The Human Impacts Database

A collection of useful numbers for quantifying the impacts of the human presence on Earth.


Quantity Value HuID Source Type
CO2 emissions of light-duty vehicles in the United States ≈ 0.21 kg CO2 / km 21001 United States Environmental Protection Agency
CO2 emissions from land-use change (5.5 ± 2.6) × 1012 kg CO2 / yr 24789 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
Pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 concentration ≈ 280 parts per million 30912 MacFarling Meure, C., D. Etheridge, …
Growth in terrestrial gross primary production during the 20th century 31 ± 5 % 44893 Campbell, J.E., Berry, J.A., Seibt, …
Net natural CO2 sink (2.2 ± 0.4) × 1013 kg CO2 / yr 52670 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes (3.66 ± 0.18) × 1013 kg CO2 / yr 54608 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
Total anthropogenic CO2 emissions (4.22 ± 0.33) × 1013 kg CO2 / yr 60670 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
Ratio between anthropogenic emissions and natural removal of CO2 1.88 ± 0.46 70632 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
Net land CO2 sink (1.28 ± 0.26) × 1013 kg CO2 / yr 74574 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …
Atmospheric CO2 concentration ≈ 420 parts per million 81043 Scripps CO2 Program
Atmospheric CO2 growth rate (1.9 ± 0.1) × 1013 kg CO2 / yr 98043 Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., …