United States stats
 

Lately ive been hearing some stats about the United States from different people and id like to get more so if anyone knows of any interesting websites or anything like that please let me know. Some of the stats ive heard:

The U.S. occupies 4% of the worlds population yet it contributes 48% of the worlds polution.

Something else I heard sumerized:
We trade with China and tell them they should be more like us and they are starting to so what will happen when they polute as much as we do?

I also watched "Bowling For Columbine" and found some of the stats in there intersting such as the number of people killed by guns in the U.S. compared to other countries.

Re: United States stats
 

This is the only stat in your post, but i can't imagine how someone would determine that. I mean, how would you go about measuring and recording that kind of data? hmm...

Re: United States stats
 

The thing about statistics is, they can tell whatever story you want them to tell and they are often twisted to fit the way that the reporting organization wants them to. Take into consideration the source of the statistics, and the context in which they are presented.

I was kinda making the post to get more stats i want to learn more and maybe find a few websites... I dont know much of what im talking about and thats why i want to learn more that stat is just something i heard from a friend that is big on stuff like that. What would make it so hard to find that kind of data?

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.epa.gov/

http://www.fcc.gov/

http://www.google.com/

The U.S. figure of 11,127 gun deaths comes from a report from the Center for Disease Control. Japan's gun deaths of 39 was provided by the National Police Agency of Japan; Germany: 381 gun deaths from Bundeskriminalamt (German FBI); Canada: 165 gun deaths from Statistics Canada, the governmental statistics agency; United Kingdom: 68 gun deaths, from the Centre for Crime and Justice studies in Britain; Australia: 65 gun deaths from the Australian Institute of Criminology; France: 255 gun deaths, from the International Journal of Epidemiology

Just remember the saying about there being lies, damn lies, and statistics.

And we have 5% of the world's catholics, and 80% of catholic marriage annulments....

If you want demographic type stuff, here is the best site out there:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

One thing i think most people don't quite grasp is exactly how violent america's beginnings were. we aren't exactly a country of elitists or intellectuals or philosophers or thousand year cultures, we're still pretty young and not far removed from the tumultuous days of our beginnings. I'm not saying it's justified, just saying we weren't exactly founded on the noblest of intentions and have oftentimes been more violent in our expressions.
Hopefully that has changed over the past few hundred years, but i think parts of it still remain strongly in effect.

US contributions to the UN

51.4% of the World Food Program budget to help feed 72 million people in 82 countries.
17.1% of the United Nations Children’s Fund budget to feed, vaccinate, educate and protect children in 162 countries.
14.1% of the United Nations Development Program core budget to eradicate poverty and encourage democratic governance.
25.8% of the International Atomic Energy Agency budget to ensure safe and peaceful application of nuclear energy and prevent the illicit use of nuclear material for weapons.
22% of the World Health Organization core budget as well as significant voluntary resources, helping to prevent and control epidemics and to improve standards of health.
25% of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees budget to help protect refugees and facilitate their return home or re-settlement in another country.
25% of the International Civil Aviation Organization budget to ensure safe, efficient and economical air travel.