Absolute Emissions vs Per-Capita Emissions: A Data-Driven Comparison
In 2023, global absolute CO2 emissions reached 36.8 billion tonnes, while per-capita emissions averaged 4.6 tonnes per person, according to the Global Carbon Project.…
Evidence library
Joaquimma Anna
Research, explainers and solution analysis for understanding change across a living planet.
349 resources
Positive vs Negative Climate Feedback Explained: How Earth’s Systems Respond to Change
Positive climate feedbacks amplify an initial change, such as warming from greenhouse gases, while negative feedbacks dampen it. These feedback loops are critical in…
Recycling vs Reuse vs Waste Prevention: Understanding the Waste Management Hierarchy
Recycling, reuse, and waste prevention are three distinct strategies for managing materials and reducing environmental impact, ordered by effectiveness in the waste hierarchy. Waste…
What Is Rewilding and Does It Work?
Rewilding is a conservation strategy that aims to restore ecosystems by reintroducing native species and allowing natural processes to shape the landscape. It seeks…
What Is Biosphere Integrity? A Clear and Lasting Explanation
Biosphere integrity is the capacity of Earth’s living systems to maintain genetic diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem resilience, keeping the planet in a stable,…
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Environmental Sources: Current Data Landscape
As of 2024, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) provides access to over 400 million environmental data resources, spanning primary, secondary, and…
What Are Novel Entities? A Clear Explanation of the Planetary Boundary Concept
Novel entities are human-introduced substances or organisms that can disrupt Earth's systems. They are one of the nine planetary boundaries, and their control is…
Extended Producer Responsibility: A Comprehensive Overview
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach that makes producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially for take-back, recycling,…
Correlation vs Causation in Environmental Studies: A Data-Driven Examination
A 2018 systematic review found that approximately 60% of observational studies in environmental health used causal language inappropriately, highlighting the persistent challenge of distinguishing…
Which Foods Have the Largest Environmental Footprint?
Animal-based foods, particularly beef and lamb, have the largest environmental footprints in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption. Plant-based foods…