20 ways the world has changed since 1st Earth Summit

The United Nations says humans are more concerned about damage done tothe environment than we were 20 years agobut we're still destroying it faster than we can fix it.

That's part of a snapshot prepared by the United Nations Environment Program in a report called Keeping Track that looks at a wide range of changes that have occurred since the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

The report is designed to be used by legislators at the 2012 Earth Summit in Rio next May.

And far from being a thick report that will just gather dust, Keeping Track is actually a bit of a page-turner, filled with surprising and often encouraging news about our stewardship of the Earth.

The report uses a minimum of text and relies oncolourfulgraphics, chartsand satellite pictures to show the major environmental and social changes that have occurred on Earth since the early 1990s, from growing cities in China to the rapidly spreading footprint of Alberta's oilsands.

Of course some of the news is badreally bad. But not all.

Here are some examples of the big changesin the world over the last 20 years.

1. The number of megacities has doubled.

2. The worldis eating 26 per cent more meat.

3. Global temperatures continue to rise, with the last10 years the warmest on record.

4. World industry is23 per centmoreenergy efficient.

5. Plastic consumption hasskyrocketedwith annual production reaching a record 265 million tonnes worldwide in 2010.

6. The 1990 Montreal Protocol to limit ozone-destroying chemicals is the world's most successful international agreement, producing a 93 per cent drop in thedamaging emissions since 1992.

7. Cement production is the fastest-growing source of C02 emissions.

8. The Mesopotamian Marshlands, the largest in the Middle East, are recovering from deliberate draining by Iraq in the 1990s.

9. Saudi Arabia has transformed from an importer of food to an exporter due to irrigation.

10. Environmentally protected areas have increased worldwide by 42 per cent.

11. Fish stock depletion is now one of the most pressing environmental issues.

12. Renewable energy has skyrocketed, with solar energy leading the wayup 30,000per cent since 1992.

13. Biofuel production up 300,000 per centis converting more land from farming to production of fuel.

14. Organic farming is up 240 per cent since 1999.

15. The Amazon rainforest has been largely destroyed due to drought and farming.

16. Tourism and travel is the world's largest business sector and ecotourismis the fastest-growingtype of tourism, up 20-34 per centper year.

17. Passenger trips by airplanes have doubledin the past two decades.

18. Clean drinking water accessincreased to 87 per cent, but widespread sanitation is still slow.

19.30per centmore private companiesare adopting environmental standards every year.

20. Women's influence is risingwith more 60 per centmore seats in national parliaments.