We Were Given The Perfect Home
So why does mankind seem so hellbent on destroying it?
Major Issues
Poverty
More than 700 million people globally live in extreme poverty, surviving on under $1.90 a day, representing roughly 9.2% of the global population.
Inequality
The richest 10% capture over half of global income, while the poorest 50% receive just 8%, reflecting persistent and widening disparities across regions and economies.
War
Since 1800, over 37 million people have died in wars, excluding vast civilian losses, hunger, and disease, underscoring the enduring global toll of armed conflict.
The Promise
The Bible foretells that Jehovah God will, at his appointed time, put an end to the abuse and exploitation that has damaged our planet.
—Revelation 11:18
features
air pollution
Global air pollution remains one of the most severe environmental and public‑health challenges of the modern era. Recent global health assessments estimate that it causes around 8 million premature deaths every year, making it the second‑largest risk factor for mortality worldwide. Nearly 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds recommended safety limits, exposing billions to dangerous levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and other pollutants.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is especially harmful. Many countries record annual concentrations far above recommended guidelines, with some regions experiencing levels more than 15 to 18 times higher than the global health standard. Only a small minority of cities worldwide meet the strictest air‑quality benchmarks, highlighting the scale of the problem.
Household air pollution remains a major contributor as well. Roughly 2.6 billion people still rely on solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene for cooking, creating high indoor pollution levels that disproportionately affect women and children. Among adults over 60, the vast majority of air‑pollution‑related deaths are linked to chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, COPD, diabetes, and dementia.
Air pollution is not only an environmental issue but a global health emergency requiring urgent, coordinated action.
River pollution
Global river pollution has become one of the most urgent environmental challenges of the 21st century. Today, an estimated 80% of the world’s wastewater enters rivers and lakes untreated, carrying industrial chemicals, sewage, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics directly into freshwater systems. Agriculture remains the dominant source of contamination: fertilizer and manure runoff contribute over 50% of global nitrogen pollution and drive around 55% of river eutrophication, while pesticide residues are detected in roughly three‑quarters of monitored rivers worldwide.
Plastic pollution is accelerating as well. Rivers transport an estimated 1 to 2 million tonnes of plastic into the oceans every year, with just ten of the most polluted rivers accounting for the majority of this flow. In many low‑ and middle‑income countries, up to 90% of river pollution comes from untreated sewage and industrial discharge, placing enormous pressure on ecosystems and public health.
The consequences are profound: declining fish populations, toxic algal blooms, reduced agricultural productivity, and increased disease risk for the over 2 billion people who rely on rivers for drinking water, irrigation, and sanitation. Without rapid, coordinated action, global river systems will continue to degrade, undermining food security, biodiversity, and human wellbeing.
ocean pollution
Global ocean pollution has escalated into a planetary emergency, threatening ecosystems, economies, and human health. Every year, an estimated 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans, much of it carried by rivers and poorly managed waste systems. As a result, plastic now makes up around 80% of all marine debris, and scientists estimate there are over 170 trillion plastic particles floating in the world’s oceans. Microplastics have been found from the deepest trenches to Arctic sea ice, and they now appear in seafood, drinking water, and even human blood.
Chemical pollution is equally severe. Roughly 80% of marine pollution originates from land‑based sources, including agricultural runoff, sewage, and industrial discharge. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers drive massive coastal dead zones; more than 400 dead zones have been recorded globally, covering an area larger than the United Kingdom. Untreated wastewater remains a major threat, with over 2 billion people lacking access to safe sanitation, allowing pathogens and contaminants to flow directly into coastal waters.
These pressures are accelerating biodiversity loss, damaging fisheries, and undermining the livelihoods of the 3 billion people who depend on marine ecosystems. Without decisive global action, ocean health will continue to decline.
land pollution
Global land pollution has intensified into a major environmental and public‑health crisis, driven by waste mismanagement, industrial activity, agriculture, and chemical contamination. The world now produces over 2 billion tonnes of solid waste every year, and this figure is projected to rise to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. At least 33% of global waste is openly dumped or burned, releasing toxins into soil and air. Plastic pollution is a major contributor: an estimated 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with a significant share ending up in landfills, illegal dumps, or natural environments where it can persist for centuries.
Agriculture adds further pressure. Excess fertilizers and pesticides contaminate soils worldwide, with roughly 30% of global agricultural land now considered degraded. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium accumulate in soils near industrial zones, threatening food safety and human health. Electronic waste is another rapidly growing problem: the world generates over 60 million tonnes of e‑waste each year, yet less than 20% is formally recycled.
These combined pressures undermine biodiversity, reduce soil fertility, and increase health risks for the billions of people who depend on land for food, livelihoods, and cultural identity.
food wastage
Global food wastage has become one of the most damaging inefficiencies in the global food system. Recent assessments estimate that 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022, representing 19% of all food available to consumers across households, retail, and food service. This sits alongside an additional 13% of food lost earlier in the supply chain, from harvest to the point of sale. When combined, newer analyses suggest that up to 40% of all food produced worldwide may be lost or wasted, far higher than earlier estimates.
The environmental consequences are enormous. Food that is grown but never eaten occupies agricultural land larger than the entire landmass of China, driving deforestation, soil degradation, and water depletion. At the same time, 783 million people face hunger, highlighting the stark imbalance between global abundance and human need.
Food waste is also a major climate issue. When discarded food decomposes, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. If global food waste were considered a country, it would rank among the world’s largest emitters.
