The atmosphere that makes Earth livable — and it’s under threat from humanity
Breathing clean, non-toxic air should be a reality for everyone, but the World Health Organization attributes 3.7 million deaths each year to air pollution. They project that by 2030, climate change will cause hundreds of thousands of additional deaths from ailments such as malaria, heat stress and malnutrition.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit this century. For the world’s low-lying island nations, the rise in temperature also means a rise in sea levels and more frequent and intense storms, like 2015’s Tropical Cyclone Winston.
That’s how much we’ll need in order to feed Earth’s projected population of 9 billion. Yet according to the Climate Institute, conventional growing methods generate a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions – which disrupt agricultural yields. It gets worse: Land use and agriculture account for two out of three of the main causes in greenhouse gases over the last 250 years.
At Conservation International, we know there’s no replacement for the services nature provides: forests that clean the air and filter drinking water; a stable climate that supports agriculture and fisheries; mountains that collect water from the atmosphere and supply it as fresh water for billions of people. That’s why we combine science, policy and partnerships to help communities value and sustainably manage their natural resources for the betterment of humanity.
Climate change is reshaping human civilization. How we respond will determine the future of our species.
China is home to nearly 1.4 billion people — and a growing environmental crisis.
