The World Bank has revised its estimate of people in poverty – those living under $ 1.25 a day. It now estimates that there are 1.4 billion (1,400,000,000) people living in poverty up from its 2004 estimate of 985 million. That’s an increase of over 400 million – a number not far from the population …
Continue reading The population of Europe (the EU) joins the world’s poor.
Category:Living
“If it was an animal you wouldn’t let it go on”
With growing understanding of the science of mind and body, people are increasingly wanting to determine the nature of their own demise, particularly in the case of debilitating injury or illness. Although we are increasingly coming to terms with recreation of ourselves, through plastic surgery, transplants and genetic engineering, it remains illegal to opt for …
Continue reading “If it was an animal you wouldn’t let it go on”
Winners from the credit crunch.
As always, some weather downturns better than others, and the credit crunch has benefited those able to take advantage of it: those with cash, those who provide value and those who said it was coming. It is unfortunate that at the top of that list are the rich. In other words, the rich have got …
Continue reading Winners from the credit crunch.
Primate extinction threat growing fast.
The first comprehensive review in five years of the world’s 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50% are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Humanity’s closest relatives, the world’s monkeys, apes and other primates, are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with …
Continue reading Primate extinction threat growing fast.
Don’t stop children from playing!
Another report has been published which shows the sad increase in over-protectiveness by parents of their children. Parents are increasingly denying children the opportunity to learn naturally, to enjoy life and to be children. The consequences for those children are not just a more boring life today, but also less enjoyable and successful life as …
Continue reading Don’t stop children from playing!
Living in harmony
On the remote Pacific island of Anuta a code of “love and compassion” embodied in the culture has preserved a harmonious and happy community. The almost non-existence of outside influence also helps people to keep perspective and enjoy life. While this report from the BC travel correspondent is brief, it offers hints at how little …
Continue reading Living in harmony
The Food We Waste
Its not just transport and packaging that are destroying the natural world, but our waste of food. An extensive UK study by WRAP analysed garbage of over 2,000 households to identify the food we waste. The results are revealing. The sheer volume of food thrown away by all types of people is embarrassing: over £ …
Continue reading The Food We Waste
Eat now for tomorrow there will be nothing
Alarming reports from the Rights and Resources Initiative show that an escalation in land acquisition and deforestation is underway. The cause underpinning this land grab is increasing demand for crop land upon which to grow food and biofuel. The consequence of this deforestation will be an acceleration of the destruction of nature and humanity’s home. …
Continue reading Eat now for tomorrow there will be nothing
Nitrogen is destroying the biosphere as much as carbon.
It is rarely mentioned in the media yet, but production of reactive nitrogen is already at catastrophic levels. Its main contributors are vehicles and farming for the gross quantities of fuel they consume. The consequence of emitting massive excesses is destruction of habitats and food chains. As with other identifiable culprits of planetary destruction, the …
Continue reading Nitrogen is destroying the biosphere as much as carbon.
Humanity pushes another mammal off the planet.
Last year it was the baiji dolphin of China which became extinct – the first mammal for 50 years to do so. Now it seems that another dolphin is being pushed off the planet by humans – the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin, principally found in Cambodia. This may seem to be far from you, but the …
Continue reading Humanity pushes another mammal off the planet.