— Decarbonization of the global economy by 2050 can only be achieved through economic collapse, unknown technical advances, or some combination. — Global land degradation costs as much as $11 trillion per year. — Global population has been rising exponentially - from 1 billion in 1800, to 1.6 billion in 1900, to 6.1 billion in 2000. It is estimated to peak at around 10 billion by 2100. — Deforestation is now the largest threat to biodiversity, followed by over harvesting and climate change. — Humans now have 700 times more energy at their direct disposal than they had at the beginning of the 19th century, on average. — 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been accumulated worldwide since 1950. 24% is still in use, 8% has been recycled. Most of the rest has been discarded in oceans. — Decarbonization of electrical grids offers the fastest route to reducing emissions. — Without new sources, Germany will rely on fossil fuels for 70 percent of its energy needs in 2040. — Increased energy availability explains most of the advances of modern civilization. — German solar panels produce electricity only about 12 percent of the time. — Nuclear reactors reliably produce electricity 90-95 percent of the time. — Few offshore wind turbines produce energy more than 45 percent of the time. — Photovoltaic cells in the sunniest climates produce electricity about 25 percent of the time. — In 1950, the US produced 53 percent of the world’s oil. Today, the US produces about 18 percent.