Gasping for air

If the Earth had lungs, an x-ray of them would resemble that of a chronic smoker.

Using data from the World Factbook and the United Nations, BreathingEarth by designer David Bleja elegantly contrasts the globe's real-time dioxide emission levels with each country's birth and death rates.

A deep red color lights up to show countries currently emitting 1,000 tons of C02. All the usual industrial nations are there, such as the U.S., China, Russia, Japan, India, and much of Western Europe.

Small golden suns highlight a recent birth, while brown circles note a death. In the left corner, you'll see a tally of how many humans have come into the world and how many have left it since you've been watching, as well as how much C02 has escaped into the atmosphere.

The data may not be pretty, but the presentation is stylish and smart. And it may make you think before you take another puff from that tailpipe.

Find the original review for this site — and past features on the Web's coolest offerings — on Yahoo! Picks.