global warming statistics

[galatea]

Does anyone have any statistics on

how much paper is used by the world in one week

the rate at which icecaps are melting

how trees are felled each week in Brazilain rainforests

how many countries have recylcing schemes

or anything similar to help with school homework.

Thanks

[ll_billym]

I can help...

Trees are felled in Brazilian rainforests by large mechanical saws.

Seriously no ones going to look this up for you seeing as it's homework, you can find these statistics very easily by using an advanced google search....

click

[jake-the-peg]

http://www.greenpressinitiative.org/impacts.htm for US figures on paper some slightly older worldwide ones here:

http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_content_print.cfm?ContentID=1422

Greenland's icecap is thinning by about 1.9" per year and reducing in area by 8% per decade pedicting no Northern Icecap by 2060-2080 . http://www.thewe.cc/weplanet/news/water/dramatic_melt_in_arctic_icecape.htm

Amazon deforestation around 10,000 square miles per year:

http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html.

However this is a complex issue. Remember if a tree dies and rots in the Amazon it can release back all the carbon it extracted from the atmosphere. It's only removed semi permanently if it gets buried and petrified etc.

This is the concept of a carbon sink

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sequestration

Oceans are probably better carbon sinks. Tiny planktons fix carbon and when they die they sink and become part of the ocean floor and then rock.

If you thought forests were important for the Earth's environment think again they are nothing compared to the oceans

[galatea]

jake-the-peg - many thanks. It doesn't really matter if the numbers are old as these aren't what's really needed. I've done all the hard work of the writing and just thought some statistics would add something extra - I could have made them up or done them from memory but it's betteer to have something which is right, even if it is old.