By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The headlines out of the Sahel region of Africa (and Sub-Saharan Africa) are not good, and are reflective of climate change, food insecurity, and poverty.  The situation highlights the need to invest in and empower women as one answer to these problems. The Food & Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Situation Update on
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The studies keep coming, and our society ignores them at its own peril.  This time, the issues are endangered species and loss of biodiversity. In June, scientists at Ohio State University warned that a still rapidly growing human population poses a threat to hundreds of mammal and bird species with extinction
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee recently introduced a bill that puts a ceiling on funding for family planning and reproductive health programs at $461 million; this is 23 percent, or $94 million below the current level (and $174 million less than President Obama’s budget request). The bill also calls
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org According to a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan is “one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, not far from being classified, ‘water-scarce’.” This has huge implications for the world’s sixth most populous country, which currently stands at 182 million people.  Projections released last month by
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Do you want to do something that will help women around the world?  One big step you can take is to support the Global Democracy Promotion Act (GDPA) – a piece of congressional legislation that calls for permanently ending the global gag rule. What is the Global Gag Rule? The global
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The word “resilience” is being thrown around more and more these days, often taking the place of the overused “sustainability.”   Yet both words are critical as the world faces increasing threats of climate change and ways to adapt to it. The Mekong River Basin isn’t in the news much, yet a
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org If you are looking for a little inspiration, and who isn’t these days, a soft-spoken teenager fighting for girl’s rights has emerged as an unsung hero. At age 15, Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman who wanted to kill her for her outspokenness on
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org. Here we are halfway through the year 2013 and it’s time for another World Population Day, officially recognized on July 11th.  This United Nations-designated day is meant to raise awareness on all facets of human population growth.  Given that the world is at 7.2 billion and counting, this is truly a
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org. As the U.S. west and southwest endures extremely high temperatures and record-breaking drought, the issue of providing water to still growing cities and regions should be at the top of the agenda. Tuscon has sweltered through 100 degree temperatures the entire month of June.  Las Vegas hit 117 degrees, tying its
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Everywhere you turn today there is talk of economic growth.  A growing economy is the gold standard and main policy goal of just about every nation. There is not much talk about growth in sustainable livelihoods or well-being.  Yet a mantra of continued economic growth is what we hear from mainstream
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