By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Consumer knowledge on the destructiveness of palm oil production – found in everything from ice cream and crackers to detergents and cosmetics, is rising.  Increased awareness is sorely needed, as more and more forests are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. There are a lot of questions around the
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org It’s time for a fresh start on the year.  Which makes it a good time to take a hard look at how the global economy is structured, and how that is working for people (the 99%, not the 1%) and the environment. There is an obsession with economic growth that flies
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org A recent report by scientists from the National Research Council states that climate change is occurring gradually over the century and that its worst effects can be avoided by keeping emissions below a critical threshold. Due to the burning of fossil fuels, industrial activity and deforestation, the scientists say the accelerating
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Being in India – a country of 1.3 billion people – sort of puts the whole notion of sustainability on its head.  The poverty, pollution, chaos and shear numbers makes everything a challenge, to put it simply.  Here on the sub-continent, and globally, can a healthy, “resilient” environment be created in
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org “We are going to create something that will explode beautifully into the world,” stated Osprey Orielle Lake, organizer of the first International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative Summit.  She echoed the heartfelt sentiments of 100 women environmental leaders who gathered for the conference in late September and came from more than
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org A recent op-ed in the New York Times titled Overpopulation is not the Problem takes an “interesting” position on the topic of population growth and the environment. The author, Erle C. Ellis, a geography professor and biologist by training, wrote, “The conditions that sustain humanity are not natural and never have
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Women’s health and reproductive rights go hand in hand with a sustainable environment. When women’s needs are met, they are able to better manage resources, confront the effects of climate change and handle climate mitigation and adaptation, and overall support sustainable communities. Biodiversity loss affects access to education and gender equality
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Forget nature, as oil trumps conservation once again.  Last week, Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s president, announced the end of an innovative plan to protect one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, opting instead to allow drilling for oil. Known as the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, the plan called for permanently leaving more
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org If there is one day that all of humanity can recognize together, it would be that of Earth Overshoot Day.  This is the day that global resource consumption for the year exceeds the planet’s ability to replenish its natural capital. Or to put it another way, it is comparable to living
[continue reading…]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Confronted with so much grim news 24/7 – severe droughts and floods, poverty, loss of biodiversity, and much, much more – people are understandably hungry for something positive. Fortunately, there are some dedicated organizations and government agencies working to improve peoples’ lives and natural environment via an approach linking issues that
[continue reading…]