390.9: The parts per million of heat-trapping carbon dioxide found to be in the atmosphere in 2011 – a new record and a 40 per cent increase over levels in 1750, before humans began seriously burning fossil fuels.
30: The percentage by which CO2, methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) – the latter two both more potent greenhouse gases than CO2, and both also reaching record levels of 1,813 parts per billion (ppb) and 324.2 ppb respectively in 2011 – have increased the warming effect on the climate by per cent between 1990 and 2011, with CO2 accounting for around four-fifths of this rise.
1200: The number of coal-fired power plants that are currently in planning across 59 countries – about three-quarters of them in China and India, according to the World Resources Institute.
1,400: The combined gigawatt capacity of the above planned coal plants, which are expected to add to global greenhouse gas emissions the equivalent of another China – the world’s biggest emitter.
44: The percentage of global cropland that is expected to be drought affected by 2100, up from 15.4 per cent today, according to a new report by the World Bank.
200 billion: The net tonnes of ice that glacier-covered Greenland has been losing, on average, every year since 2003, according to the latest scientific analysis.
2023: The year that a solar eclipse can next be seen in Australia – but only in Exmouth WA.
90: The total megawatts of solar PV registrations (which lag installations) in Australia in the month of October – a slowdown from the peak of June/July but equivalent levels to September.
8: The number of the world’s top 10 solar companies that are based in China.
91: The percentage of the global solar industry’s total operating profits that was generated by just four companies – First Solar, Trina Solar, Trony Solar and Jinko Solar.
421,000: The number of residential energy storage systems that there will be in Australian homes by 2021, according to analysis by Energeia.
50,000: The number of electric and/or hybrid vehicles General Motors hopes to have driving the roads by 2017.
538,000: The US-dollar price tag on Mercedes-Benz’s new electric-powered SLS AMG coupe, with 740 horsepower, all-wheel-drive, 60kWh of battery storage, and a range of about 155 miles per charge.
