EarthAction

Bringing in World Toilet Day With a Flush

UN Designates November 19 As World Toilet Day

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has designated November 19 as World Toilet Day to spotlight the plight of 2.5 billion people who don't have basic toilets.

According to the U.N., six billion of the world's seven billion people have mobile phones – but only 4.5 billion have access to toilets or latrines.

The General Assembly resolution approved by consensus Wednesday urges the U.N.'s 193 member states to promote behavioral changes and adopt policies to increase access to sanitation and end open defecation, a key cause of diarrhea.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the annual observance of World Toilet Day "will go a long way toward raising awareness about the need for all human beings to have access to sanitation."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/un-world-toilet-day_n_3647242.html

Israel/Palestine Peace Talks to Set a Precedent?

Bethlehem Wall 

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators break the traditional Muslim fast for Ramadan in Washington DC with US Secretary of State, John Kerry. The negotiators have been meeting in the past weeks to discuss peace between Israel and Palestine.

These are the first talks in three years and so far Israel has approved of releasing more than 100 Palestinian prisoners. The negotiators have yet to discuss core issues such as issues around land – division of Jerusalem and Israel claiming major Jewish settlements – and issues around refugees and security – Palestinians want a “right of return” along with a full normal state. 

Negotiators got together with John Kerry and former US Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, to break fast and discuss format, schedule, and location of upcoming peace talks. 

The next round of talks is expected to take place in the Middle East.  Many have little to no faith in a positive outcome of these peace talks, but Secretary of States, John Kerry is determined to get somewhere, hoping that both sides will make compromise for peace and security. 

The Israeli negotiator, Ms Livni, discussed that compromise and strides towards peace are an interest for not only both Israel and Palestine, but also for the rest of the Arab world and internationally. 

 

What are the consequences of peace talks between Israel and Palestine?  Could this start a precedent for conflict resolution in other parts of the Middle East? 

We can only hope to hear more positive news from the rest of these talks.

 

Story thanks to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east

Arctic Permafrost Melts at Extreme Speed

Methane Leaking Through the Cracks 

Scientists have confirmed that the release of immense amounts of methane due to thawing Arctic permafrost could very negatively impact the global economy. The releases could cost an estimated $60 trillion and the worst of these impacts will be felt in developing countries.

Methane is being released in large quantities due to a diminishing ice cover in the East Siberian Sea, which is allowing for waters to warm, hence the release.  Methane is one of the strongest greenhouse gases (GHG).  These emissions will increase flooding, the rise of sea levels, and damage to both agriculture and human health. 

“According to Lloyds of London, investment in the Arctic could reach $100bn within ten years,” (BBC News).

Nevertheless, the costs outweigh the benefits and a release of methane this huge could speed up the increase of global temperatures by 2C by 12-35 years. 

Methane is increasing in the atmosphere; the increase is most prominent over the Arctic. Developing countries may feel this impact most, but it is something that will affect the entire world. 

The economy, global temperatures, agriculture, sea levels, human health.

 Can we prevent this burst from happening?

 

Story thanks to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

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How Will We Protect The World's Journalists?

The news is out about alarming free speech breaching in Somalia and the UN is concerned.  The government is in the process of enforcing a new law that is alarming to UN experts, especially in terms of corruption. 

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s new law requires journalists to disclose their sources and restrict them from spreading information against Islam. 

This new legislation could be a huge breach on freedom of the press and expression and could become law within the next few months.  In the same way, if journalists are accused of violating the legislation, they will be suspended.

What does this mean for journalism?

In many parts of the world, the media is being corrupted by the government – even in the US.  Freedom of the press is a right not only for journalists, but for the people as well.

Taking away this right from journalists is a way for the government to censor the information that is circulated within the world. Not only does this take away rights from journalists, it also takes away the rights of people to know.

Story thanks to Al Jazeera, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa

Let's Talk About Malnutrition: The Case of Cameroon

According to the National Institute of Statistics, 33 percent of children under the age of 5 in Cameroon suffer from malnutrition, 14 percent of them extremely malnourished.

These numbers are immense and need to be addressed in light of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for member states to halve the proportion of those suffering from hunger by 2015.  The MDGs, however, should not be the only “incentive” to create change in Cameroon. 

The Ministry of Public Health believes that malnutrition in Cameroon is closely tied to its climate, but for many, it is simply access to food that continues to make this percentage so high. 

Infant malnutrition is especially high in the Far North and North Regions because of lack of food during the lean season (mid-June to end of August).  In the same way, much of the food consumed is low in essential nutrients. 

“Cameroon is known to be a food-sufficient country. This means that the country doesn’t need to import food as it produces enough to feed its population. Poverty is preventing the Cameroonian people from having access to a varied and balanced diet,” states Celine Essengue, Enfants Cameroun (IPS News).

A UNICEF estimate shows that roughly 58,000 children under the age of 5 are at risk of severe malnutrition and 145,000 children at the same age range will suffer

“Infant malnutrition is also due to the fact that very few infants are breastfed exclusively for the first six months after birth,” states Dr. Sa’a, Director of health promotion in Ministry of Health (IPS News). 

What we are facing is a healthcare issue, a poverty issue, and a lack of education.  It is time to take a stand and make change. 

 

Story thanks to IPS News, http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/07/ 

 

Climate Change is Here - Just Ask The Arctic Fox

The world is facing a huge climate issue as the earth continues to overheat.  And along with this overheating planet comes the question of the survival of animals and plants.  Many will have to adapt to global warming and based on how quickly climate change is evolving, the possibility for some of these species to adapt in the same amount of time is nearly impossible. 

It would be false to believe that there is not a species that has adapted to past climate fluctuations, yet the rate of adaptation is extremely slow.  With the rate that climate change is evolving now, it is expected to be dramatically warmer by the end of the century. 

“Global temperatures are going to rise by about four degrees over the next 100 years as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” states Professor John Wiens, University of Arizona (The Guardian).

Most land animals will not be able to evolve so quickly to adapt to this dramatic change, thus: many species face extinction.  For many species, simply evolving to match the new conditions of global warming may not be an option. Moving habitat for many of these species is also not an option.

Though many seem to believe that climate change is not an issue for much of the planet’s wildlife, there is a lot at stake for these creatures.  Not only is there are melting icecaps, rising sea levels, and extremely drastic temperatures at stake, the speed at which these are occurring is inconceivable.  This transformation is not so far away as we may think and we are the ones creating this transformation. 

Let’s keep in mind what is at stake: much of today’s wildlife. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013

Uniting to Celebrate Mandela

Today, July 18, 2013, the United Nations recognizes Nelson Mandela International Day.  This day is meant to commemorate and celebrate the leader’s 95^th birthday and to honor his dedication to social justice. 

The UN and the Nelson Mandela Foundation are coming together to use this day to “Take Action, Inspire Change” and are volunteering 67 minutes to help others in a hospital, tutoring children, providing food for the homeless, etc.

This is recognized as the “67-minutes” campaign and its mission is to get people to devote one minute of their time for every year that Nelson Mandela devoted to public service.   

The UN General Assembly in New York is meeting to mark this Day. “Speakers will include former United States President Bill Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, singer, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte, and Andrew Mlangeni, a close friend of Mr. Mandela who was imprisoned with him” (UN Wire News).

“As we extend our best wishes to President Mandela on his 95th birthday, let us also give tangible meaning to our feelings of concern by taking action on behalf of others,” states Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (UN Wire News). 

It only seems fitting that we commemorate this Day as we unite to admire this man who has done so much in his lifetime for the sake of humanity.  

Story thanks to UN Wire News

Breakthrough in Down's Syndrome Chromosome Therapy

“Scientists have corrected the genetic fault that causes Down's syndrome – albeit in isolated cells – raising the prospect of a radical therapy for the disorder,” states Ian Sample, The Guardian. 

Through a number of experiments, US researchers have found a way to take the cells from people diagnosed with DS (Down’s syndrome) and shut down the extra chromosomes. While treatment for the disorder is still far off, this is the first big step towards a “chromosome therapy” for DS. 

Between one in a 1000 and one in 1100 births are DS babies, most with learning difficulties and those who inherit the disorder are subject to heart defects, bowel and blood disorders, and thyroid problems. 

"This will accelerate our understanding of the cellular defects in Down's syndrome and whether they can be treated with certain drugs," said Jeanne Lawrence, who led the team at the University of Massachusetts (The Guardian).

Researches discuss how this is the first major step towards potentially developing chromosome therapy. 

Nevertheless, while a chromosome therapy could potentially be a way to shut down the extra chromosome that is responsible for Down’s syndrome, there would be a number of practical and ethical issues.  The editing of the genome would have to happen at the embryo or fetus level, and this is hard to imagine possible or allowed in today’s society.

 

Story thanks to The Guardian, http://gu.com/p/3hcjn.    

Standing With Malala is Standing With Education

 

 

[In this day,] there are 57 million children without access to education and millions more who aren’t learning in school. Working together, we can lower that number to zero by 2015.

On July 12 — less than a year after she was shot by the Taliban for her strong voice in this fight — Malala Yousafzai [from Pakistan] mark[ed] her 16th birthday by delivering the highest leadership of the UN a set of education demands written by youth, for youth, to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Sign this letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to show your demand for emergency action in support for Malala’s education fight.

Dear Mr Secretary-General,

I stand with Malala in demanding that the leaders of the world end our global Education Emergency. After the recent violent murder of 14 girls in Pakistan who simply wanted an education, I support the civil rights struggle of 57 million girls and boys who will not go to school today — or any day. Read More

Click the above link for more information and to sign the petition - add your voice to the fight for global education and empowering leaders. 

Clip courtesy of Vine at https://vine.co/v/hBX2IImrbEu/embed