Challenges we face, as guardians of the earth
... Research Organization of Uganda has developed corn varieties that are more resistant to disease and thrive in soil that lacks nitrogen. Agronomists in Kenya are developing a sweet potato that fights off diseases. Other crops in the work are drought tolerant, disease defeating and vitamin fortifying forms of crops such as sorghum and cassava. Water: For a world that is composed of over 70 % water, only 2.5% of it is fresh water and only a fraction of that is accessible. While 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water and more then 2.4 billion lack adequate sanitation, we (the people of the west) consume almost 50 liters of water a day for drinking, bathing cooking and other needs. Unless significant change are made two thirds of the worlds population may be short of water by 2025 (that’s only 22 years away!!). Many steps are being made to try and stop this horrible trend. W.A.S.H (water, sanitization, and hygiene for all) is a global effort that plans to provide water services and hygienic training to everyone in the world who lacks them by 2015. Already the U.N and 28 governments have signed on. Energy and Climate: In North America electricity is taken for granted, even though almost 2.5 billion people worldwide have no access to this luxury. Something that is an immediate concern is the heavy air pollution caused by combustion of wood and fossil fuels. A United Nations environment program report warns the effects of a haze across all of south Asia. The haze is nicknamed the “Asian brown cloud” and is estimated to be 3k thick. The “Asian brown cloud” may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year from respiratory diseases. Another dilemma is the problem of the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. When these gases hit the atmosphere, they help promote global warming, which could lead to rising seas, fiercer storms, sever droughts and other climatic disruptions. Challenges we face, as guardians of the earth The world is in the state of despair that it is in now because we made it that way. We have polluted the air, destroyed the forests and wiped out entire species. Something that must come to mind, is the fact that the globe will till exist even if we consume all of its resources. When it is said that the earth needs to be saved by us, it is really us who needs to be saved. The earth has wiped out species before us and I am sure that it would not hesitate to rid itself of us and our harmful ways. If you take away the earth’s climate, air, and water, we will follow along with them. With over 6 billion people relying on the resources of the same small planet, we are coming to realize that we are drawing from a limited account. Currently the amount of crops and animals that we extract from the earth each year exceeds what the planet can replace by twenty percent This means that it takes fourteen and a half months to replenish what we use in twelve. Population and Health: While the number of people on the earth is still rising rapidly, the good news is that growth rate is slowing . The total world population has increased forty-eight percent from 1975 to 2000, compared with sixty-four percent from 1950 to 1975. As this gradual decrease in population continues, the population of the world is expected to level off eventually, perhaps in the last half of this century at 11 billion. In the poorest parts of the world, mostly Africa, infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are running rampant. Problems in their rural communities are pushing the people into the big cities. Where crowded, polluted living conditions are ideal for the spread of disease. Unfortunately the threat of diseases such as AIDS is inevitable and at least 68 million people are expected to die of AIDS (including 55 million in sub-Saharan Africa ) worldwide by 2020 Food: Even though it is not easy to see from the luxuries of the West, almost one third of the world’s population is in danger of starving. Two billion people lack access to safe, nutritious food, and 800 million of them (300 million children) are chronically malnourished. In order to combat hunger and malnutrition, scientists have invented foods that are resistant to disease and drought. The National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda has developed corn varieties that are more resistant to disease and thrive in soil that lacks nitrogen. Agronomists in Kenya are developing a sweet potato that fights off diseases. Other crops in the work are drought tolerant, disease ...