trouble picking up the mess.

But we're also striving to do better. From renewable energy to massive cleanup campaigns, we're working to create a more sustainable future.

Celebrate Earth Day (which, really, is any day since we live on planet Earth) with these sustainability facts by the numbers.

Puerto Rico Leads the World in Solar Power

According to a Dewesoft report, Puerto Rico produces more solar power than any other country or territory.

Being Green Pays

You can have a lucrative career in sustainable energy.

America Has a Big Trash Problem

The United States throws away more trash than any other country, generating around 12 percent of the total waste in the world.

A Reason to Get Reusable Bags

On average, we use a plastic bag for 12 minutes before throwing it away. Even when the bag decomposes it often breaks into harmful microplastics, which get into the food chain and water supplies.

An Easy Way to Be Green

You could reduce your energy consumption when washing clothes simply by using cold water instead of warm water.

Cold water is also less damaging to clothes, so it's a win-win.

Deforestation Is a Devastating Issue

Rainforests play an important role in keeping climate change at bay by absorbing carbon monoxide (CO2) and releasing oxygen.

This Is Why Recycling Is Important

It also saves 2,584 liters of petroleum and 2.5 cubic meters of space in landfills.

Iceland Uses its Waterfalls Wisely

Iceland is blessed with thousands of waterfalls, many of which it uses — along with rivers — to produce hydroelectricity.

The island is the number one producer of hydroelectricity in the world.

A New Perspective on CO2

For perspective, the average British citizen emits 10 tons of CO2 per year. This amount of energy could power a single lightbulb for 100 years.

A Shocking Fact About Electricity

In 2018 — 143 years after the modern lightbulb was invented — almost 790 million people around the world lacked reliable access to electricity.

What's Really at Risk

There are an estimated 8 million species of animals and plants on the planet. Out of that number, 12.5 percent are endangered.

A Fact to Contradict Popular Belief

Using an automatic dishwasher saves about six gallons of water per cycle as opposed to doing the dishes by hand.

Throwing Food Away Is a Costly Mistake

The United Nations estimates that 2.8 billion pounds (1.3 metric tons) of food end up in landfills every year. This is one-third of all food produced and represents a monetary loss of $1 trillion.

Recycling Is Important to the Economy

Millions of people have jobs pertaining to recycling, remanufacturing and reusing materials.

Fast Fashion Is a Problem

Though most clothes can be reused or recycled, most items are simply thrown away. This problem has gotten worse because of fast fashion and ultra-fast fashion.

Renewable Energy Is Cheaper Than Ever

In the past 10 years, advances in technology and higher investment have made solar energy 89 percent cheaper.

Remote Workers Are Helping the Planet

By not commuting every day, remote workers lower greenhouse gas emissions. Their contribution is equivalent to taking 600,000 cars off the road every year.

The Problem With Flying

Just a round-trip flight from New York to London emits 7,495 pounds (3.4 metric tons) of carbon dioxide.

A Small Country Making a Big Change

Denmark earns the top spot as the country producing the most amount of energy with wind farms.

Be Conscious of Your Water Consumption

Taking quick showers can help save hundreds of gallons of water over a year.

Love long showers? Place a bucket in the shower and use the water collected to clean the patio, wash your car or flush the toilet.

Let's Just Say We Drink a Ton of Soda and Beer

The good news is that aluminum can be infinitely recycled, so placing cans in the proper trash can can help save a significant amount of resources.

The Danger of Plastic Waste

Plastic waste environmental consequences

Marine animals often confuse plastic waste for food. When they ingest it, they can choke or lose the ability to consume food, dying painful deaths.

The Power of Collective Action

In 2015, Afroz Shah and Harbansh Mother began picking up trash from the waste-choked Versova Beach in Mumbai. Their actions began a grassroots movement that cleaned up over 26,455,471 pounds (12,000 tonnes) of waste from the beach in what is considered the largest beach cleanup in the world.

After two years of cleaning, sea turtles came back to the beach to hatch.

Reforestation Is Making a Difference

Though deforestation continues to be a significant environmental issue, reforestation campaigns are becoming increasingly popular.

One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth

The biggest issue with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is that much of the pollution has already broken down into microplastics, so it is difficult to clean it up without endangering marine life.

Paper Can't Be Recycled Infinitely

After six times, the paper becomes too weak to be used for new material. Still, this is a much better use of resources than using virgin material each time.

Blame It on Picnics and Gas Station Food

Most places in the United States do not recycle styrofoam. The trillions of cups used and thrown away each year end up in landfills or the ocean.

Some Good News

Scientists first discovered a hole in the ozone layer in 1985. By the early 2010s, 197 countries had banned chlorofluorocarbons, the chemicals deemed responsible for deteriorating the protective layer.

The United Nations estimates that the layer will be completely healed by 2069.

A Silent Killer

Though life expectancy is increasing overall, the average human still loses one to two years of life because of air pollution's detrimental health effects.

Over Five Decades of Activism

It was started by Sen. Gaylord Nelson in California and became an international day in the 1990s.