Fun with stats: Earthday Edition

Some “chilling facts” from the Environmental Defense Fund:

1     Rank of 2006 as hottest year on record in the continental United States.

1     Rank of America as top global warming polluter in the world. [though China is doing their best to capture title]

20%     Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1990.

15%     Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions forecasted by 2020 if we do not cap pollution.

80%     Percent decrease in U.S. global warming pollution required by 2050 to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.

78     Number of days by which the US fire season has increased over the past 20 years – tied closely to increased temperatures and earlier snowmelt.

200 million     Number of people around the world who could be displaced by more intense droughts, sea level rise and flooding by 2080.

358     Number of U.S. mayors (representing 55 million Americans) who have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement pledging to meet or beat Kyoto goals in their communities.

0     Number of federal bills passed to cap America's global warming pollution.

0 1     Number of times President Bush has mentioned “climate change” or “global warming” in his previous six State of the Union speeches.