Wednesday, July 10, 2002

World Crisis: How Bad Is It ? Medard Gabel writes: Our global problems may seem insurmountable, even inconceivable to some. Globally between 13 and 18 million people die each year due to starvation or starvation-related causes. That is nearly as many people dying each day as Americans who died in the entire Vietnam War. More than 800 million people are malnourished in the world and routinely go without enough food to live in optimal health.  Despite monumental strides in medical science which have improved the longevity and quality of life for the average human, large segments of the world's population continue to suffer from preventable diseases and lack access to even basic health care. ... The developing world is at least $618 billion in debt to the developed world and the gap between the rich and poor grows alarmingly larger each year. The richest 20% of the world now have 85% of the world's income, while the poorest 20% share 1.4%. And, most alarming in a world as dangerous and well armed as ours, there are currently over 79 armed conflicts going on around the world, 65 of which are in the developing world. There have been over 123 million people killed in 149 wars since World War II. ... The appalling conditions described in the world problem state do not represent our fate. They do not need to be tolerated because we think "there isn't anything we can do." The crucial missing factor in all the bad news is the good news: there are options to these problems-and there are solutions. Not only is there much we can do now, but the solutions to our global problems are also so clearly achievable and affordable that knowledge of them in their totality can even be inspiring. Minimally, they are an effective antidote to the despair and resignation that hopelessness breeds.  (07/10/02) Finding World Solutions--Risk and Opportunity Medard Gabel writes: By eliminating the need for time- and energy-consuming trips to obtain water, reducing the debilitating effects of disease through extending health care and improving sanitation, protecting and enriching the soil of existing farmlands, and teaching effective, sustainable farming techniques, the productivity of farmland and farm workers and the quality of their lives would be significantly improved. Rural/urban inequities in services and opportunities would decrease thereby lessening the migration towards the city and decreasing the growing pressure on metropolitan environments. Stabilization of the world's population, the new health care system, projects to provide clean water and sanitation systems for those lacking adequate facilities, the health education campaign, and better housing would clearly have a dramatic yield in reducing general illness and allowing existing health systems to meet more of the needs of their regions. One of the worst results of poverty would be reduced significantly as homelessness was eliminated. Nations would become healthier, more politically stable, and more environmentally secure as densely populated, unsanitary urban squatter camps are replaced by adequate housing and thriving communities. Other interactions would yield ameliorating effects on the environment. One effect would be long-term protection against the potential damage of global warming. The combined effects of planting more trees and grass with a program to reduce both immediate consumption and long-term dependence on fossil fuels would reduce the carbon emissions that are one of the major causes of global warming. (07/10/02) Hussein! You're Out of Here! WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Monday his administration would use "all the tools at our disposal" to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "I do firmly believe that the world will be safer and more peaceful if there's a regime change in that government," Bush said during a wide-ranging news conference at the White House.  (07/10/02) Iraq To Bush: Bring It On!! The Times of India -- BAGHDAD: Iraq is ready to face up to a US military strike, a senior Iraqi MP said Tuesday. ... "If an attack were to take place, it would not only be against Iraq but also against the Arab-Islamic nation," he warned. (07/10/02) Stopping the Red Tides New York Times -- SCIENCE:  The red tides consist mostly of several dozen different kinds of algae, and are often not red at all, but occur as brown, orange or green mats, or are sometimes nearly invisible. They are not literally tides either, but are carried toward shorelines by the tides. Millions of fish, shellfish and birds can be killed as the microscopic organisms move through coastal waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that more than $1 billion could be lost in the next decade as a direct result of the blooms' assault on United States waters. Scientists are testing ways to use ordinary clay to smother the algae, which are single-celled creatures. Spread thinly over tainted ocean waters, the clay clumps as it falls through the water column, coating the cells and causing them to die on the seafloor. The procedure has helped protect billion-dollar fishing industries in South Korea and Japan, and some scientists believe it can be used in the United States.  (07/10/02) Gene Kan DEAD, Way Too Soon! Gene Kan, software scientist, suicides at 25... I didn't know this young man, but I knew of him and his reputation for genius. I can't help but think we (humanity as a whole) could have prevented his death, if we only valued and supported brilliance in our young progeny. Wired: Quiet, Sad Death of Net Pioneer, Andrew Baio: Gene Kan, Death by Suicide, Yaroslav Faybishenko: Gene Kan, Li Gong: I am extremely saddened, Cory Doctorow: RIP, Gene Kan News.com: Gnutella pioneer Gene Kan dies, AP: Kan, Pioneer of Gnutella Site, Dies. (07/09/02) No Capitalism Without Conscience CNN MONEY -- President Bush said today: "At this moment, America's greatest economic need is higher ethical standards, enforced by strict laws and upheld by responsible business leaders," Bush said in a speech delivered to the Association for a Better New York. "In the end, there is no capitalism without conscience, no wealth without character. ... There are more scandals hiding in Corporate America," he said. "We must find and expose them now so we can begin rebuilding the confidence of our people and the momentum of the markets. ... Responsible business leaders do not jump ship during hard times ... do not collect huge bonuses when the value of their company dramatically declines ... do not take on tens of millions of dollars in compensation as the company prepares to file for bankruptcy, devastating the holdings of investors. (07/09/02) 6:27:21 AM

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