Energy from Wind Power, New Capacity: We’re Number 2
While many of the wind farms are on land, others are planted in the sea, usually in shallow waters. Several of the barriers to wind farms along coastal waters, particularly in the United States, have been objections to the noise, the detriment to marine life, and the inevitable charges that windfarms just miles off the coast ruin the view. Most recently there have been concerted efforts in Ocean City and Cape May County, New Jersey, to block a ninety-eight-unit windmill farm, which would supply power to half a million homes. But some locals (and outside groups assisting them) are adamantly opposed to windfarms just miles off their coastline. As environmental journalist Kate Selig reported, if the wind farm opponents succeed, “they hope to create a template for derailing some thirty-one offshore wind projects in various stages of development and construction off the East Coast, a key part of President Biden’s plan to reduce greenhouse emissions that are driving global climate change.”
The US falls behind the leading wind power countries in offshore capacity. It currently has 42 MW of offshore capacity, with another 51,400 MW in the pipeline. China is the leader with 31,400 MW of offshore capacity and the United Kingdom is second, with 13,900 MW. One answer might be wind farms far out in the ocean, not anchored to the bottom of the sea, but floating.
Sources: Kate Selig, “The Future of East Coast Wind Power Could Ride On This Jersey Beach Town, Washington Post, August 8, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/08/offshore-wind-energy-east-coast/; “Offshore Wind: Market Report,” Clean Power, May 2023, https://cleanpower.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ACP_Offshore_Wind_Market_Report_2023_PUBLIC.pdf.
While many of the wind farms are on land, others are planted in the sea, usually in shallow waters. Several of the barriers to wind farms along coastal waters, particularly in the United States, have been objections to the noise, the detriment to marine life, and the inevitable charges that windfarms just miles off the coast ruin the view. Most recently there have been concerted efforts in Ocean City and Cape May County, New Jersey, to block a ninety-eight-unit windmill farm, which would supply power to half a million homes. But some locals (and outside groups assisting them) are adamantly opposed to windfarms just miles off their coastline. As environmental journalist Kate Selig reported, if the wind farm opponents succeed, “they hope to create a template for derailing some thirty-one offshore wind projects in various stages of development and construction off the East Coast, a key part of President Biden’s plan to reduce greenhouse emissions that are driving global climate change.”
The US falls behind the leading wind power countries in offshore capacity. It currently has 42 MW of offshore capacity, with another 51,400 MW in the pipeline. China is the leader with 31,400 MW of offshore capacity and the United Kingdom is second, with 13,900 MW. One answer might be wind farms far out in the ocean, not anchored to the bottom of the sea, but floating.
Sources: Kate Selig, “The Future of East Coast Wind Power Could Ride On This Jersey Beach Town, Washington Post, August 8, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/08/offshore-wind-energy-east-coast/; “Offshore Wind: Market Report,” Clean Power, May 2023, https://cleanpower.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ACP_Offshore_Wind_Market_Report_2023_PUBLIC.pdf.
Total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: We’re Number 2; Per Capita Emissions: We’re Number 2
Together, India, China, and the United States contribute 42.6 percent of total emissions; the bottom 100 countries account for just 2.9 percent of emissions. Though India is a major GHG contributor, on a per capita basis this largest country in the world falls well below many industrialized countries. This ranking incorporates the twenty-seven nations of the European Union into one entity. The United States ranks second in both the total amount of GHG emissions and second in per capita emissions. Canada, ranking tenth in total emissions, ranks number one in greenhouse emissions per capita.
In 2022, China led the way with 12,795 Metric tons of CO2, ranking 6th per capita. The United States emitted less than half (6,001 Metric tons) of China’s emissions, but ranked 2nd per capita. India was third in total emissions (3,994), but 10th in per capita emissions. While Canada had the highest greenhouse emissions per capita, when looking at countries outside of the OECD, Saudi Arabia had a much higher per capita emissions than Canada.
Sources: “Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html; World Resources Institute, https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters.
Together, India, China, and the United States contribute 42.6 percent of total emissions; the bottom 100 countries account for just 2.9 percent of emissions. Though India is a major GHG contributor, on a per capita basis this largest country in the world falls well below many industrialized countries. This ranking incorporates the twenty-seven nations of the European Union into one entity. The United States ranks second in both the total amount of GHG emissions and second in per capita emissions. Canada, ranking tenth in total emissions, ranks number one in greenhouse emissions per capita.
In 2022, China led the way with 12,795 Metric tons of CO2, ranking 6th per capita. The United States emitted less than half (6,001 Metric tons) of China’s emissions, but ranked 2nd per capita. India was third in total emissions (3,994), but 10th in per capita emissions. While Canada had the highest greenhouse emissions per capita, when looking at countries outside of the OECD, Saudi Arabia had a much higher per capita emissions than Canada.
Sources: “Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html; World Resources Institute, https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters.
Violence Against Women: We’re Number 2
When looking at violence against women, we find that the United States is one of the worst countries in the twenty-seven OECD countries that have reported such information. These data look at the percentage of women who have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in 2020. Only women in Turkey experienced a higher percentage of violence than women in the United States.
Source: “Violence Against Women,” OECD, https://www.oecd.org/gender/vaw.htm
When looking at violence against women, we find that the United States is one of the worst countries in the twenty-seven OECD countries that have reported such information. These data look at the percentage of women who have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in 2020. Only women in Turkey experienced a higher percentage of violence than women in the United States.
Source: “Violence Against Women,” OECD, https://www.oecd.org/gender/vaw.htm
Homeless: We’re Number 1 in Total Number of Homeless; We’re Number 7 per Capita
The most recent estimate of American total population in 339 million. While the United States has the largest homeless population among OECD countries (580,000), it ranks 7th in per capita (1,707 per 100,000 persons). The United Kingdom, with a total population of 67.7 million has the second largest number of homeless person (365,000) in the OECD, but ranks 1st in homeless persons per capita (5,399 per 100,000).
Source: World Population Review data, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/homelessness-by-country
The most recent estimate of American total population in 339 million. While the United States has the largest homeless population among OECD countries (580,000), it ranks 7th in per capita (1,707 per 100,000 persons). The United Kingdom, with a total population of 67.7 million has the second largest number of homeless person (365,000) in the OECD, but ranks 1st in homeless persons per capita (5,399 per 100,000).
Source: World Population Review data, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/homelessness-by-country
Food Waste: We’re Number 3 in Total Waste; We’re Number 8 in Waste Per Person
The USDA estimates that between 30 and 40 percent of all food is wasted in the United States. Food is wasted at all levels of its life cycle. Starting with the agricultural production in the fields (crop pests, poor irrigation, and disease), post-harvest handling and storage, processing, distribution (inefficient transportation), consumption, and the food end of life. About 16 percent of the waste comes from farms, 2 percent from manufacturers, 39 percent from businesses, and 43 percent from households. Food is the largest component of municipal landfills, and decomposing food releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The United States spends approximately $218 billion (1.3 percent of GDP) each year to grow, handle, deliver, and dispose of uneaten food.
In 2015, the USDA along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a goal to cut the US food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030. There was, however, no base line for food loss. The EPA admits that “the US still has a long way to go to meet the 2030 goal.”
The picture throughout the world is hardly better, and the US sits somewhere in the middle when it comes to alleviating the problem. It is estimated that one-third of all food globally is lost or wasted each year. The average North American household wastes about 130 pounds of food annually; the global average is nearly 35 pounds higher.
Sources: “Food Waste,” US Department of Agriculture, n.d., https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs; “Fighting Food Waste,” National Conference of State Legislatures, October 24, 2022, https://www.ncsl.org/agriculture-and-rural-development/fighting-food-waste#:~:text=The%20federal%20Bill%20Emerson%20Good,of%20which%20include%20greater%20protections; “Closing the Food Waste Gap,” Boston Consulting Group, n.d., https://www.bcg.com/featured-insights/closing-the-gap/food-waste; “Food Waste by Country, 2023,” World Population Review, n.d., https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/food-waste-by-country.
The USDA estimates that between 30 and 40 percent of all food is wasted in the United States. Food is wasted at all levels of its life cycle. Starting with the agricultural production in the fields (crop pests, poor irrigation, and disease), post-harvest handling and storage, processing, distribution (inefficient transportation), consumption, and the food end of life. About 16 percent of the waste comes from farms, 2 percent from manufacturers, 39 percent from businesses, and 43 percent from households. Food is the largest component of municipal landfills, and decomposing food releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The United States spends approximately $218 billion (1.3 percent of GDP) each year to grow, handle, deliver, and dispose of uneaten food.
In 2015, the USDA along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a goal to cut the US food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030. There was, however, no base line for food loss. The EPA admits that “the US still has a long way to go to meet the 2030 goal.”
The picture throughout the world is hardly better, and the US sits somewhere in the middle when it comes to alleviating the problem. It is estimated that one-third of all food globally is lost or wasted each year. The average North American household wastes about 130 pounds of food annually; the global average is nearly 35 pounds higher.
Sources: “Food Waste,” US Department of Agriculture, n.d., https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs; “Fighting Food Waste,” National Conference of State Legislatures, October 24, 2022, https://www.ncsl.org/agriculture-and-rural-development/fighting-food-waste#:~:text=The%20federal%20Bill%20Emerson%20Good,of%20which%20include%20greater%20protections; “Closing the Food Waste Gap,” Boston Consulting Group, n.d., https://www.bcg.com/featured-insights/closing-the-gap/food-waste; “Food Waste by Country, 2023,” World Population Review, n.d., https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/food-waste-by-country.
Population: We’re Number 3
Based on 2022 Census estimates, the United States had 339 million people.
India is the most populous country, with 1.425 billion people, followed very closely China, also with 1.425 billion. India and China each have 18 percent of the world’s population.
A full 40 percent of all people on Earth live in Southeast Asia (China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh).
The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria (ranking 6th, with 216 million people).
Brazil is South America’s largest country, ranking 7th with 215 million people.
Europe’s most populous country is Germany (ranking 19th, with 84 million people).
Source: World Population Review, 2022, https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries; “Countries by Percentage of World Population,” World Atlas, https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-by-percentage-of-world-population.html; updated in 2023 with estimates of China, India, and the United States.
Based on 2022 Census estimates, the United States had 339 million people.
India is the most populous country, with 1.425 billion people, followed very closely China, also with 1.425 billion. India and China each have 18 percent of the world’s population.
A full 40 percent of all people on Earth live in Southeast Asia (China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh).
The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria (ranking 6th, with 216 million people).
Brazil is South America’s largest country, ranking 7th with 215 million people.
Europe’s most populous country is Germany (ranking 19th, with 84 million people).
Source: World Population Review, 2022, https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries; “Countries by Percentage of World Population,” World Atlas, https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-by-percentage-of-world-population.html; updated in 2023 with estimates of China, India, and the United States.