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The Foodprint: Eyes on Methane
By The Editors We all know something about the carbon footprint, a little less about the plastic footprint, and — may be we haven’t heard (yet) about the foodprint. What is the foodprint? It’s all related to methane. Methane is a colorless, odorless gas with a wide distribution in nature. It is the principal component of natural gas. National Geographic calls it the “Good Gas, Bad Gas” and it goes on to say: “Burn natural gas and it warms your house. But let it leak, from fracked wells or the melting Arctic, and it warms the whole planet.” To this, we can add:that, globally, over 60% of total methane emissions come from human activities. Methane…
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Udacity, Georgia Tech and AT&T – Vision and Revolution Come Together
By The Editors In the last few days, a so-called “bold move” has generated lots of discussion in the higher education community – someone (or more than one) says that the “bold move” has actually generated shock. Others call the move “revolutionary”. Question: What is the “bold move” we’re referring to? Answer: A very special announcement. Georgia Tech and Udacity, in collaboration with AT&T, will offer a sought-after graduate computer science degree, traditionally offered on the Georgia Tech campus, through online instruction. What brings shock, though, is not the online format, but the cost — the degree (a fully accredited Georgia Tech degree) will cost about 80% less than the current…
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Lead Poisoning Epidemics and Outbreaks: A Global Problem
By The Editors When we think epidemics, we think infectious pathogens. However, there are other epidemics – one of them is the lead epidemic. Lead poisoning accounts for at least 0.6% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2009). The Blacksmith Institute considers lead pollution one of the world’s worst pollution problems. In much of the Western world, the problem is almost contained. However, in countries with little regulation, there are devastating lead epidemics and, at times, lead outbreaks. Lead is a toxic, naturally occurring heavy metal found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Because of its abundance, low cost, and physical properties, lead and lead compounds have been used in…
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Edible Insects: Raising Awareness
By The Editors As mentioned in the previous post, a few days ago a publication released from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) started to raise awareness on the value of insects as food source. The publication is a book entitled “Edible insects – future prospects for food and feed security” and draws on a broad range of scientific research. It’s the result of a collaboration with the Laboratory of Entomology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and part of a broad-based effort at FAO to examine the gathering and rearing of insects as a viable option for alleviating food insecurity. Although the majority of edible insects are gathered from forest habitats, there is increased interest…
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Edible Insects – Will They Become a Global Diet Staple?
By The Editors The human population keeps growing – by 2050, it’s likely there will be 9 billion people on our planet – or our village. Food may become scarce. What can we do to make sure there is enough of it for the growing population? We need to think differently, and look across cultures to find ways for increasing food security. Edible insects have always been a part of human diets. It is estimated that over 2 billion people normally eat them. Insects are considered delicacies in many parts of the world, particularly in the tropics. However, in many cultures, there is a main barrier to eating insects — “consumer disgust”.…
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Arctic Pollution
By The Editors The Great White North is not in good shape. It’s one of the most vulnerable and fragile ecosystems of our planet and is contaminated with about everything: furans, cadmium, dioxins, chlordane, selenium, polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury, radioactive fallout. There are 8 countries that possess territories extending beyond the 66th Parallel: Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland. It is estimated that about 4 million people live north of the Arctic Circle, Industrial development in the Arctic is leading to waste accumulation, especially in the vicinity of indigenous villages. However, this is not all. It’s a global problem, a problem of global pollution. Indeed, a…
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Clinton Global Initiative University: DREAMZone
By The Editors The Clinton Global Initiative University was launched in 2007 by President Clinton to develop a growing community of students on college campuses around the world – a community working to make the world a better place. Who are the students participating in this community? They are leaders – young leaders set to make a difference. They don’t just discuss global challenges – they come up with innovative ideas to solve the global challenges they discuss and then take real, concrete steps to implement those ideas. Students in this community develop their own Commitments to Action: a specific plan of action to address a selected challenge. Central to Commitments to Action is…
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Global Education
By The Editors In a previous post, I introduced the concept of global education as the education perspective expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The concept of global education is defined in more detail by the Global Education website as a set of five perspectives: 1) Interdependence and globalisation, 2) Identity and cultural diversity, 3) Social justice and human rights, 4) Peace building and conflict resolution, 5) Sustainable futures. The Global Education website, which illustrates all aspects of the Global Education Project, has been developed and is maintained by Education Services Australia, a national, not-for-profit company owned by all Australian education ministers. The five perspectives, detailed below, provide a framework for global education.…
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Toxic Hot Spots: A Global Health Threat
By The Editors Toxic Hot Spots are areas where the concentration of toxic substances, which may be present in water, soil or air, is significantly higher than background levels. In these areas, the risk of adverse health effects is elevated. Toxic hot spots are often located in the vicinity of landfills, car battery recycling sites, sewage treatment plants, refineries, tanneries, mines, and numerous other operations. Living nearby these sites may cause serious adverse affects, as for example cancer and retardation in children.. We usually think of infectious diseases as the major global health problem. However, a new study by Kevin Chatham-Stephens and collaborators, published this month in Environmental Health Perspectives, shows that living near a toxic hot spot may…
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The Plastic Footprint
By The Editors Plastic pollution is a major global threat. Plastics are durable, degrade very slowly and may persist in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years, resulting in the increasing accumulation of plastic debris in our seas. The best solution to the problem would be to produce and consume less plastic. However, plastic production is on the rise. According to PlasticsEurope, worldwide plastics production rose to 280 million tonnes in 2011, representing around 4% increase from 2010, when 270 million tonnes of plastics were produced. From 2010 to 2016, global plastics consumption is expected to grow by an average of about 4 % each year. What to do then? The…
