【NatGeo】Human-made materials now outweigh of all life on Earth

The amount of concrete, asphalt, metal, and plastic on Earth is growing fast. This year may mark the point when artificial stuff outweighs living things.The total weight of everything made by humans—from concrete bridges and glass buildings to computers and clothes—is about to surpass the weight of all living things on the planet, a new study says.ENVIRONMENTALISTS OFTEN SAY that humanity needs to shrink its planetary footprint. Now, a new study has demonstrated how literally massive that footprint is.While the mass of Earth’s life forms stands at about 1.1 trillion metric tons (1.2 trillion U.S. tons) and has not changed much in recent years, the so-called “anthropogenic mass” of artificial materials is growing exponentially. The mass of everything people have built and made, from concrete pavements and glass-and-metal skyscrapers to plastic bottles, clothes, and comput ………………………………