By Suzanne York. Another Earth Overshoot Day is upon us, this one coming August 2nd, even earlier than last year. This date, calculated by Global Footprint Network, arrives earlier with each passing year, as humanity uses up natural resources faster than the Earth can replenish in a year. Currently we are using the ecological resources
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By Suzanne York. The poorest people in the world are paying the highest price for safe water, according to WaterAid’s report, Water: At What Cost? The State of the World’s Water 2016. Worldwide, some 650 million people in the world still do not have access to clean water and more than 2.3 billion do not
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org World Water Day, recognized on March 22nd, should mark not only appreciation of this  most precious of resources, but also emphasize how global society can better conserve it during a time of erratic climate changes. But let’s take this a step further and talk about how the current economic system of
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Overconsumption, as most people are aware of, is having a tremendous effect on the planet.  But fewer think of this in terms of diet, where intensive meat and dairy production is also a strain on the environment. A new report – Meat Atlas – has just been published by Friends of
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org In this summer of drought in many places around the world, concern about water is growing.  Coping with water scarcity is a main topic at World Water Week, which is currently winding down in Stockholm, Sweden.  This is an annual gathering of leaders, experts, and perhaps a few activists to discuss
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org We are well into summer 2013, and in the West temperatures are high, wildfires are raging, and droughts are in effect in many states. One state that has been hit particularly hard is New Mexico.  Nearly 90 percent of the state is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions, and the Rio
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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. 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 It’s pretty obvious that summer 2012 has been one of the hottest summers in decades in the U.S., even after much of the country endured a scorching 2011. Last year Dallas,Texas had had 40 consecutive days over 100 degrees, and Oklahoma had 63 days with 100+ degree highs. This year has
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By Suzanne York, HowMany.org, April 25, 2012 The Aspen Institute continued its series exploring living in a world of 7 billion people with an event this past April 18th, in a session called “A Long Walk to Water: Women, Population and Access to Safe Water.” As society grapples with a population projected to hit over
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