Waste Management: Facts and Future
  The world has a waste problem. This is known by nearly everyone on the planet, but hardly anyone cares to look at the exact figures and to face the reality. Let's take a look at how much waste humans produce.
  First, let us start with the yearly count. According to The World Counts, “Every year we produce a massive 2. 12 billion tons of waste. If all this waste was put on trucks, they would go around the world 24 times ”. Not only is this amount incredible and is only getting worse every year due to population growth, the majority of countries are not dealing with waste properly.
  For instance, the United States is known for producing the largest amount of garbage in the world. “The U. S. consumes 30 percent of the world's resources despite making up only 5 percent of the world's population. It also produces 30 percent of the world's waste. In only a year, Americans throw away around 26,800,000 tons of food, 8,550,000 tons of furniture. 6,330,000 tons of clothing and footwear, and tons of other waste. ' Therefore, it can be said that the United States is the main problem-country to regulate in terms of waste production.
  Another disturbing note is that 99 percent of the materials we purchase are thrown away within six months. This is caused by the capitalist idea of wanting to always have something new and fashionable, instead of something old. Also, producers of materials sometimes make sure that products do not last long.
  With this much being thrown away and at such a rapid rate, the future looks gloomy. The World Bank reports that, “Without urgent( 紧急的) action, global waste will increase by 70 percent on current levels by 2050”.
  Looking farther into the future, when will be the peak of our waste? Around the year2100, the peak of our waste production is estimated to come. By this time, the world will be covered in waste, with no more space for landfills( 垃圾填埋场), and the buring of waste either being too harmful for the environment or not enough to fight against the excessive growth of garbage.
What does“24 times ” imply according to the second paragraph?