With humanity's population ballooning to about 7 billion and industrialization spreading to every corner of the planet, Earth's environmental systems are under severe stress from human activity. The evidence is plain to see on every continent and in every ocean.
Climate change has been linked to mass bleaching of coral throughout the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. /Image via npr.org
Smog from coal-fired power plants and other air polluters has become a persistent problem in several Chinese cities, including Beijing. /Image via theatlanticcities.com
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has affected most if not all animal and plant species in the Gulf of Mexico, from pelicans and other wildlife slathered in slicks to contaminated coastal marshes. /Image via huffingtonpost.com
Logging is a prime cause of deforestation in the Congo River Basin, a global treasure that sustains the second largest rainforest in the world. /Greenpeace image
Climate change and habitat loss have decimated gold frog and toad species in Central America. /Image via nashvillezoo.org
Habitat loss has taken a heavy toll on elephant populations throughout Africa and Asia, shattering communities of animals known to have complex social bonds. /Image via eletracker.wordpress.com
Climate change has been linked to widespread melting of glaciers and sea ice in Antarctica, above, Greenland and the Arctic. The melting of ice in these regions is expected to drive dramatic sea level increases that pose a grave threat to coastal cities around the world. /Nasa image
Polar bears have become a poster child for climate change. With the sharp drop in Arctic sea ice, there have been reports of polar bears drowning after swimming many miles in fruitless attempts to hunt seals. /Getty image
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