Lithium
April 18th, 2007, 01:21 AM
What do you think are the most pressing issues in today's world?
I think that the physical issues (the issues with the world itself instead of the people on it,) are deforesting, global warming, and overcrowding.
I think that the social issues are racism, genocide, terrorism, and poverty.
And...I think that the day to day issues are world hunger and the people that are dying every day of preventable diseases.
The one on that list that gets to me the most though is genocide. Sudan...hello? Didn't anyone learn from the Holocaust?
I know there are a lot more problems with this world...but this sums it up pretty well (from nationsonline.org):
If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this:
81 would be from less developed countries with a gross income per capita and year of US$ 3,580, 19 would be from developed countries with a gross income per capita and year of US$ 22,060.
There would be 61 Asians, 12 Europeans, 13 Africans, 9 would be from South America and the Caribbean, and 5 from North America including Canada.
75 would be non-white, while 25 would be white.
60 would mistrust their own government.
No wonder, that the governments mistrust their people.
60 would live within 62 miles of a coastline.
50 would be female, and 50 would be male.
50 would rely in some manner on coastal and marine habitats for food, building sites, transportation, recreation, and waste disposal.
48 would live on less than US $2 a day.
48 would lack access to basic sanitation.
47 would be urban dwellers.
The world's urban areas are expected to surpass rural areas in population around the year 2005
29 would believe in witchcraft.
25 would live in substandard housing or have no home at all.
20 would live on less than US $1 a day.
17 would be under 18 years old.
16 would lack access to safe drinking water.
16 would be unable to read and write.
14 would suffer from malnutrition.
10 would live in least developed countries.
8 would have Internet access from home.
4.5 would be citizens of the United States
1 would be infected with HIV/AIDS.
1 would be near death, and 1 would be near birth.
Only 1 would have a college education.
Half of the entire village's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people, and most of them would be citizens of the United States.
When one considers our world from such an incredibly compressed perspective, the need for cooperation, tolerance and understanding becomes glaringly apparent.
I think that the physical issues (the issues with the world itself instead of the people on it,) are deforesting, global warming, and overcrowding.
I think that the social issues are racism, genocide, terrorism, and poverty.
And...I think that the day to day issues are world hunger and the people that are dying every day of preventable diseases.
The one on that list that gets to me the most though is genocide. Sudan...hello? Didn't anyone learn from the Holocaust?
I know there are a lot more problems with this world...but this sums it up pretty well (from nationsonline.org):
If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this:
81 would be from less developed countries with a gross income per capita and year of US$ 3,580, 19 would be from developed countries with a gross income per capita and year of US$ 22,060.
There would be 61 Asians, 12 Europeans, 13 Africans, 9 would be from South America and the Caribbean, and 5 from North America including Canada.
75 would be non-white, while 25 would be white.
60 would mistrust their own government.
No wonder, that the governments mistrust their people.
60 would live within 62 miles of a coastline.
50 would be female, and 50 would be male.
50 would rely in some manner on coastal and marine habitats for food, building sites, transportation, recreation, and waste disposal.
48 would live on less than US $2 a day.
48 would lack access to basic sanitation.
47 would be urban dwellers.
The world's urban areas are expected to surpass rural areas in population around the year 2005
29 would believe in witchcraft.
25 would live in substandard housing or have no home at all.
20 would live on less than US $1 a day.
17 would be under 18 years old.
16 would lack access to safe drinking water.
16 would be unable to read and write.
14 would suffer from malnutrition.
10 would live in least developed countries.
8 would have Internet access from home.
4.5 would be citizens of the United States
1 would be infected with HIV/AIDS.
1 would be near death, and 1 would be near birth.
Only 1 would have a college education.
Half of the entire village's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people, and most of them would be citizens of the United States.
When one considers our world from such an incredibly compressed perspective, the need for cooperation, tolerance and understanding becomes glaringly apparent.