VIOLENCE IS . . .
Environmental: when disregard and over-consumption contaminate our air, water and earth.
Environmental Violence: Some Things You Should Know
“If the standard of living of all humans was the same as an average American we would need three planet Earths to meet everyone's needs The earth's carrying capacity for humans is estimated at between 7.7 billion and 12 billion. The UN predicts we will reach that by 2150.”
Without question, human activity is having a tremendous impact on our environment. And independent of political perspective, there seems to be growing agreement that that impact is heading us into a very dangerous future; one that our planet's natural systems will be unable to sustain. The environmental problems that we face today and those that are on the horizon will require significant — and even drastic — changes in the way we look at the world and its natural systems, its resources and capacities and most of all our behaviors and attitudes.
- Eighty percent of the world's original forest cover has been cleared or degraded and logging and mining projects threaten 39 percent of what forest remains.
- A quarter of mammal species are at risk of total extinction, while more than half the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activity.
- About 20 percent of the world's population already lacks access to safe drinking water and 50 percent have no access to a sanitation system. This situation will get worse as the world's population — set to reach six billion next month — will increase by 50 percent in the next 50 years.
- Eighty percent of the world's original forest cover has been cleared or degraded and logging and mining projects threaten 39 percent of what forest remains.
- A quarter of mammal species are at risk of total extinction, while more than half the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activity.
— Planetark.com
Many are sounding the alarm. They are worried by the levels of environmental pollution to our air, water and soil and they are equally concerned about issues of consumption, sustainability, resources distribution and human activity that threaten wildlife and their habitats. There are other areas of concern as well: disappearing wetlands on the American continent and every continent on the planet; the extinction of wildlife species here and around the world; over farming and overgrazing of farmlands; the lack of safe drinking water for many of the earth's inhabitants; and calamitous changes to weather patterns and atmospheric conditions even in remote corners of the globe.
We want to sound the alarm as well. What we are doing to the earth and its systems is a form of violence. We are doing great harm and that harm is creating the problems that we are facing, as well as, untold negative consequences for us and for future generations.
SEE RED NOW in Action — Click Here.
You Can Make A Difference.
If you would like to help prevent violence please contact us.
Environmental violence is pollution, overconsumption, unsustainable farming, mining, energy production and factory practices, poor refuse management and habitat destruction. We need to be working now to end this form of violence. Get involved. Your work will help.
A Few Things You Can Do About Environmental Violence
- Educate yourself about environmental justice issues locally, nationally and globally.
- Learn about how environmental issues are also about race and class.
- Educate yourself about how environmental issues are connected to issues of famine, worker exploitation, sweatshops and forced child labor.
- Begin to practice sustainable living habits like recycling, car-pooling and the proper disposal of household waste and chemicals.
- Buy fair trade products and goods that are made, marketed and sold by the actual producers, artisans and farmers often they are produced using sustainable practices and with a minimum impact on the environment.
- Put your dollars where your heart is. Become a more educated consumer. Ask questions about where and how your goods are produced and choose to buy products that are produced using earth-friendly practices.
- Be careful where you invest your money. Many retirement accounts and other savings/investment tools are heavily invested in companies that are the leading polluters.
- Join us at the first annual SeeRedNow Community Conference to be held on the University of Louisville Campus. For more information and to be added to the mailing list contact us here.
