Each paragraph below is a link to the webpage cited.
HUNGER IN AMERICA This is a hard many of us to imagine since America considers itself to be the richest country in the world. But this is the reality of economic and social disparity in the U. S. In 2004, 38.2 million people lived in food-insecure households, including 13.9 million children In 2004, 11.9% of households (13.5 million households) were food insecure compared to 11.2% (12.6 million households) in 2003. In 2004, 3.9% of households (4.4 million households) lived in food insecure households where one or more members was hungry compared to 3.5% in 2003. Sadly, these figures continue to rise. To learn more about Second Harvest and Hunger in America and what you can do to help by clicking anywhere in this paragraph. The above statistics were pre-Katrina. Go to www.hungerinamerica.org for 2006 study results which were released this year.
GLOBAL WARMING AND THE FUTURE It's real, it's here and we (humans) did it. Now what are we doing about it? The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, a worldwide think tank, may not have the answers, but they certainly have the facts here
WORLDWIDE BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity provides not only food and income but also raw materials for clothing, shelter, medicines, breeding new varieties, and performs other services such as maintenance of soil fertility and biota, and soil and water conservation, all of which are essential to human survival. Nearly one third of the world's land area is used for food production. The issues covered on this website range from agricultural diversity to invasive alien species. A must read for anyone who cares about the future of our planet.
WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS Every day, women and girls around the world are threatened, beaten, raped, mutilated and killed with impunity.Currently, Amnesty International is involved in an international campaign to stop violence against women. Join the "Stop Violence Against Women Campaign" and help make women's human rights a reality. Also visit other areas of the Amnesty site for information on other human rights issues across the globe.
PEAK OIL -- FACING WORLDWIDE DEPLETION
What is Peak Oil? "The term Peak Oil refers the maximum rate of the production of oil in any area under consideration, recognising that it is a finite natural resource, subject to depletion."
ANIMAL RIGHTS Animal rights might seem like a stretch on a simple living info website, but the fact of it is that this is a very important part of finding your spirtual path. Kindness, love and caring for your fellow creatures is the reason for taking care of the Earth in the first place. Domesticated animals did not ask to be dominated and have their species manipulated by humans. I think that many people intepret the Biblical term "Man's dominion over the animals" to mean we can do what we choose with them. I believe that just the opposite is true and that mankind was charged with the care and protection of all our fellow creatures. This link will take you to a less radical section of the PETA website called "Cruelty-Free Living" and has a lot of information about vegetarianism, consumer products, etc. WARNING: Don't visit this site with your kids unless you look at if first. There are not any particularly sensitive images on this page, but there are links to them. PETA is not for the faint hearted, but if you care, you need to know about these things. While I do not condone their extremist tactics much of the time, the investigation and reporting that they do is top drawer. And their ads do get people's attention. www.greenpeople.org/animalrights.htm is the Green People website and its state by state list of animal welfare organizations.
Be responsible.
