By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org [H]ere’s the deal: forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done. ~Paul Hawken This
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org. Forget 2013. Let’s jump ahead to the year 2030. As last year was coming to a close, and just as the global climate talks were winding down in a less-than-stellar performance by most countries, the U.S. National Intelligence Council released a report on how the intelligence community sees the next 17
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The end of a year normally leads to reflections on how the preceding 365 days turned out on many different issues.  As  2012 comes to a close, there are reasons to feel confident about how family planning and reproductive rights fared this year. There were three major events that should be
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By HowMany.org Today, almost everywhere we turn, we are inundated with negativity about the state of our world. There is climate chaos, economic uncertainty, terrorism, inequality, environmental degradation, overcrowding, poverty; the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming to think about global issues and global problems. However, they can’t be ignored, or if
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Mainstream news coverage of the ongoing climate talks barely exists, and any real progress from Doha would be an unexpected and pleasant surprise, as even its participants would agree (perhaps that was why Qatar, the heart of the fossil fuel industry, was chosen as the venue). This despite some increase in
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Sometimes change springs from the unlikeliest of people or places. Improving the educational opportunities of girls in Pakistan’s could now be taking shape, due to the shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistani teenage advocate for girls’ education. The fifteen-year-old was shot in the head when Taliban fighters boarded her school bus,
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Mention India and many contradictory images are often conjured up – poverty and Rajput castles, rich and exotic foods and begging mothers and children, the Himalayan mountains and Rajasthani deserts. But there is no contradiction on the importance of the Indian monsoon. Indian agriculture and much of Indian culture are intertwined
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org In the debates and discussions leading up to the 2012 presidential election, there was not a hint that either political party was willing to question and reassess our dependence on endless economic growth in a world of finite resources. That is anathema to our political world. Our economy is measured and
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The New York Times recently posted an editorial titled “A World of Harm for Women” that argued that a Mitt Romney presidential win would harm women’s reproductive rights and extend far beyond the borders of the United States.  It would indeed. Romney has pledged to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. This
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By Suzanne York, howmany.org Moral outrage has been expressed around the world over the shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistani teenage advocate for girls education. The fourteen-year-old was shot in the head when Taliban fighters boarded her school bus, severely injuring her and another student. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the “…attack reminds
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