Kaburu Anthony: Close to ONE Billion People Sleep Hungry Every Day...

Kaburu Anthony: Close to ONE Billion People Sleep Hungry Every Day...: Last night, 95O million people went to sleep hungry. That’s a larger number than the populations of the U.S. and Europe combined, and the e...

Close to ONE Billion People Sleep Hungry Every Day; My Solutions to Abolishing Hunger

Last night, 95O million people went to sleep hungry. That’s a larger number than the populations of the U.S. and Europe combined, and the effects of not having enough food makes hunger (and malnutrition) the No. 1 public health risk worldwide—greater than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

226.7 million People are starving in Africa. The countries most affected by extreme poverty and hunger in Africa are mainly those located south of the Sahara. One in four people suffers from hunger there – which means that the share of the world's hungry is highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which have been affected by adverse weather conditions linked to El Niño, along with the increased number of violent conflicts, face rising food insecurity from disrupted food production and, consequently, increasing levels of undernourishment of its people.

The devastating effects of conflicts have been severe in countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia, where more than 20 million people face severe food insecurity. In addition to the detrimental effect conflicts have on the severity of food insecurity, there is a growing concern in these countries on the conflicts which are triggered by the presence of food insecurity and malnutrition.

In the last ten years, humanitarian assistance and spending needs have grown by almost 130 percent, with only approximately 40 percent covering needs in the food and agriculture subsectors. The surge in humanitarian needs, as well as the potential for agricultural development and rural resilience-building to provide a buffer against crises -- highlights the need for a new way of responding to the food security challenges.

But still, much more needs to be done. Achieving global food security will require progress in the following areas:

·         Increasing production to expand the caloric output of food and feed at rates that will match or exceed the quantity and quality requirements of a growing population whose diets are changing because of rising incomes. This increase must be fast enough for prices to drop (increasing the accessibility of the available food to the world’s poor) and be achieved by increasing the productivity of the small farmers in the less-developed countries so as to raise their incomes even as prices drop.

·         Such productivity increases will require all available technology, including the use of biotechnology, an approach that every scientific body has deemed to be safe but is being bitterly fought by the organic food growers’ lobby and various (mainly European) nongovernmental organizations.

·         Climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor farmers in rain-fed areas and the populations who depend on them. Special attention must be given to the production of more drought-resistant, saline-resistant, and less-thirsty plants for the production of food and feed staples.

·         Additional research is needed to develop techniques to decrease post-harvest losses, increase storability and transportability, and increase the nutritional content of popular foods through biofortification.

·         Biofuels should not be allowed to compete for the same land and water that produce food for humans and feed for their livestock. We simply cannot burn the food of the poor to drive the cars of the rich. We need to develop a new generation of biofuels, using cellulosic grasses in rain-fed marginal lands, algae in the sea, or other renewable sources that do not divert food and feed products for fuel production.

·         Because it is impractical to seek food self-sufficiency for every country, we need to maintain a fair international trading system that allows access to food and provides some damping of sudden spikes in the prices of internationally traded food and feed crops.

·         The scientific, medical, and academic communities must lead a public education campaign about food security and sound eating habits. Just as we have a global antismoking campaign, we need a global healthy food initiative.

·         And we need to convince governments to maintain buffer stocks and make available enough food for humanitarian assistance, which will inevitably continue to be needed in various hot spots around the world.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO THE RESCUE

No single action is going to help us solve all the problems of world hunger. But several paths are open to us to achieve noticeable change within a five-year horizon. Many policy actions are already well understood and require only the will to pursue them.

But there are a few more actions that will become effective only when combined with the development of new technologies that are almost within our grasp. Critical advances in the areas of land, water, plants, and aquatic resources will enable us to take a variety of actions that can help put us back on track to significantly reduce hunger in a few short years.

Land. Agriculture is the largest claimant of land from nature. Humans have slashed and burned millions of hectares of forest to clear land for farming. Sadly, because of poor stewardship, much of our farmland is losing topsoil, and prime lands are being degraded. Pressure is mounting to further expand agricultural acreage, which means further loss of biodiversity due to loss of habitat. We must resist such pressure and try to protect the tropical rainforests in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This set of problems also calls for scientists to:

·         Rapidly deploy systematic efforts to collect and classify all types of plant species and use DNA fingerprinting for taxonomic classification. Add these to the global seed/gene banks and find ways to store and share these resources.

·         Use satellite imagery to classify soils and monitor soil conditions (including moisture) and launch early warning campaigns where needed.

·         For the longer term, conduct more research to understand the organic nature of soil fertility, not just its chemical fertilizer needs.

Water. Water is life. Humans may need to consume a few liters of water per day for their survival and maybe another 50 to 100 liters for their well-being, but they consume on average about 2,700 liters per day for the food they consume: approximately one liter per calorie, and more for those whose diet is rich in animal proteins, especially red meat. At present, it takes about 1,200 tons of water to produce a ton of wheat, and 2,000 to 5,000 tons of water to produce a ton of rice.

Rainfall is also likely to become more erratic in the tropical and subtropical zones where the vast majority of poor humanity lives. Floods alternating with droughts will devastate some of the poorest farmers, who do not have the wherewithal to withstand a bad season. We absolutely must produce “more crop per drop.” Some of what needs to be done can be accomplished with simple techniques such as land leveling and better management of irrigation and drainage, but we will also need plants that are better suited to the climate conditions we expect to see in the future. Much can be done with existing knowledge and techniques, but we will be even more successful if we make progress in four critical research areas:

·         First, we know hardly anything about groundwater. New technologies can now map groundwater reservoirs with satellite imagery. It is imperative that an international mapping of locations and extent of water aquifers be undertaken. New analysis of groundwater potential is badly needed, as it is likely that as much as 10% of the world’s grain is grown with water withdrawals that exceed the recharge rate of the underground reservoirs on which they draw.

·         Second, the effects of climate change are likely to be problematic, but global models are of little help to guide local action. Thus, it is necessary to develop regional modeling for local action. Scientists agree on the need for these models to complement the global models and to assist in the design of proper water strategies at the regional and local scales, where projects are ultimately designed.

·         Third, we need to recycle and reuse water, especially for peri-urban agriculture that produces high-value fruits and vegetables. New technologies to reduce the cost of recycling must be moved rapidly from lab to market. Decision-makers can encourage accelerated private-sector development programs with promises of buy-back at reliable prices.

·         Finally, the desalination of seawater, not in quantities capable of supporting all current agriculture, but adequate to support urban domestic and industrial use, as well as hydroponics and peri-urban agriculture, is possible and important.

Plants. Climate change is predicted to reduce yields unless we engineer plants specifically for the upcoming challenges. We will need a major transformation of existing plants to be more resistant to heat, salinity, and drought and to reach maturity during shorter growing seasons.

Research can also improve the nutritional qualities of food crops, as was done to increase the vitamin A content of rice. More high-risk research also deserves support. For example, exploring the biochemical pathways in the mangrove that enable it to thrive in salty water could open the possibility of adding this capability to other plants.

Too much research has focused on the study of individual crops and the development of large monoculture facilities, and this has led to practices with significant environmental and social costs. Research support should be redirected to a massive push for plants that thrive in the tropics and subtropical areas and the arid and semiarid zones. We need to focus on the farming systems that are suited to the complex ecological systems of small farmers in poor countries.

This kind of research should be treated as an international public good, supported with public funding and with the results made freely available to the poor. Such an investment will reduce the need for humanitarian assistance later on.

Aquatic resources. In almost every aspect of food production, we are farmers, except in aquatic resources, where we are still hunter-gatherers. In the 19th century, hunters almost wiped out the buffaloes from the Great Plains of the United States.

Today, we have overfished all the marine fisheries in the world, as we focused our efforts on developing ever more efficient and destructive hunting techniques. We now deploy huge factory ships that can stay at sea for months at a time, reducing some species to commercial extinction.

We need to invest in the nascent technologies of fish farming. There is some effort being made to promote the farming of tilapia, sometimes called the aquatic chicken. In addition, integrating some aquaculture into the standard cropping techniques of small farmers has proven to be ecologically and economically viable.

The private sector has invested in some high-value products such as salmon and shrimp. But aquaculture is still in its infancy compared to other areas of food production. A massive international program is called for.

Marine organisms reproduce very quickly and in very large numbers, but the scientific farming of marine resources is almost nonexistent. Proper farming systems can be devised that will be able to provide cheap and healthy proteins for a growing population.

About half the global population lives near the sea. Given the billions that have gone into subsidizing commercial fishing fleets, it is inconceivable that no priority has been given to this kind of highly promising research. Decisionmakers must address that need today.

Our global goal should be that all people enjoy food security: reliable access to a sufficient quantity, quality, and diversity of food to sustain an active and healthy life. Most developed countries have achieved this goal through enormous advances in agricultural techniques, plant breeding, and engineering schemes for irrigation and drainage, and these advances are making a difference in developing countries as well.

Finally, fighting hunger is a global mission and zero hunger is also one of the main Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving this requires strong determination and commitment from individual nations. Formulating policies that support better agricultural investments, providing agriculture subsidies and incentives, promoting child and women health care, prioritising nutrition programmes, and boosting the production and consumption of climate resilient native nutritional crops are some of the elementary practices that will be crucial in defeating hunger and creating a zero hunger world by 2030.

Kaburu Anthony: Lack of global awareness and discrimination hinder...

Kaburu Anthony: Lack of global awareness and discrimination hinder...: According to the latest statistics as recorded on the UNAIDS website, 37.9 million [32.7 million–44.0 million] people globally were living ...

Lack of global awareness and discrimination hindering the fight against HIV/Aids

According to the latest statistics as recorded on the UNAIDS website, 37.9 million [32.7 million–44.0 million] people globally were living with HIV. 23.3 million [20.5 million–24.3 million] people were accessing anti-retroviral therapy. 1.7 million [1.4 million–2.3 million] people became newly infected with HIV. 770 000 [570 000–1.1 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses. 74.9 million [58.3 million–98.1 million] people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic. 32.0 million [23.6 million–43.8 million] people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.

There is an urgent need to sustain and intensify efforts in the fight against infection, so that its levels can be kept at a minimum level, particularly amongst young people. Recent statistics have shown that over 60% of the new cases are isolated to young persons, showing the need for more education regarding the virus and its potential dangers amongst the young.

Despite public service messages, advertisements and seminars hosted to educate persons on the dangers attached to having unprotected sex, there is still a substantial number of persons dying every year from AIDS-related complications.

Education on prevention aside, more also needs to be done in helping to eliminate or diminish the amount of stigma and discriminative attitudes held towards those with the disease. Stigma around the world is often so strong that those who are infected or suspect that they are, are often hindered from seeking treatment or learning of their status and being educated on preventative measures.

This creates a barrier, which could potentially become life-threatening and significantly decrease the mental health of the person. While there has been some progress over the years with the monitoring and reduction of stigma within the workplace as guidelines have been put in place to help in that respect, the stigma within the wider society is still largely in place and for the most part will largely remain that way over the next few years.

It should be emphasized that such discrimination helps the virus spread, because those carrying it dare not let the society know about it. The discrimination discourages those with the virus to tell the truth, which increases the risk of them spreading it to others.

The spread of HIV is not something uncontrollable, but a key prerequisite for controlling it is ending the discrimination against those infected with the virus. That should be the common sense of the whole society and it will take the common efforts of all to discard discrimination and fight the disease together.

We have, right now, the best testing, treatment, and prevention strategies that we’ve ever had, and putting them together has the potential to get every person living with HIV treated and able to live a full and healthy live and to effectively eliminate the chances of new transmissions occurring.

I can see that organizations have changed their prevention work a lot, they are now openly discussing the questions that are important to gain an understanding of the spread of HIV, such as parallel sexual relationships. It is important that a change in attitude comes from deep within society.

Improving the capacity to drive prevention work in the local societies provides a long-term approach to the fight against HIV/AIDS. If the spread of the disease is to be slowed, local resources must also be utilized. To achieve greater consistency in this work, local competence must be strengthened on a broad scale. And this competence must remain in place regardless of reduced medical care budgets or international relief efforts.

Furthermore, only when those with the virus can live equally among others will they refrain from concealing their condition. Social organizations need to be able to hold activities on campus to create a friendly atmosphere toward those with HIV. Governments also have a role to play, too, by rendering efforts toward eliminating the barriers that prevent discrimination against those who have the virus.

While there is still more work to be done, more than half a trillion dollars spent on HIV/AIDS and major clinical advances have led to significant strides in reducing mortality and improving the quality of life among people living with the disease.

Looking ahead, we know what needs to be done. We need to invest in research and development; people need greater access to diagnostics, particularly for drug-resistance, and better treatments that are less toxic and more effective; and we need the international community to fund the fight against the disease fully. We also urgently need a civil society movement that will hold governments, agencies, the pharmaceutical industry and other organizations to account.

Kaburu Anthony: Protecting wildlife species “SHOULD” be our human ...

Kaburu Anthony: Protecting wildlife species “SHOULD” be our human ...: Today, another force is driving Earth towards its next extinction event. Human-driven changes to the planet are hitting global species on ...

Protecting wildlife species “SHOULD” be our human global responsibility

Today, another force is driving Earth towards its next extinction event. Human-driven changes to the planet are hitting global species on multiple fronts, as hotter oceans, deforestation, and climate change drive floral and faunal populations to extinction in unprecedented numbers.

As we continue to encroach on animals' habitats, pollute their ecosystems, and drive the Earth towards warmer and warmer temperatures, we're stubbornly marching away from a version of the world that we will never be able to get back.

Biodiversity losses won't be replaced for millions of years, and so when you imagine extinctions in coral reef ecosystems, or rain forest ecosystems, or grasslands, wildlife species or wherever, those places are going to be less diverse essentially forever, as far as humans are concerned but we still have less time left to protect our biodiversity.

As much as half of the total number of animal individuals that once shared the Earth with humans are already gone, a clear sign that we're on the brink, if not in the midst of, a sixth mass extinction.

Each organism on this earth has a role to play in the ecosystem but sadly many of the world’s animals are gradually crowding up the endangered list due to habitat loss, illegal poaching, hunting, and so on.

There is growing global awareness of the crises facing our planet’s biodiversity, including poaching and habitat loss. Where conservation has been successful, efforts are often structured around effectively managed protected areas. However, far too many protected areas lack adequate capacity for enforcement and adaptive management.

Together with the wildlife authorities, exploiting companies need to design a code of conduct to eradicate illegal hunting. This is critical, particularly for the survival of the last remaining wildlife species, while more resources and enforcement is required to prevent elephant poaching for ivory.

Governments should foster trust between people and their armed forces by ensuring that discipline is maintained, and by responding swiftly to any reported abuse , Armed forces should set an example of biodiversity conservation to local communities and penalties on harvesting wildlife should be strictly enforced .

Increased awareness of the plight of wildlife, its role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and the immorality of driving another species to extinction, must surely be a prerequisite to action. Therefore, as a first step, we must seek to raise awareness, increase knowledge, shift attitudes, and build compassion for wildlife.

Appropriate policy instruments that incentivize conservation and sustainable use of natural resources are urgently needed along with raising awareness and pride within communities of the value and uniqueness of wildlife.

Shrinking habitat, exploitation of natural resources, climate change and pollution are the main drivers of species loss and are threatening more than 40% of our wildlife habitat globally.

Biodiversity underpins ecosystem services such as pollination, flood prevention, water and air purification, and soil conservation. We are in danger of losing vital ecosystem services which will have major negative consequences for human civilization.

Protecting the forests, preventing desertification and conserving biodiversity are crucial goals, by simply doing so; we are helping wildlife and ecosystems to thrive. It is no longer enough for governments and businesses just to think of the environmental effects arising from their operations.

As we already know, trees and their roots have a significant role in binding the soil together and preventing the process of desertification or soil erosion, It is also the source of almost every ecosystem, serving as home, place of protection and food source for most animal species, and even us humans.

Business as usual cannot continue, we must all join a socially responsible business with the goal of creating a more sustainable future for our wildlife species.

Financial penalties on extractive industries that do not respect conservation guidelines need to be enforced. Such steps need to be taken now, before the unique and iconic biodiversity of the world's largest desert is lost.

Finally, poaching is a threat not only for our wildlife species, but for the whole global community, protecting the world wildlife and the global environment is essential, and to avoid the extinction of some species we must act now.

We urgently need accountable and visionary governments and businesses that work in the best interest of societies and promote sustainable and equitable uses of natural resources, while fostering the recovery of threatened species.

Kaburu Anthony: What governments can do about climate change

Kaburu Anthony: What governments can do about climate change: Climate change as a consequence of global warming is now with us, and the sooner we act the less damage will be done to our society, econom...

What governments can do about climate change

Climate change as a consequence of global warming is now with us, and the sooner we act the less damage will be done to our society, economy and environment, and to us. With the increasing greenhouse gases and declining glaciers, the threat of our green planet becoming a barren land in future seems real. The elevation in the pollution levels due to the reckless use of the Earth’s resources has created an alarming situation for the people inhabiting the planet.

If this misuse of the resources continues in the future, chances are that our planet might be amongst the other seven planets where life is not possible. To prevent this, Governments, as leaders of this green planet should take strict steps to guard the uniqueness of our planet and let it be green and full of life forever.

·         Governments must put Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the centre of national policy development.

·         Strive for integrated policy development across departments and functions and avoid negative environmental externalities of poorly planned policy interventions.

·         Eliminate environmentally harmful subsidies.  

·         Take the long term view embracing multiple electoral cycles.  

·         Plan and most importantly, implement.  

·         Governed people must be enabled and encouraged to make sustainable choices.

·         Set ambitious goals for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation in electricity production, energy systems and buildings. Establish mechanisms to track and enforce progress towards these targets.

·         Phase-out investments in and subsidies for fossil fuels for energy generation. Transition financing to the technologies and infrastructure needed for development, adoption, and scale-up of renewable energy sources and investments in energy efficiency.

·         Ensure that climate policies support energy access and sustainable energy for all by promoting distributed renewable energy technologies in energy-poor communities while enabling countries to meet energy needs for development

If we hope to combat climate change, concerted efforts will need to be made locally and internationally by governments, public agencies, businesses, industries, communities and individuals. Achieving major reductions in the use of fossil fuels is essential if Ireland is to secure the major cuts being sought in GHG emissions.

In addition, improvements in energy efficiency, coupled with widespread use of alternative energy sources, will also be needed. Sustainable transport and agricultural practices aimed at reducing emissions are also urgently needed.  Possibilities for development and deployment of low carbon technologies and new technologies such as carbon capture and storage and management systems will also arise.

Ensuring good health of our planet is for our own good. We’ve been exploiting the natural resources since long, but it is high time we realize the damage it has done to the planet and takes necessary steps to protect our only shelter.

Kaburu Anthony: Climate Solutions Need Women at the Forefront

Kaburu Anthony: Climate Solutions Need Women at the Forefront: Women are disproportionately affected by climate change—not because they experience more climate impacts than men, but because women face u...

Climate Solutions Need Women at the Forefront

Women are disproportionately affected by climate change—not because they experience more climate impacts than men, but because women face underlying socioeconomic, political, and legal barriers that limit their choices in the face of climate change. Climate impacts exacerbate these barriers and ultimately hinder climate resilience activities from reaching their full potential.

For example, only 47 percent of women have an account at a formal financial institution, compared to 55 percent of men. Without bank accounts and financial resources, women cannot easily diversify their livelihoods or access financial capital before and after climate disasters. Additional barriers include norms related to unpaid work, limited access to income, discriminatory laws, land ownership restrictions, a lack of capacity-building resources, and a lack of voice.

These barriers not only limit the adaptive capacity of women to climate impacts, but they also influence the adaptive capacity of communities and company value chains—in particular, agriculture (nearly 50 percent of smallholder farmers in some countries are women) and apparel (nearly 80 percent of apparel factory workers are women). 

Despite these deeply rooted barriers, women possess unique and key skills, knowledge, and experiences critical for climate resilience solutions, making them powerful change agents. For example, women make different choices than men that can help an agricultural community within a value chain thrive and adapt to climate change. For generations, women have been land stewards and have maintained local climate, plant, and seed-planting knowledge.

This makes them natural targets for involvement in the creation and use of climate adaptation tools and trainings, in particular as men continue to move to more non-farm jobs and climate impacts continue to worsen.

Climate resilience solutions with a specific focus on women are a win-win: They tackle climate risk and gender inequality simultaneously, with clear benefits for business, women, and communities. For businesses, empowering women and also making them leaders in the development and implementation of these solutions can drive productivity and innovation, especially within sectors like agriculture and apparel that depend heavily on a female workforce. 

Companies can also protect raw materials, increase financial stability and returns, strengthen the resilience of local communities, and deliver other co-benefits, like stabilizing livelihoods, improving food security, and making progress toward closing the global gender gap, as part of this approach.

Businesses that recognize this can play an important role in developing these solutions within their own operations, and they can also collaborate with others to make progress. More specifically, they can:

·         Act to put women at the center of all internal climate resilience approaches and solutions. In particular, companies can provide women in supply chains access to relevant trainings, inputs, financing, and technologies.

·         Enable women throughout the value chain and broader community to effectively respond to climate-related events by linking them with local networks and partners, which can serve as mutual support mechanisms to strengthen climate resilience.

·         Influence policymakers and other organizations to help address underlying inequalities, such as the lack of decision-making power of women, which are particularly challenging in the context of a changing climate. 

Real transformation for both climate resilience and gender equality will happen when governments and all other stakeholders tackle the structural and systemic barriers women face and involve women in solutions—putting women at the center of their climate strategies.

Kaburu Anthony: We must embrace new prevention efforts to reduce H...

Kaburu Anthony: We must embrace new prevention efforts to reduce H...: There were approximately 37.9 million people across the globe with HIV/AIDS in 2018. Of these, 36.2 million were adults and 1.7 million wer...

We must embrace new prevention efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS infection

There were approximately 37.9 million people across the globe with HIV/AIDS in 2018. Of these, 36.2 million were adults and 1.7 million were children (15 years old). HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is one of the world’s most serious public health challenges. But there is a global commitment to stopping new HIV infections and ensuring that everyone with HIV has access to HIV treatment.

As the third decade since AIDS was first recognized comes to an end, extraordinary advances have occurred in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of HIV infection and AIDS. As a result of these successes, it is now time to focus on future challenges. Paramount among these is reaching the goal of truly controlling and ultimately ending the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

To that end, AIDS researchers and public health personnel worldwide are aggressively pursuing 3 key areas of scientific research. Given the availability of highly effective therapeutic regimens for HIV infection, the first challenge is efficiently identifying a maximum number of HIV-infected persons through voluntary HIV testing and initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Second, scientists are trying to develop a cure for HIV infection, which would alleviate the need for lifelong ART. Finally, preventing new cases of HIV infection, which currently number approximately 2.6 million per year globally, is critical to any attempt to end this pandemic.

What can governments do to prevent the spread of HIV?

To prevent the spread of HIV, governments can develop guidelines for healthcare providers on testing and medical care, educate healthcare providers and the public about the importance of HIV testing and medical care, and fund programs that support effective HIV prevention services and medical care.

National governments can also identify and track differences in medical care, illness, and death across different groups of people and help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, including getting all people with HIV into care.

Governments and local health departments can fund programs that support effective HIV prevention services and medical care, create programs and policies to test people at risk for HIV early and often, provide information about where people can get an HIV test, and educate people about the benefits of HIV testing, regular care, and treatment.

Governments and local health departments can also get people who have HIV connected to HIV medical care, promote HIV prevention counseling and services as a regular part of care, support community actions to prevent new HIV infections and help people with HIV, and help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, including getting all people with HIV into care.

Preventing HIV Infection

The most compelling goal of the HIV research agenda in the coming years is more effective HIV prevention. Preventing HIV infection is critical to the long-term goal of controlling and ultimately ending the HIV epidemic.

Many prevention methods with a strong evidence base already exist, such as behavioral and educational approaches, proper use of condoms, needle exchange programs, adult male circumcision, and ART for prevention of mother–child transmission of HIV. Yet worldwide, these proven prevention strategies, alone or in combination, are accessible to only a fraction of persons who would benefit from their implementation.

Devising ways of “scaling up” proven, integrated prevention methods would have an important effect on slowing the growth of the HIV epidemic. Implementation of proven HIV prevention strategies needs to be bolstered with the development and validation of additional, effective prevention tools, such as ART-based prevention methods and a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

Conclusion

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is one of the world’s most serious public health challenges. These pandemic won't be defeated with existing tools.  ARVs are the only option we now have to prolong life. Innovative strategies to provide ARVs more efficiently to patients who need them have to be developed.

ARV treatment is possible even in the poorest and most difficult settings, despite the challenges. We must be more ambitious and invest resources into vaccine research, immunotherapy and other easy-to-use therapeutic approaches too.

Governments, International donors and health care providers, including medical NGOs must mobilize the necessary financial and human resources to make ARVs available to those who need them. At the same time we need to boost efforts to simplify current treatment and monitoring tools

Kaburu Anthony: Climate Change Action must not wait any further, T...

Kaburu Anthony: Climate Change Action must not wait any further, T...: Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, flo...

Climate Change Action must not wait any further, THE TIME IS NOW

Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, floods, emergency evacuations, power shortages, food insecurity, insect-borne diseases, hurricanes and heatwaves – that are becoming more frequent and more intense as the temperature rises.

   

Globally, climate change is having a devastating impact on human health.  The World Health Organization estimates that heat waves, insect-borne diseases, malnutrition, and infectious diseases alone will claim 250,000 lives per year by 2030.  The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that 2oC of warming would be catastrophic for ecological systems and human health, forcing hundreds of millions of people into poverty by 2050.

The scientific evidence is clear and irrefutable — human activity is causing our planet to warm at an alarming rate. International bodies of scientists have warned that we have just over a decade to halve our emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change on our food supply, national security, global health, extreme weather, and more.

There is simply no time to waste, and right is a key turning point for our planet. We need urgent and ambitious action at every level, from heads of state submitting increased national commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change and cities walking the talk, to private sector leaders addressing climate change at every step of the supply chain, finance heads committing to divest from fossil fuels and green their investments and individual citizens using their unique influence to drive change and make an impact.

Everyone has the ability to do something to address our climate challenge, but we can all still do more. What will you do?

What you can do about climate change:

Get informed. Knowledge is power – learn more about the science behind our climate challenge and the responsibility that all sectors hold in addressing the issue. Add your voice to the issues that are shaping the climate debate as well as emerging, evidence-based data that directly relates to changes in our climate.

Hold yourself accountable. Take a personal inventory of your own personal impact on the planet – remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Consider offsetting carbon emissions by investing in clean and renewable energy projects around the world that support local communities, drive sustainable development, and protect our planet.

Unplug. Can you use energy more efficiently at home? Unplug items when they aren’t in use, by goods with high energy-efficient standards, and consider making the switch to renewable energy. All of these can help to help reduce your personal impact. 

Travel smarter. Transportation is now the largest source of carbon emissions globally. No matter where you live, travel by car or airplane contributes heavily to our shared carbon footprint. Take public transit, biking, or walking when possible – it’s good for your health, your wallet, and the planet.

Climate action, one bite at a time. Your food’s carbon footprint, called its foodprint, is the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, cooking, and disposing of the food we eat. Research has revealed the tremendous impact that the mass production of meat, dairy, and eggs has on our planet.

Additionally, food waste is an enormous ‘hidden’ contributor to climate change. In fact, if global food waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the U.S. The carbon footprint of this wasted food is about 3.3 billion tons of CO2. Luckily, there has never been a better time to join efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through food choices. Enjoy more plant-based meals, reduce your food waste altogether, and compost your food scraps.

Shop smarter. Do you know where your dollar is going? Support companies driven by sustainability and committed to transparency throughout the supply chain. Your power as a consumer can be enormously impactful, so if you’re in the dark or unhappy with a company’s impact on the planet, make your voice known! Shop smarter with thoughtful purchasing to minimize waste, and consider reused and pre-loved items to take part in the circular economy and keep goods out from filling our already overflowing landfills.

Vote Earth. Consider climate issues on local, national and global levels – examine the climate and environmental platforms of your candidates, engage these candidates to understand their ambition, and, ultimately, vote at the ballot box for the candidates with clear, ambitious, and convincing plans to protect our planet.

Organize. One person can make a difference, but together, we can make a movement. Consider the communities that you are a part of, whether its your neighborhood, your school or PTO, your company or organization, your faith institution or yoga group or football team. Collective action can have a major impact – and major influence – for change. Consider how you can gather support by mobilizing a larger group for action!

Invest and divest. If you are lucky enough to have investments or a pension, pledge to separate them from exposure to fossil fuel assets and increase your stake in clean energy companies. Join a movement of millions of individuals from dozens of countries representing trillions in assets who are avoiding the investment risks of climate change and lightening their carbon footprints.

 And it doesn’t stop at your individual portfolio – ask your university, your company, and your organization how they invest their money. Because when it comes to climate change, money talks.

Show your support. Show your support for programs and organizations including community and citywide actions that are fighting climate change, and organizations working on the ground to make a difference.

Finally, because Climate change adds injustice to injustice, adds poverty to poverty, adds insecurity to insecurity, the whole of humanity is affected, especially the most vulnerable populations particularly those who are already most fragile and vulnerable. By reducing our use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, diesel and natural gas, we can improve air quality, save lives, reduce chronic diseases, and cut healthcare costs while fighting climate change. 

Kaburu Anthony: Call to Action on Climate and Health

Kaburu Anthony: Call to Action on Climate and Health: Climate change is a global health emergency. It is impacting the health of our communities today. A growing number of health organizations ...

Call to Action on Climate and Health

Climate change is a global health emergency. It is impacting the health of our communities today. A growing number of health organizations around the world are taking climate action – from working on the front lines to take care of communities impacted by climate-related threats, to responding to health emergencies, to taking ambitious steps towards reducing the carbon footprint of our health systems.

We must do more.

As the world faces unprecedented heat, droughts, fires, and storms, this is a crucial moment for global leaders to ratchet-up their commitments to climate action.  To achieve the ambition of both the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, the global community must accelerate action to protect our health and that of future generations. I call on leaders in all sectors and at all levels of government, to act now to support healthy people, in healthy places, on a healthy planet.

Climate Change threatens to undo decades of health and development gains and is the “greatest public health challenge of the 21st century”. Extreme heat and weather events caused thousands of deaths and displaced over 200 million people between 2008 and 2015; air pollution, whose primary driver–fossil fuel combustion– is also the primary driver of climate change, caused over 7.8 million deaths in 2018; vector-borne diseases are spreading to new communities; the agricultural, food, and water systems we depend on for our survival are under threat; and the frequency and severity of droughts, floods, and fires are increasing.

Action to reduce climate change can dramatically improve health. Many policies that move us towards our climate goals have demonstrable and significant health benefits. Climate action in the energy, transportation, land use, agricultural, and other sectors has the potential to avoid millions of preventable deaths each year.

Shifting to renewable energy, sustainable food production and diets, active transportation, and green cities will lower climate pollution while simultaneously reducing the incidence of communicable and non-communicable disease, improving mental health, and bringing significant health care cost savings.

Climate action offers a path to sustainable and healthy development for all. All countries have a shared but widely varying responsibility in their role in causing climate change, and differing capabilities to address its impacts.   

To meet their development and health goals, many low and middle-income countries must invest in a significant expansion of energy generation capacity while adapting to a changing climate.  Wealthy countries and those historically responsible for the most carbon emissions must take the lead in reducing their emissions and supporting both the clean energy transition and global adaptation initiatives. Prioritizing health in climate and energy policy can help ensure sustainable development and greater global equity.

By mobilizing climate action for health and health action for climate, health professionals and health organizations can become leaders in achieving emissions reduction goals and building healthy communities that are resilient in the face of climate risks.  We must also proactively protect the most vulnerable among us – children and women, the poor, marginalized people of all races and ethnicities, the aged and people with disabilities and chronic illness.

As leading health professionals and organizations from around the world, we call on local, national, and global policymakers to act now to significantly reduce climate pollution and build climate resilience.  We also call on people of all nations to engage their governments and demand a robust response.

 

With the right policies and investments today, i have the opportunity to realize our vision of healthy people in healthy places on a healthy planet. The ten priority actions outlined below are urgent and essential steps to protect health and advance human well-being in the era of climate change.

CLIMATE ACTION FOR HEALTH

Making health integral to climate policymaking at all levels and across all sectors offers a major opportunity to strengthen support for climate action, advance climate solutions, and achieve ambitious health targets through win-win strategies that promote climate justice and health equity.

Priority Actions

(1)Meet and strengthen the commitments under the Paris Agreement. A large and rapid reduction in carbon emissions is essential for our health and the health of future generations. All nations must meet and exceed their commitments under the Paris Agreement and strengthen these commitments in coming climate negotiations.

Subnational governments, business, and civil society must actively contribute to and support aggressive emissions reductions, which must be sufficient to achieve a target of 1.5° above pre-industrial levels.

(2) Transition away from the use of coal, oil and natural gas to clean, safe, and renewable energy. With the technology available today, we can dramatically change our energy use and systems to meet growing energy needs affordably, while reducing climate and air pollution. Key policies include:

·         Set ambitious goals for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation in electricity production, energy systems and buildings. Establish mechanisms to track and enforce progress towards these targets.

·         Phase-out investments in and subsidies for fossil fuels for energy generation. Transition financing to the technologies and infrastructure needed for development, adoption, and scale-up of renewable energy sources and investments in energy efficiency.

·         Ensure that climate policies support energy access and sustainable energy for all by promoting distributed renewable energy technologies in energy-poor communities while enabling countries to meet energy needs for development.

·         Maximize health benefits by reducing conventional air pollutants alongside reductions in carbon emissions, ensuring climate justice and improving health equity.

(3) Transition to zero-carbon transportation systems with an emphasis on active transportation. By moving our transportation systems from fossil-fuel centered models to ones based on renewable energy and human health, we can significantly reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. Shifting from driving to active modes of travel – walking, bicycling, and public transit – can substantially reduce rates of non-communicable diseases and injuries.  Key policies include:

·         Increase investments in infrastructure and programs to promote safe walking and bicycling.

·         Increase investments in affordable, accessible and convenient public transit infrastructure, maintenance, and operations.

·         Set ambitious targets and create incentives to increase fuel efficiency and ultimately replace gasoline and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles powered by renewable energy sources.

(4) Build local, healthy, and sustainable food and agricultural systems. By changing what we eat, and how we grow, harvest and transport our food, we can protect our health and significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Practices that conserve and regenerate our soil, conserve our water, and sustain our fisheries are essential to safeguard our food supply in the face of climate impacts. Building resilient local food systems can support the livelihoods of agricultural communities, expand access to healthy food, and reduce carbon emissions. Key policies include:

·         Reduce meat consumption and production, and expand plant-based diets.

·         Reduce food waste.

·         End deforestation for the expansion of industrial agriculture.

·         Promote legal, trade, and financing policies that prioritize and enable sustainable agro-ecological practices and reduce reliance on industrial animal-based agriculture and environmentally damaging agricultural and fisheries practices.

(5) Invest in policies that support a just transition for workers and communities adversely impacted by the move to a low-carbon economy. Sustainable and equitable climate solutions must focus on providing economic and energy security for all, including fair employment and economic opportunities for workers and communities that rely on fossil fuel industries. Investing in a low-carbon economy and marginalized communities can move us away from unhealthy energy systems and build shared prosperity. Key policies include:

·         Address the health impacts of resource extraction on vulnerable populations including rural, remote, and indigenous communities.

·         Engage affected workers and communities in climate and energy policymaking.

·         Build social protection through investment in green jobs and programs that support worker and community transition to good jobs in a green economy, particularly in communities affected by climate mitigation policies.

(6) Ensure that gender equality is central to climate action. Women are particularly affected by poverty, are more vulnerable to climate impacts, and have less access to the political, economic, and social resources that enable them to cope with climate threats, Climate policies must respond accordingly. Key policies include:

·         Engage women proactively in the design and implementation of climate solutions.

·         Build considerations of gender, gender inequality, and gender vulnerability, into all climate and health policymaking.

·         Ensure women and girls have access to financial, educational and other resources for climate adaptation and resilience.

HEALTH ACTION FOR CLIMATE

Health professionals and health organizations must play a leading role in tackling climate change. We pledge – and we call on our health colleagues to commit – to urgently and aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions in health facilities; to build resilience through the integration of climate considerations in health systems, policies, programs, and investments; and to proactively communicate the health threats of climate change together with the health benefits of climate action.

Priority Actions

(7) Raise the health sector voice in the call for climate action. Successfully addressing climate change will require that the health sector proactively engages in strong and sustained advocacy and communications with policymakers and the public. Key policies include:

·         Raise awareness about the health impacts of climate change and the health benefits of climate action through local and national education campaigns.

·         Speak out on climate change and health, and advocate for healthy climate solutions with subnational and national policymakers.

·         Ensure health professionals have the knowledge and training to communicate effectively to patients and policymakers alike about climate change and health by integrating climate change into all public and environmental health and medical training and certification curricula.

(8) Incorporate climate solutions into all health care and public health systems. Hospitals, health care systems and health organizations can lead by example by implementing climate-smart health care, reducing their carbon footprint, building facility resilience and leveraging their economic power to decarbonize the supply chain and promote equitable local economic development. Key policies include:

·         Reduce health care systems’ emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

·         Develop low-carbon care pathways and models of care, including community-based interventions that address social determinants of health, thereby reducing the need for more environmentally impactful acute and clinical care.

·         Implement energy efficiency, deploy renewable energy, and implement sustainable water, transportation, food, anesthetic gas, and waste management practices.

·         Build low-carbon healthcare product manufacturing facilities, supply chains, and procurement systems, while also sourcing products from and investing in local environmentally sustainable economic initiatives that support community health.

·         Invest in healthcare facilities’ resilience to extreme weather, with their construction and siting following best practices in sustainability.

(9) Build resilient communities in the face of climate change. Climate change is a global phenomenon, but it is people and communities at the local level that experience its consequences. Climate and health action will be most effective when those most impacted have the voice, power, and capacity to be full partners in building a healthy, equitable, and climate resilient future. Health professionals, systems and organizations must support communities to prepare for, respond to, and be resilient in the face of climate change. Key policies include:

·         Invest in strong and equitable health systems as an essential step to reducing the health impacts of climate change.

·         Assess and monitor the health impacts of climate change and climate vulnerability and the health benefits of climate action at the community level.

·         Promote social cohesion and build the capacity of frontline health and community organizations to respond to climate threats, maintain operations during climate emergencies and bounce forward after climate disasters.

·         Fund and implement national, state and local climate-health risk assessments, expanded disease surveillance systems, research and early warning systems that enable an effective response to climate threats. Make all data publicly available.

·         Emphasize nature-based solutions and restoration of ecosystem services that support community health and resilience.

·         Integrate climate, health, and equity considerations into land use planning and infrastructure standards to ensure climate resilience.

FINANCING CLIMATE ACTION FOR HEALTH AND HEALTH ACTION FOR CLIMATE

Turning these recommendations into reality and achieving global goals for health, climate, and sustainable development will require greater financial investment.  Current investments in climate solutions fall far short of what is needed to protect health, and current investments in health do too little to take climate considerations into account.

Priority Action

(10) Invest in climate and health. Development agencies, multilateral organizations, governments, civil society, and business must expand their investments in healthy and equitable climate solutions, climate-smart health systems, community adaptation and resilience, and climate-health research.

Together, these ten policy recommendations provide a roadmap that governments and communities worldwide can use as they develop comprehensive and coordinated strategies for tackling climate change and health.

I believe that all people, including future generations, have the right to the environmental, economic and social resources needed to live healthy and productive lives. As we step up to the challenge of building a health sector free from climate pollution and supportive of resilient communities. I also call on leaders in all sectors and at all levels of government to act now to reverse climate change and support healthy people on a healthy planet.

Kaburu Anthony: Population and environment: a global challenge

Kaburu Anthony: Population and environment: a global challenge: We humans are remarkable creatures. From our humble beginnings in small pockets of Africa, we have evolved over millennia to colonize almos...

Population and environment: a global challenge

We humans are remarkable creatures. From our humble beginnings in small pockets of Africa, we have evolved over millennia to colonize almost every corner of our planet. We are clever, resilient and adaptable―perhaps a little too adaptable.

The current world population is more than 7.7 billion people. That’s more than seven billion bodies that need to be fed, clothed, kept warm and ideally, nurtured and educated. More than 7.7 billion individuals who, while busy consuming resources, are also producing vast quantities of waste, and our numbers continue to grow.

The United Nations estimates that the world population will reach 9.2 billion by 2050. For most of our existence, the human population has grown very slowly, kept in check by disease, climate fluctuations and other social factors. It took until 1804 for us to reach 1 billion people. Since then, continuing improvements in nutrition, medicine and technology have seen our population increase rapidly.

The impact of so many humans on the environment takes two major forms:

·         consumption of resources such as land, food, water, air, fossil fuels and minerals

·         waste products as a result of consumption such as air and water pollutants, toxic materials and greenhouse gases

More than just numbers

Many people worry that unchecked population growth will eventually cause an environmental catastrophe. This is an understandable fear, and a quick look at the circumstantial evidence certainly shows that as our population has increased, the health of our environment has decreased.

The impact of so many people on the planet has resulted in some scientists coining a new term to describe our time—the Anthropocene epoch. Unlike previous geological epochs, where various geological and climate processes defined the time periods, the proposed Anthropecene period is named for the dominant influence humans and their activities are having on the environment. In essence, humans are a new global geophysical force.

We humans have spread across every continent and created huge changes to landscapes, ecosystems, atmosphere—everything.  However, while population size is part of the problem, the issue is bigger and more complex than just counting bodies.

There are many factors at play. Essentially, it is what is happening within those populations—their distribution (density, migration patterns and urbanization), their composition (age, sex and income levels) and, most importantly, their consumption patterns—that are of equal, if not more importance, than just numbers.

A FORMULA FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION?

Focusing solely on population number obscures the multifaceted relationship between us humans and our environment, and makes it easier for us to lay the blame at the feet of others, such as those in developing countries, rather than looking at how our own behavior may be negatively affecting the planet. 

Let’s take a closer look at the issues.

Population size

It's no surprise that as the world population continues to grow, the limits of essential global resources such as potable water, fertile land, forests and fisheries are becoming more obvious. You don’t have to be a math whizz to work out that, on the whole, more people use more resources and create more waste.

Debate about the actual human carrying capacity of Earth dates back hundreds of years. The range of estimates is enormous, fluctuating from 500 million people to more than one trillion. Scientists disagree not only on the final number, but more importantly about the best and most accurate way of determining that number—hence the huge variability.

How can this be? Whether we have 500 million people or one trillion, we still have only one planet, which has a finite level of resources. The answer comes back to resource consumption. People around the world consume resources differently and unevenly. An average middle-class American consumes 3.3 times the subsistence level of food and almost 250 times the subsistence level of clean water.

So if everyone on Earth lived like a middle class American, then the planet might have a carrying capacity of around 2 billion. However, if people only consumed what they actually needed, then the Earth could potentially support a much higher figure.

But we need to consider not just quantity but also quality—Earth might be able to theoretically support over one trillion people, but what would their quality of life be like? Would they be scraping by on the bare minimum of allocated resources, or would they have the opportunity to lead an enjoyable and full life? 

More importantly, could these trillion people cooperate on the scale required, or might some groups seek to use a disproportionate fraction of resources? If so, might other groups challenge that inequality, including through the use of violence?

These are questions that are yet to be answered.

Population distribution

The ways in which populations are spread across Earth has an effect on the environment. Developing countries tend to have higher birth rates due to poverty and lower access to family planning and education, while developed countries have lower birth rates. In 2018, 80 per cent of the world’s populations live in less-developed nations. These faster-growing populations can add pressure to local environments.

Globally, in almost every country, humans are also becoming more urbanized. In 1960 less than one third of the world’s population lived in cities. By 2018, that figure was 54 per cent, with a projected rise to 66 per cent by 2050.

While many enthusiasts for centralization and urbanization argue this allows for resources to be used more efficiently, in developing countries this mass movement of people heading towards the cities in search of employment and opportunity often outstrips the pace of development, leading to slums, poor (if any) environmental regulation, and higher levels of centralized pollution.

Even in developed nations, more people are moving to the cities than ever before. The pressure placed on growing cities and their resources such as water, energy and food due to continuing growth includes pollution from additional cars, heaters and other modern luxuries, which can cause a range of localized environmental problems. 

Humans have always moved around the world. However, government policies, conflict or environmental crises can enhance these migrations, often causing short or long-term environmental damage. For example, since 2011 conditions in the Middle East have seen population transfer (also known as unplanned migration) result in several million refugees fleeing countries including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The sudden development of often huge refugee camps can affect water supplies, because land damage (such as felling of trees for fuel) or pollute environments (lack of sewerage systems).

Population composition

The composition of a population can also affect the surrounding environment. At present, the global population has both the largest proportion of young people (under 24) and the largest percentage of elderly people in history. As young people are more likely to migrate, this leads to intensified urban environmental concerns, as listed above.

Life expectancy has increased by approximately 20 years since 1960. While this is a triumph for mankind, and certainly a good thing for the individual, from the planet's point of view it is just another body that is continuing to consume resources and produce waste for around 40 per cent longer than in the past.

Ageing populations are another element to the multi-faceted implications of demographic population change, and pose challenges of their own. For example between 1970 and 2006, Japan's proportion of people over 65 grew from 7 per cent to more than 20 per cent of its population. This has huge implications on the workforce, as well as government spending on pensions and health care.

Population income is also an important consideration. The uneven distribution of income results in pressure on the environment from both the lowest and highest income levels. In order to simply survive, many of the world’s poorest people partake in unsustainable levels of resource use, for example burning rubbish, tyres or plastics for fuel.

They may also be forced to deplete scarce natural resources, such as forests or animal populations, to feed their families. On the other end of the spectrum, those with the highest incomes consume disproportionately large levels of resources through the cars they drive, the homes they live in and the lifestyle choices they make.

On a country-wide level, economic development and environmental damage are also linked. The least developed nations tend to have lower levels of industrial activity, resulting in lower levels of environmental damage.

The most developed countries have found ways of improving technology and energy efficiency to reduce their environmental impact while retaining high levels of production. It is the countries in between—those that are developing and experiencing intense resource consumption (which may be driven by demand from developed countries)—that are often the location of the most environmental damage.

Population consumption

While poverty and environmental degradation are closely interrelated, it is the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, primarily in developed nations, that are of even greater concern. 

It’s not often that those in developed countries stop and consider our own levels of consumption. For many, particularly in industrialized countries, the consumption of goods and resources is just a part of our lives and culture, promoted not only by advertisers but also by governments wanting to continually grow their economy.

Culturally, it is considered a normal part of life to shop, buy and consume, to continually strive to own a bigger home or a faster car, all frequently promoted as signs of success. It may be fine to participate in consumer culture and to value material possessions, but in excess it is harming both the planet and our emotional wellbeing.

The environmental impact of all this consumption is huge. The mass production of goods, many of them unnecessary for a comfortable life, is using large amounts of energy, creating excess pollution, and generating huge amounts of waste.

To complicate matters, environmental impacts of high levels of consumption are not confined to the local area or even country. For example, the use of fossil fuels for energy (to drive our bigger cars, heat and cool our bigger houses) has an impact on global CO2 levels and resulting environmental effects. Similarly, richer countries are also able to rely on resource and/or waste-intensive imports being produced in poorer countries. This enables them to enjoy the products without having to deal with the immediate impacts of the factories or pollution that went in to creating them.  

On a global scale, not all humans are equally responsible for environmental harm. Consumption patterns and resource use are very high in some parts of the world, while in others—often in countries with far more people—they are low, and the basic needs of whole populations are not being met.

Individuals living in developed countries have, in general, a much bigger ecological footprint than those living in the developing world. The ecological footprint is a standardized measure of how much productive land and water is needed to produce the resources that are consumed, and to absorb the wastes produced by a person or group of people.

What is the solution?

How do we solve the delicate problem of population growth and environmental limitations?

1. A BIGGER PIE: TECHNICAL INNOVATION

This theory looks to innovation and technology as Earth’s savior, not only to extend the planet’s human carrying capacity, but to also improve the quality of life for each individual. Advances in food production technologies such as agriculture, water purification and genetic engineering may help to feed the masses, while moving away from fossil fuels to renewable power sources such as wind and solar will go some way to reducing climate change.

‘Economic decoupling’ refers to the ability of an economy to grow without corresponding increases in environmental pressure. In 2014 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled 'Decoupling 2', which explored the possibilities and opportunities of technology and innovation to accelerate decoupling, and an analysis of how far technical innovation can go.

Funding and research should be a high priority in these areas, but we must accept that technology can only do so much, and is only part of the solution.

2. FEWER FORKS: EDUCATION AND POLICY CHANGE  

This theory is based on demographic transition, effectively finding ways to slow or stop population growth resulting in fewer people fighting for resources or ‘slices’ of pie.

Birth rates naturally decline when populations are given access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, education for boys and girls beyond the primary level is encouraged and made available, and women are empowered to participate in social and political life.

Continuing to support programs and policies in these areas should see a corresponding drop in birth rates. Similarly, as the incomes of individuals in developing countries increase, there is a corresponding decrease in birth rates. This is another incentive for richer countries to help their poorer neighbors reach their development potential.

Providing a health, educational or financial incentive has also proven to be effective in combating some population issues. For example, paying money to people with two or fewer children or allowing free education for families with a single child has been trailed with some success.

However, there are debates about incentive programs (such as paying women in India to undergo sterilization). Opponents question whether accepting these incentives is really is a choice, or whether the recipient has been coerced into it through community pressure or financial desperation.

Fewer forks can also cover another complicated area—the option of seriously controlling population growth by force. China has done so in the past and attracted both high praise and severe humanitarian criticism. This is a morally-, economically- and politically-charged topic, to which there is no easy answer.

3. BETTER MANNERS: LESS IS MORE

The better manners approach seeks to educate people about their actions and the consequences of those actions, leading to a change in behavior. This relates not only to individuals but also governments. Individuals across the world, but particularly in developed countries, need to reassess their consumption patterns. Numerous studies have shown that more ‘stuff’ doesn't make people happier anyway.

We need to step back and re-examine what is important and actively find ways to reduce the amount of resources we consume. Taking shorter showers, saying no to single-use plastics, buying less, recycling our waste and reviewing our mode and frequency of travel may seem trivial, but if millions around the world begin to do it as well, the difference will begin to add up.

Governments too need to instigate shifts in environmental policy to protect and enhance natural areas, reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy sources and focus on conservation as priorities. 

Developing countries should be supported by their more developed neighbors to reach their development goals in sustainable, practical ways. In reality, there is no single, easy solution. All three options must be part of a sustainable future.

Where to from here?

Population is an issue that cannot be ignored. While we can all do our bit to reduce our own global footprint, the combined impact of billions of other footprints will continue to add up. There are many who believe that if we do not find ways of limiting the numbers of people on Earth ourselves, then Earth itself will eventually find ways of doing it for us.

Governments around the world should begin to recognize the seriousness and importance of the situation, and take steps to reduce the environmental impacts of increasing populations and consumption such as through pollution reduction targets for air, soil and water pollutants.

 Conclusion

With more than 7.7 billion people on the planet, it’s easy to assume someone else will tackle and solve the issue of population and environment. Yet it is an issue that affects us all, and as such we’re all responsible for working towards a sustainable future in which everyone is able to enjoy a good quality of life without destroying the very things we rely on to survive. It’s possible, but it will take the combined and coordinated efforts of individuals, communities, and governments to get there.