2. Critical Facts About . .
.
Global Warming

3. • Without the atmosphere
to create a greenhouse-
type effect, the average
temperature on Earth
would be just 5°
Fahrenheit (F).g

4. • Natural levels of CO2 in the
atmosphere have varied
throughout history between 180
and 300 parts per million (ppm).
Today’s CO2 levels hover around
380 ppm, representing a 25%
increase over the highest
recorded natural levels.b

5. • In the year 1997 alone,
the concentration of
CO2 in the atmosphere
increased by 2.87 ppm;
this increase is more
than any other year on
record.a

6. • The year 2005 was the
warmest on record, and the
years 1998 and 2007 are tied
for the second warmest. The
eight warmest years on
record have all occurred since
1998.a

7. • Scientists expect a 3.5° F
increase in average global
temperatures by the year 2100,
resulting in the warmest
temperatures in the past million
years. During the Pliocene epoch
1.8 million years ago, when the
earth’s temperatures were
roughly equivalent to today, sea
levels were 12-18 feet higher.a

8. Interesting Facts
About . . .
Recycling

9. • Modern garbage is a
relatively new phenomenon-
-a result of
industrialization, mass
production, and
consumption.e

10. • Plastic bags are
easier to recycle and
require less energy to
produce than paper
bags.h

11. •Recycling one
aluminum can saves
enough energy to
run a television for
three hours. h

12. • Nearly 50 million tons of e-
waste (electronic waste such
as cell phones and computers)
is created each year around
the world. This is enough to
fill a line of garbage trucks
across half the globe.f

13. • Cigarette butts and filters take 12
years to biodegrade. An aluminum can
takes between 200 to 500 years to
biodegrade. Plastic diapers and
sanitary pads take between 500-800
years. Styrofoam takes more than
5,000 years. And it would take a
glass bottle 1 million years to
biodegrade.h