World Environment Day: 10 climate change facts that shouldn't be ignored

June 5 is celebrated as the World Environment Day to raise awareness about protecting the environment

Temperatures are reaching new highs
The Earth's temperature will continue to rise so long as we continue to produce greenhouse gases. Studies predict that temperatures will increase from two degrees Celsius to as much as six degrees Celsius by 2100.
According to NASA, 2016 was the hottest year on record since 1880 with average temperatures measuring  almost a degree (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-20th century mean.

A serious issue
According to World Economic Forum, climate change is seen as the biggest potential threat to the global economy. It adds that climate impacts could push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030.
A failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation was seen as likely to have a bigger impact than the spread of weapons of mass destruction, water crises, mass involuntary migration and a severe energy price shock.  
Despite the concern, climate change is the third most serious issue facing the world, behind international terrorism and poverty.

G7 nations spend $100 billion a year on fossil fuels
The major industrial democracies which have dominated spend at least $100 billion each year for their oil, gas and coal consumption. The Group of Seven (G7) - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - had pledged in 2016 during CoP21 to phase out their support for fossil fuels by 2025.

Air pollution affects money and lives
Air pollution is the fourth largest risk factor for premature deaths, causing one in ten deaths globally. Premature deaths caused by air pollution are tragic and come at a high price tag of an estimated $225 billion in foregone labour each year.
 

Sea levels are rising at their fastest rate
Arctic sea ice coverage has shrunk every decade since 1979 by 3.5 to 4.1 per cent resulting in rising sea levels. The current rate of change is 3.4mm a year, which is fastest rate in 2,000 years.

Climate change is linked to refugee crisis
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says an average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced since 2008 due to climate changed-related weather hazards. Climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' in areas of ongoing conflict around the world.

Oceans are more acidic than before
Due to continuous draining of wastes in the ocean,  the pH of ocean surface water has risen by 26 per cent than at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Studies say a healthy ocean can deliver climate benefits through "blue carbon sinks such as mangroves and other vegetated ocean habitats.

Global flooding could triple by 2030
According to a study from the World Resources Institute, the number of people exposed to flooding each year is at risk of tripling from 21 million to 54 million by 2030. This can lead to increased economic costs from 65 billion to around 340 billion.

The plastic problem is worse than ever
A Science Magazine report says that 8.3 billion tonnes of virgin plastic has been manufactured so far. Of which, 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been discarded as waste, somewhere in the landfills or in the open.
Also, 20,000 plastic bottles are produced every second, or one million every minute. According to estimates, 1.6 million barrels of oil is used to produce plastic water bottles every year.
 
Source: UN, Nasa