Sustainable Good

Global Warming: It's Real, It's Happening--What are We Doing About it?

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted on the blog! I was away on vacation on the New England coast.

As I was reflecting on the trip, I realized that last week I probably admired some beauty on the New England coastline that will soon disappear.  That's right, Global Warming: It's real and if we don't do something about it, oceans will rise and we will lose a lot of our coastal areas. If you think I am crazy and you don't believe that global warming is caused by human activity, you are not alone. According to the chart above from a study by the Pew Research Center, only 49% of the public thinks that the earth is getting warmer because of human activity. However, an overwhelming majority of scientists--84%--agree that the earth is getting warmer because of human activity.

In the Meantime, Children are Dying

There is legislation in both the US House and Senate to revamp and rewrite the way that the US does foeign assitance, something that we talk about a lot on this blog.  Experts know what is required for international aid to be truly effective, and yet the current international aid process is outdated, inefficient, and often ineffective.  Sometimes Western countries' aid even makes problems worse, as Matt reported in an ealier post.  There is hope that the Foreign Aid Reform bills in the House and the Senate will change this situation.  However, there just isn't the political will-power to move this legislation right now.  And in the meantime, 3 million children die every year because they are undernourished.

Investigate the killing of human rights activists in Chechnya

I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn today of the brutal killing of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov. Ms. Sadulayeva was a tireless campaigner for the welfare of children with disabilities and/or traumatized by war in Chechnya. Though I did not personally know her, we had exchanged a few emails and I was sickened to hear of her death.

“Ms Sadulayeva was a tireless activist who was committed to creating public awareness about the landmine problem in the region and advocating for the rights of landmine survivors and other people with disabilities,” said Ms Kasia Derlicka, Advocacy and Campaign Officer for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, in a press release on their website. “Her death is a huge loss to the mine action community.”

Hillary in Africa

You have probably heard about Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's 11-day trip around Africa. She just completed almost the entire trip, visiting Nigeria today, the 5th of 7 countries scheduled for the trip. Clinton heads home on Sunday. You can follow her trip on this interactive map. Recognizing the importance of this trip, Outreach International joined with other Africa advocacy organizations to send recommendations for issues she should address.

A Spectacular Opportunity to Teach and Learn

A great post about Spectacular from guest blogger, Paige Webberley:

I have never considered myself a proficient teacher—mediocre at best.  Even with my favorite subjects of science and math, I often find it difficult to explain to others something I know very well myself.  Nor am I the best public speaker, which is clearly a strength a teacher should possess.  Nonetheless, as part of my summer internship with Outreach International I found myself teaching the Outreach class at Spectacular (Spec), a youth event sponsored by the Community of Christ that takes place every summer at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.