Tag: sustainable living

10. Reduced Inequalities

10. Reduced Inequalities

Posted on by Mother Earth

SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities

Earth year 4,492,056,017
Mother Earth / Gaia‘s Blog

Mankind, My children

In my first blog post I asked that you commit to following my blog for the next few weeks to give me a chance to explain the most important issues affecting our joint survival. Subsequent Blogs have started to give you some facts about the biggest and most important Global issues that need to be addressed. In today’s Blog post I want to talk about the need to Reduce Inequalities. 

The Problem

Photo Courtesy: Expresso.pt

Income inequality has increased in recent decades. More than 75% of population now lives in societies where income distribution is now more unequal than it was 29 years ago in 1990. The richest 1%now own 45% of the world’s wealth and the rich continue to get richer while the poor get poorer. Inequality harms growth, poverty reduction and relations between persons and is a threat to long term social and economic development. Children in the poorest 20% of populations are 3 times more likely to die before their 5th birthday than the children of richest 20%. Persons with disabilities are up to 5 times more likely than the average person to incur catastrophic health costs. Income inequality can only be tackled if inequality of opportunity is addressed.

Do you feel guilty about the struggles of the poor in developing countries trying to feed their families and the inequality and unfairness that denies opportunities to hundreds of millions in much of the world? Are you frustrated at the lack of progress in helping the poor? Now is your chance to do something to change the world!

The facts

  1. 75% of persons now live in societies where income distribution is more unequal
  2. 736 million live in extreme poverty and live on less than US$ 1.90 per day
  3. Children of the poorest 20% are 3 times more likely to die before age of 5 than those of richest
  4. Disabled persons are 5 times more likely to incur catastrophic health costs

WCYDo (wich-ee-do – What Can You Do?)

 Buy fair trade fruit and products to help poor suppliers achieve more income

  1. Support use of official aid to promote fairness and equality in developing world
  2. Support charities such as www.epi.org
  3. Write to your politicians to increase aid and trade with developing world
  4. Share the facts about inequalities with family and friends.

Encourage others to join us and to visit our Facebook Page to sign up for our newsletter and information about our proposed WCYDo APP.  See you next week on a new blog post!

 

11. Sustainable cities and communities

11. Sustainable cities and communities

Posted on by Mother Earth

SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

Earth year 4,492,056,017
Mother Earth/ Gaia‘s Blog

Mankind, My children

In my first blog post I asked that you commit to following my blog for a few weeks to give me a chance to explain the most important issues affecting our joint survival. Subsequent Blog posts have started to give you some facts about the big and important Global issues that need to be addressed. In today’s Blog post I want to talk about the need to Sustainable Cities and Communities. 

The Problem

Photo Courtesy: Oxfam

Half of humanity – over 3.5 billion people now live in cities and by 2030 this will rise to be 60% of global population. Over 95% of such urban expansion will occur in the developing world where over 828 million people already live in slums and rubbish tips around cities. Such rapid urbanisation will exert even more pressure on freshwater supplies, sewage, environment and public health unless effective action is taken on a number of aspects to create safer, more sustainable ways of living in such communities.

Do you feel guilty when you see the suffering of the poor in developing countries and the terrible conditions in which many of them have to live and bring up their families? Do you get frustrated that little seems to be done to help such people? Do you get angry at the unfairness of the world where so many struggle to survive and feed their families? Now is your chance to do something to change the world!

The facts

1. 828 million poor people have to live in urban slums with very limited services
2. 95% of the expected future urban growth will occur in cities of the developing world
3. 90% of the 1.24 million global road accident deaths happen in low and middle income countries and up to 75%of the deaths in urban areas are to the poorest–pedestrians and cyclists!

WCYDo (wich-ee-do What Can You Do?)

1. Buy fair trade products to help poor workers have a living wage to feed their families
2. Fund raise or donate to charities that assist people in the developing world, such as www.eesi.org, www.habitat.org
3. Write to your politicians to increase aid and trade with developing world
4. Share the facts about global urbanisation with family and friends.
5. Write or emails to newspapers to request more coverage of this topic
6. Encouraging others to join campaigns or donate to charities

Encourage others to join us and to visit our Facebook feed at https://www.facebook.com/WCYDO.Earth/ to sign up for our free newsletter and information about our proposed WCYDo App. See you next week on blog post 12.