Blog Archives
Oxfam: 1% to own more than 50% of world’s wealth
Source: voanews.com
By: VOA News
The richest 1 percent of people in the world will have a majority of the wealth on the planet next year, according to development nonprofit Oxfam.
The most-affluent’s share of global wealth climbed to 48 percent in 2014, compared with 44 percent in 2009, and will likely pass 50 percent in 2016.
The report was released Monday ahead of the annual World Economic Forum meeting this week in Davos, Switzerland.
Oxfam warned that the ‘”explosion in inequality”‘ is holding back the fight against global poverty at a time when one in nine people do not have enough to eat and more than a billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day.
The report said the 80 wealthiest people in the world own $1.9 trillion, nearly the same amount shared by the 3.5 billion people at the bottom half of the world’s income scale.
The international agency’s executive director Winnie Byanyima, who will co-chair the Davos event, plans to use her position at the meeting to call for urgent action to stem this rising tide of inequality.
In order to curb extreme inequality, Oxfam is calling upon states to tackle tax evasion, improve public services, tax capital rather than labor, and introduce living minimum wages, among other measures.
How the Masses are Mindlessly Moved by the Mainstream Media (Video)
War of the Worlds Radio Drama and the Power of the Media. A classic example of how the masses are mindlessly moved by the media.
How Sustainable Farming Could Feed 3 Billion More People
Source: http://themindunleashed.org/2014/07/sustainable-farming-feed-3-billion-people.html
A three-pronged approach has been developed to remedy the global food shortage.
With the population of the world expected to hit 9.7 billion by 2050, it’s no secret that reliable, sustainable, and nutritious food sources need to be developed today to provide for the future tomorrow. But the outlook of providing enough food for future generations is skeptical at best, and scientists, researchers, and farmers are concerned that not enough is being done in the present to prevent food-related catastrophe.
However, some individuals do hold positive outlook that if given the right tools for change and support, another 3 billion people could be fed from sustainable farming methods.
Paul West, from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, along with colleagues believe that if‘given the right levers’, feeding the whole world will be possible. The team believes that the majority of food production problems stem from just a handful of countries, and if such areas could be concentrated on, three billion more people could potentially be fed, along with reduced environmental damage.
“The way we are growing agriculture right now is totally not sustainable.” said West
West and his colleagues have been looking for “leverage points”, or areas with the most potential to change how we grow food. The team focused on the 17 crops that represent 86 percent of the world’s crop calories and consume the most water and fertilizer. From their findings, they developed a three-pronged approach to remedy the global food shortage situation.
Stated Greg Asner of the Carnegie Institute for Science in Stanford, California, “They’re taking a high-altitude view of all the possible points that need to be made if we’re going to feed a planet full of people. It’s incredibly valuable to have all that in one place.”
The study led by West suggests three fundamental areas where food production can be boosted and grown sustainably, leading to increased yields from unproductive farms, decreased amount of waste produced, and change in the way people eat.
In the map below, highlighted areas depict where the most money could be saved.
Turkey is world’s third most generous aid donor
Global report says Turkey donated $1.6 billion in 2013.
Source: worldbulletin.net
Turkey was the world’s third most generous country of 2013 in terms of international aid, according to a report on global humanitarian assistance.
TOP 11 WORLD’S FAMOUS VOLCANOES!
#1 – Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland
Eruption of this volcano paralyzed work of all European airlines a few years ago!
#2 – Etna, Italy
It has 400 craters and erupts once in 3 months.
#3 – Fuji, Japan
It is 3,776 meters high and exceptionally beautiful. If you visit Japan you should visit Fuji!
#4 – St. Helens Volcano, United States
St. Helens’s eruption in 1980 killed 56 people in the US, which makes it the worst volcano eruption in the US history.
#5 – Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Young volcanoes are dangerous. Kilauea keeps spitting lava from time to time. It looks fantastic and scary at the same time.
#6 – Popocatepetl, Mexico
Mexico’s capital is located only 40 km away from a 5,426 m high volcano! Its name is translated as Smoking Mountain in Nahuatl. It was unusually active in mid 90s.
#7 – Izalco Volcano, Salvador
This is a relatively young volcano which makes it one of the most dangerous. The first eruption was in 1770.
#8 – Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador
Guess what happens if it spits lava from the height of 5,897 meters? You’d better not be around!
#9 – Bromo Volcano, Indonesia
Indonesia is often called a land of thousand islands. Well, this is true for volcanoes as well. Bromo is located in Java, and looks fantastic.
#10 – Klyuchevskoy Volcano
Yes, it is true. This is the highest volcano in Eurasia – 4,750 m. Looks gorgeous, doesn’t it?