By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Mothers across the U.S. and many other countries were celebrated this past Mother’s Day.  Despite this special day, American women across the country face avoidable harms to their health and that of their babies when giving birth.  A newborn’s actual birth day is the most dangerous time for mothers and babies.
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The news of late out of Australia has not been the most encouraging.   For starters, the country continues to mine coal at a rapid pace, upping its exports of the dirty fuel.  It is the world’s biggest coal exporter.  A recent report found that if the expected expansions of Australia’s
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org At some point in early May, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is expected to hit 400 parts per million (ppm).  It will fluctuate throughout the rest of the year, and for the next several years.  It is predicted to stabilize at the 400ppm mark by 2017, and
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org As we celebrate Earth Day this year, it is a good time to think about how we can improve not just the environment but also peoples’ lives.  In the face of globalization and the push for endless economic growth, our societies need to determine the best way to grow and where and when it’s needed.
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Ethiopia is the cradle of humankind.  It is also home to an array of animal species.  Yet both people and nature are under threat, mainly due to environmental degradation, poaching, and human population growth. Today there are close to 90 million people in Ethiopia (it is the 2nd most populous nation
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org If you are concerned at all about world population growth, human rights (and especially women’s rights), and protecting the environment, then you should know about how PHE (Population, Health and Environment) programs can effectively address these issues. PHE projects are relatively new in the development sector, but this holistic approach recognizes
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org It’s easy, if you’re not in the Beltway, to disregard all the machinations emanating from our nation’s capital.  Do or die elections, fiscal cliffs, and now sequestration – budget cuts to end all cuts. $85 billion in federal spending reductions just for this year alone is not a joking matter.  The
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org During that 15 minute coffee break you took this morning, somewhere across the ocean an elephant was killed.  It is estimated that every 15 minutes an elephant is slaughtered, about 40,000 annually. It makes you wonder how much longer wild elephants will roam the earth.  Because at this rate, with high
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Kudos to Eve Ensler, performer, playwright and activist. For the past year, Ensler has spearheaded a global campaign called One Billion Rising to draw attention to the sadly pervasive crisis of violence against women. This coming Valentine’s Day, One Billion Rising actions will take place all over the world, in at
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org A recent story on BBC News epitomizes some of the challenges for balancing conservation efforts and the needs of people. The news article of note addressed wildlife, endangered species, development, and population growth in Nepal. Titled Attacks Prompt Nepal to Cap Wildlife Growth, the BBC reports that “Officials in Nepal have
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