Global Ecology

Climate change, pollution, and deforestation are creating never before seen changes in Earth's living systems -- including a species extinction rate that is the highest in the planet's history. Learn about these changes, what's causing them, and what's likely to happen in the future.





Climate change, pollution, and deforestation are creating never before seen changes in Earth's living systems -- including a species extinction rate that is the highest in the planet's history. Learn about these changes, what's causing them, and what's likely to happen in the future. Energy Supply

Modern civilization is dependent upon cheap and reliable fossil fuel energy. Learn where energy resources are located around the world, who uses them, how long they are likely to last, and which regions consume the most energy (and emit the most C02) per person.

Modern civilization is dependent upon cheap and reliable fossil fuel energy. Learn where energy resources are located around the world, who uses them, how long they are likely to last, and which regions consume the most energy (and emit the most C02) per person. Fresh Water

Only 2.5% of the world's water is fresh, and around 70% of fresh water is frozen in ice and permafrost. Find out what's happening to the remaining 0.75% of the world's water on which terrestrial life depends.

Only 2.5% of the world's water is fresh, and around 70% of fresh water is frozen in ice and permafrost. Find out what's happening to the remaining 0.75% of the world's water on which terrestrial life depends. Development and Debt



How onerous are the debt burdens of poorer countries? Is loan based development effective? Are multilateral financial institutions (IMF and World Bank) helping or hindering sustainable development? Are poor countries catching up to rich ones? A brief series of graphs helps answer these questions. Weapons

Charts and text on weapons spending, military manpower, nuclear arsenals, Depleted Uranium, and national arms exports (which countries produce most of the world's weapons).

Human Conditions

Clear, factual information on the state of the world's people -- population, health, poverty, access to water and food, life expectancy, and the condition of cultural diversity worldwide.

Clear, factual information on the state of the world's people -- population, health, poverty, access to water and food, life expectancy, and the condition of cultural diversity worldwide. Fishing and Aquaculture

Learn where the world's fish stocks are concentrated, which regions consume the most wild and farmed fish, how fish is used, what countries claim as Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and how heavily the world's fish stocks are being exploited.

Learn where the world's fish stocks are concentrated, which regions consume the most wild and farmed fish, how fish is used, what countries claim as Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and how heavily the world's fish stocks are being exploited. Food and Soil

Farming techniques have changed dramatically in the past 100 years as increasing population and consumption put pressure on the world's food supply. Learn how these changes have effected the planet's soil, how food is supply is related to fossil fuels, and more.

Farming techniques have changed dramatically in the past 100 years as increasing population and consumption put pressure on the world's food supply. Learn how these changes have effected the planet's soil, how food is supply is related to fossil fuels, and more. Toxic Pollution

Learn about the history of toxic chemicals (including PCBs, DDT, Dioxin, PBDE, Lead, and Mercury), contamination levels, safety testing, and correlations between lead contamination levels and income in the United States.

Learn about the history of toxic chemicals (including PCBs, DDT, Dioxin, PBDE, Lead, and Mercury), contamination levels, safety testing, and correlations between lead contamination levels and income in the United States. Wealth

Over the past decades, wealth has become more concentrated worldwide, and the gap between rich and poor has widened. This page illustrates the distribution of wealth within countries, between countries, and between countries and large corporations.

