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Interesting Environmental Facts

Human Influenced Facts 

•  If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year. 
•  On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel almost 4 billion miles in a day, and according to the Department of Transportation, they use over 200 million gallons of gasoline doing it. 
•  Every year we throw away 24 million tons of leaves and grass. Leaves alone account for 75% of our solid waste in the fall. 
•   Over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected to cause birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations. 
•  Enough glass was thrown away in 1990 to fill the Twin Towers (1,350 feet high) of New York's World Trade Center every two weeks.
•  A three percent annual growth rate will result in the doubling of consumption and production of food and other products in 25 short years.  The amount of motor vehicles that are expected to be operated will increase 15 million a year until at least 2010.

•  Every day 50 to 100 species of plants and animals become extinct as their habitat and human influences destroy them.

 The Earth 

• Deserts are advancing and taking over the land. In Mali the desert has taken over about 220 miles in as few as 20 years. Deserts can be repelled, by developing tree-planting projects, having better agriculture and by managing the land better. However, governments still are reluctant to fund anti-desertification, despite horrific droughts that have occurred in recent years.
•  The Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years. Scaling this time down to 46 years we have been around for 4 hours and our Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago. During this short time period we have ransacked the planet for ways to get fuels and raw materials, have been the cause of extinction of an unthinkable amount of plants and animals, and have multiplied our population to that of a plague.
•  Despite all of the damage we have caused the environment most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to them; clean rivers; renovate buildings; replenish the topsoil, replant forests. However, these activities do not relieve the worst symptoms of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems, us and our vision that we must progress.

 Interesting Animal Facts 

• Penguins live only in the Southern Hemisphere and never in the Northern Hemisphere.
•  A single porcupine is known to kill 100 trees in one winter. It uses it's sharp claws to climb a tree, sits on a limb to gnaw away at the bark and twigs and then stuffs them all into its mouth at once. Because of it's liking for bark, the porcupine causes much damage to forests.
•  A scallop moves by sucking water into its shell and then squirting it out suddenly. It likes to wander around and this gives it enough force to push it in front in a zig zag manner.
•  A male garibaldi damselfish attract females for mating by covering a rock with a thick layer of alga. A male which clean off a rock to allow only algae to live have a higher chance of mating. The algae is also used to protect the eggs of the fish.
•  To prevent the nest from getting soaked, the rare white-chinned swift, which nests behind the waterfalls of Latin America plant pieces of moss in the nest which then grow and reinforce the nest.
•  A porcupine loves salt so much that it would walk into a camp and gnaw on anything that has been touched by salt or even by perspiring hands
•  The tip of an elephant's trunk is so sensitive and flexible that it can pick up a pin.
•  If a mole does not find food within 12 hours, it will die. Its chief food consists of insects and earthworms.
•  A male nightingale stops singing when its eggs have hatched so as not to attract unnecessary attention to the nest. However he gives short calls to tell the female that all is well or danger is approaching.
•  The Amazon army ants raid nests of certain black ants and carry back to cocoons and larvae to their own homes. When the cocoons hatch, they will become the slaves of these army ants and do all their work.

Did You Know ?

• Qutab Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world.
•  The foundation of the tower was laid down by Qutubu’d - Din Aibak in 1199 AD.
•  The first storey was completed during the reign of Aibak.
•  The next three stories were added by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish, the son - in - law of Qutubu’d - Din Aibak.
•  The fifth and the last storey were constructed by Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
•  According to the Archeological Survey of India, the site at which Qutab Minar is located was once occupied by 27 Hindu and Jain temples. 
•  Qutab Minar is made up of red and buff sandstone, containing intricate carvings and verses from the Holy Quran.

Whales

• The whale can stay underwater for5-15 minutes at a time 
•  They can swim at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour 
•  They need to eat 50-150 kilograms of meat every day
•  Threats to the whale are plastic bags, balloons, chemicals, oil spills they are all considered pollution 
•  They live as long as some humans
•  The largest record of female whales killed on Antarctica was 106 feet long and could weigh as much as 400,000 pounds
•  The largest male ever killed in Antarctica was 104 feet long and was killed on 1926

Great Wall Of China

• Great Wall is a single, continuous wall built all at once is a myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of wall segments built by various dynasties to protect China’s northern boundary.
•  During its construction, the Great Wall was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people.
•  The length of all Chinese defense walls built over the last 2,000 years is approximately 31,070 miles (50,000 km). Earth's circumference is 24,854 miles (40,000 km).
•  In 2004, there were over 41.8 million foreign visitors to the Great Wall of China.
•  The Great Wall of China is 25 feet high in some places and ranges from 15-30 feet wide

Roman Collosseum,Italy

• At the time of its construction, the Colosseum had the capacity of seating around 50,000 spectators. 
•  Roman Coliseum remained in use for nearly 500 years. The last recorded games were held in it in the 6^th century.
•  The games played in the Colosseum are believed to have taken the lives of about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals.
•  On every Good Friday, the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre.
•  The stones used in the outer wall of the Colosseum were set without mortar. In fact, they were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.
•  There were special boxes in the Colosseum, at north and south ends, for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena.

Christ The Redeemer

• This statue was built in the 1931. Construction started in 1922 and was completed in 1931. It took a span of nine years to complete it.
•  The cost of the monument was $250,000.
•  The left arm points to the Rio de Janeiro's north zone, the right to the south zone, while the saintly perch offers spectacular views of Ipanema, the Maracana soccer stadium and the Serra do Órgãos mountain range.
•  The original design for this statue was made by a man named Oswald. He had designed it to have a globe in one, and standing over a pedestal symbolizing the world. This design was not agreed on. 
•  The reason why it was built was to show that the Christ loves all. 
•  On July 7, 2007, it was honored as one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

• Chichen Itza was built by the Maya civilization
•  Chichen Itza has been declared as a World Heritage Site, by UNESCO.
•  The Temple of the Warriors is one of the most impressive structures at Chichen Itza.
• The church in Chichen Itza is known as La Iglesia. It is constructed out of stone and stands festooned with images of Rain God - Chaac, apart from geometrical figures.  
•  The name ‘Chichen Itza’ literally means ‘At the mouth of the well of the Itza’.
•  Chichen Itza is open daily, from 8:00 to 5:00, while the admission is free on Sundays.

Machu Picchu, Peru

• it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian.
•  Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
•  Machu Picchu comprises of around 140 structures.
•  Researchers believe that Intihuatana stone was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.
•  Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is the most known symbol of the Inca Empire.
•  In 1911, some people were found living on the site and a number of female mummies were also discovered.

Petra, Jordan

• Petra is located in the Kingdom of Jordan, 170 miles south of the capital Amman in the Wadi Araba desert between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Arabah Valley on the slope of Mountain Hor.
•  The word “Petra” is Greek for “rock”, this refers to the sandstone from which the city was created.
•  In 1989 Petra was featured in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusader.
•  At the entrance to Petra lies the town of Wadi Masa.
•  The City of Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Taj Mahal

• No Golden Triangle tours in India would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal. This building is recognized by people all around the world, even those who have never been to India.
•  all of the artisans and skilled workers had their hands removed when the building was finally finished. This was to ensure no other structure could compare to the magnificent Taj Mahal. 
• As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work. 

TAJ MAHAL AS A SYMBOL OF LOVE...??

•   Mumtaz was shahjahans fourth wife out of his SEVEN wives
•  Shahjahan killed mumtaz's husband to marry her.
•  Mumtaz died in her Fourteenth (14) delivery. 
•  He then married mumtaz's sister Farzana Begum  after one week of Mumtaz's death.

The Leaning Tower Of Pisa

• The leaning tower of Pisa weighs 14,500 tonnes
•  The tower took over 800 years to completely finish
•  The leaning tower is only 55.86 meters tall
•  It is a symbol of national pride
•  The tower has 294 steps
•  Actually there are three leaning towers in Pisa, not just one! However, the majority of people know only the most famous (the Leaning Tower).
• The other two leaning towers in Pisa are the Campanile of San Nicola and the Campanile of San Michele degli Scalzi.