The Human Impacts Database

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


Quantity Value HuID Source Type
Global surface temperature change 1.08 ± 0.09 °C 12147 Met Office Hadley Centre
CH4 emissions from rice paddies ≈ 2.5 × 1010 kg CH4 / yr 14300 FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization …
Pre-industrial atmospheric CH4 concentration ≈ 700 parts per billion 21785 MacFarling Meure, C., D. Etheridge, …
Atmospheric CH4 growth rate {1.7 (+0.27, -0.28)} × 1010 kg CH4 / yr 30725 Saunois, M. et al.
CH4 emissions from agriculture and waste (2.0 - 2.5) × 1011 kg CH4 / yr 39058 Saunois, M. et al.
Atmospheric SF6 concentration ≈ 10.7 parts per trillion 43556 NOAA ESRL Global Monitoring Laboratory
N2O emissions from anthropogenic sources 1.1 (+0.6, - 0.5) × 1010 kg N2O / yr 44575 Hanqin Tian et al.
Atmospheric CH4 concentration ≈ 1900 parts per billion 44953 NOAA ESRL Global Monitoring Laboratory
CH4 emissions from natural sources (2.3 - 3.7) × 1011 kg CH4 / yr 56405 Saunois, M. et al.
Total anthropogenic CH4 emissions (3.8 ± 2.1) × 1011 kg CH4 / yr 59449 European Commission, Joint Research Centre
N2O emissions from natural sources 1.52 (+0.52, - 0.26) × 1010 kg N2O / yr 68619 Hanqin Tian et al.
Global surface temperature change 1.20 ± 0.16 °C 76539 NOAA
Global surface temperature change 1.22 ± 0.05 °C 79598 NASA Goddard Institute for Space …
CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation ≈1 × 1011 kg CH4 / yr 89778 FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization …
CH4 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes (0.9 - 1.6) × 1011 kg CH4 / yr 91449 Saunois, M. et al.