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Earlham College |
Katy Nicholson |
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Population Clocks: World and U. S. (United States
Census Bureau) http://www.greenmatters.com/gm/facts.html Is the environment really
in trouble? Are ecosystems on the verge of collapse? Wealthy, industrial
countries take for granted that clean air regulation is working, that a
supply of safe drinking water will always be available and that safe food is
98% guaranteed. However, a look at some harsh environmental facts will
clearly show that such suppositions are precarious. Turning the tide on
mounting environmental problems is the only way to prevent a bad situation
from becoming steadily worse. Get the facts on the
state of the environment. Knowing industry's, government's and your own role
in the environment's sustainability is the first step in recognizing that you
may need to make some changes in the way you live, the products you buy and
the politicians you support. There is no room for public complacence. Only
responsible consumerism, smart voting, and greener living will secure a
future of a healthy planet. • Every day we lose more than 3,000 acres of productive
farmland to sprawling development. Today, more than 75 percent of our fruits
and vegetables are produced near urban areas, directly in the path of
development. The Amercian Farmland Trust • A 1998 survey reports that 70% of scientists believe
that during the next 30 years as many as one-fifth of all species alive today
will become extinct. Unlike past mass extinctions, the current one is the
result of human activity, and not natural phenomena, say the scientists.
Furthermore, they believe that the destruction of species and ecosystems is a
formidable threat to the health of the planet and to humanity's own
well-being and survival. The American Museum of Natural History and the Louis
Harris Research Firm • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates
pesticides contaminate the groundwater in 38 states, polluting the primary
source of drinking water for more than half the country's population. • Several scientists have put the FDA on notice about the
potential dangers of genetically engineered foods, but instead of
responsible regulation, the FDA's policy on genetically altered foods is to
treat them no different than naturally produced foods; they will not be
safety tested; they will not carry labels stating that they have been
genetically engineered. The FDA has placed the interest of a handful of
biotechnology companies ahead of their responsibility to protect public
health. By failing to require testing and labelling of genetically engineered
foods, the agency has made consumers unknowing guinea pigs for potentially
harmful, unregulated food substances. Dr. Philip Regal, Professor of Ecology,
Evolution, and Behavior at University of Minnesota; Organic Consumers
Association; Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the International Center
for Technology Assessment • 5 percent of the world's population lives in the U.S.,
but Americans produce 50 percent of the world's waste. National Recycling
Coalition • Currently nearly 78 million people are added to the
World's population each year. The current explosion of our planet's
population leads to the conversion of natural lands for living space and
increased consumption -- severely stressing the ecosystems that have
traditionally supported human societies. Ultimately at risk are the air we
breathe, the water we drink, the soils and seas that feed us, and the living
creatures that give us medicines and countless other products. U.S. Census Bureau,
Conservation International Energy Facts:
Left your refrigerator door open for 6 years Left your bathroom light burning for 30 years or Left your color television turned on for 28 years -Sierra Club
Human Rights:
Hunger Myths:http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/1998/w98v5n1.html http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/1998/s98v5n3.html http://www.discover.com/apr_01/featbomb.html
Population:If the world were 100 people. . . Animated version of Miniature World Text of Above |
Revised June 17, 2002. Send comments to nichoka2@earlham.edu