UPFRONT
What. On. Earth.
Our Pale Blue Dot
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives … on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. –Carl Sagan, 1994 Distance of Voyager 1 from Earth when it captured the iconic “pale blue dot” photo on Feb. 14, 1990 .................. 3.7 billion miles Size of Earth in the photo ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 0.12 pixel Views on YouTube of Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot” video since being uploaded in September 2015 ...................... 1,108,412 Estimated number of planets supporting intelligent life in the galaxy .......................................................................................... 36 Surface temperature of Mars ..................................................................................................................................................................................... -81°F Amount of breathable air on Mars ........................................................................................................................................................................ none Amount of the world’s oceans that are in fully/highly protected zones ...................................................................................... 2.7 percent Number of countries/territories that have protected at least 10 percent of their marine areas .................................. 52 Percentage of protected U.S. marine area ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Number of marine mammals estimated to die each year from ingesting microplastics .................................................. 100,000 Percentage of microplastics in the ocean estimated to originate from our clothes ............................................................ 35 Year in which the E.U. plans to require microplastic filters on all new washing machines ............................................... 2025 Number of passengers served by Martha’s Vineyard Airport in 2019 ........................................................................................... 50,351 Number of passengers served by Martha’s Vineyard Airport in 2020 .......................................................................................... 15,657 Percentage of world’s sandplains grasslands that are on the Vineyard and Nantucket .................................................... 90 Number of bird species of conservation interest in Massachusetts that are highly dependent on sandplain grasslands ecosystem ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Percentage of Martha’s Vineyard’s transportation energy use made up of diesel ferry fuel ........................................... 11 Anticipated percentage of Washington State ferries, the largest ferry system in U.S., that will be plug-in hybrid by 2040 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 90 Percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions from shipping ...................................................................................................... 3 Percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions if sails were used .................................................................................. 30 Percentage of MV Times “Minute” readers polled who own or are planning to purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 38.8 Percentage of “Minute” readers who have or are considering solar power for their homes .......................................... 63.3 Percentage of “Minute” readers who have adopted sustainable practices (cutting down on plastic) in the past two years .......................................................................................................................................... 77.1
Sources: 1 the Atlantic; 2 Planetary Society; 3 YouTube; 4 CBC; 5-6 The Atlantic; 7 BBC; 8 Seastreak; 9 New Yorker; 10 National Observer; 11-13 Nature; 14-16 Marine Protected Atlas; 17 UNESCO; 18 Nature; 19 European Parliament; 20 International Council on Clean Transportation; 21-22 MV Times; 23-24 Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife; 25-26 MV Times; 27-28 Engineering and Technology; 29 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 30-31 Washington Post; 32-34 MV Times daily “Minute” newsletter M A R T H A’ S V I N E YA R D / S P R I N G 2 0 2 1
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