Key Takeaways
- Approximately 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades
- More than 40% of amphibian species, over a third of marine mammals, and 33% of reef-forming corals face extinction risk
- 75% of terrestrial environments and 66% of marine environments have substantial changes from human actions
- Global surface temperature has increased by about 1.09°C (range: 0.95 to 1.20°C) from 1850–1900 to 2011–2020
- Human-induced warming reached approximately 1°C (likely between 0.8°C and 1.2°C) above pre-industrial levels in 2017, increasing at 0.2°C per decade
- The Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the global average, with sea ice extent declining by 12.2% per decade from 1979-2021
- Protected areas cover 17% terrestrial and 10% marine surface
- Reforestation efforts planted 13 billion trees since 2016 via Trillion Trees
- IUCN Red List assesses 150,000 species, 28% threatened
- Plastic pollution kills 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals annually
- 14 million tons of plastic enter oceans yearly
- 80% of ocean plastic comes from land-based sources
- Renewable energy capacity reached 3,870 GW globally in 2023
- Solar PV capacity grew to 1,419 GW by end-2023, up 22% YoY
- Wind power capacity hit 1,017 GW globally in 2023
Most Earth systems are rapidly changing as habitat loss and warming drive biodiversity declines.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity Interpretation
Climate Change
Climate Change Interpretation
Conservation
Conservation Interpretation
Pollution
Pollution Interpretation
Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Environmental Science Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/environmental-science-statistics
Leah Kessler. "Environmental Science Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/environmental-science-statistics.
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Environmental Science Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/environmental-science-statistics.
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