Archive for November 2014

Black Elephants: Ignorance, Extinction and Human Impact on the Planet

Nov 26th, 2014 | By
[image credit: www.elefantentreff.de]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org It is said that ignorance is bliss.  What about willful ignorance, or worse, indifference? It is undeniable that humans are changing the environment and affecting the planet’s biodiversity, and much of this change is not for the better.  But it is easier to stick our heads in the sand, look the
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Investing in Youth Benefits Everyone

Nov 20th, 2014 | By
[photo credit: http://www.pk.undp.org/content/pakistan/en/home.html]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org How does the old adage go?  Youth is wasted on the young, right? It is only wasted if the world chooses to not support and invest in young people.  Today, there are more youth than ever before in the history of humankind.  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in its just
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Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Toilets

Nov 18th, 2014 | By
[photo credit: http://www.unwater.org/worldtoiletday/tools/posters/en/]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Worldwide, 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation.  That is nearly 40% of the world’s population. In fact, more people have a cell phone than a toilet. That is why World Toilet Day is recognized on November 19th.   A project of UN Water, the day is meant “to raise awareness
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Turning Pain Into Power: Congo’s City of Joy

Nov 13th, 2014 | By
[photo credit: www.vday.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org There is an African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.” Last month, at the Bioneers conference, Eve Ensler (yes, that Eve Ensler of Vagina Monologues fame), gave a stirring and emotional talk about her work with women in
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Get a Vasectomy, Save the Planet!

Nov 6th, 2014 | By
[image credit: riaus.org.au]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Family planning efforts are mainly directed at women, which makes sense.  Yet too often men are disregarded, and they should be part of most discussions on family planning. Involving both men and women will not only help families, but the environment too. One overlooked topic when it comes to women, men
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Population Pressures: No Quick Fixes, But There are Solutions

Nov 5th, 2014 | By
Lemurs from Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot facing enormous human population pressures [photo credit: Treehgr at English Wikipedia]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org There has been some hoopla over a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) about how decreasing human population numbers is not a quick fix for environmental problems. Well, of course it’s not a quick fix.  Nothing really is, short of a catastrophe.  The two authors
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