Dear ECOFEMers:
Although these figures are not uplifting, they do remind us of the
need to continue with the theory and practice associated with
ecofeminism and environmentalism. And, we should also revisit
these perspectives and philosophies. With such discrepancies
between rich & poor, the healthy & sick, etc...can we really say
that ecofeminism is making a difference?
Any thoughts on this?
Stefanie Rixecker
ECOFEM Coordinator
------- Forwarded message follows -------
OUR WORLD
IRISH TIMES 1/1/2000
* The world's population today: 6,034,867,134;
* Just over four babies are born every second;
* That's 250 babies a minute, 360,000 a day, 131 million a year;
* Republic of Ireland's population: 3,632,944 (July, 1999, est.);
* The world's richest 200 people are worth more than $1 trillion;
* The world's top three billionaires are richer than all least
developed countries and their
600 million people
* 1 per cent of the richest 200's wealth would pay for access to
primary education for all;
* Ireland's billionaires: John Dorrance (Campbell soups) �1.52
billion; Tony O'Reilly
(Heinz/Independent newspapers)/Chryss Goulandris �1.1 billion;
* The top one-fifth of the world's people control 86 per cent of
world GDP, 82 per cent
of export markets, 74 per cent of phone lines. The bottom fifth
control just one per cent;
The richest one-fifth is 74 times wealthier than the poorest
fifth;
* Americans spend $8 billion a year on cosmetics;
* Europeans spend $11 billion a year on ice cream;
---------- * Annual spending on pet foods in Europe and the US: $17 billion;
` * Europeans spend $50 billion a year on cigarettes;
---------- * The five most developed countries: Canada,
Norway, the US, Japan, Belgium. Ireland ranks 20th;
* The five least corrupt countries: Denmark,
Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada. Ireland ranks
15th;
* In 1900, a house on Dublin's Merrion Square
cost �500. In 1999, one fetched �1.77m;
* There are 300 million mobile phone users; by
2003 there will be one billion;
* The Internet: 140 million users in mid-1998,
700 million forecast by 2001;
* Three words for those not on the Net:
Internot, the Digital Homeless, Offliners;
* Military spending in the world: $780 billion a year;
* Organised crime grosses $1.5 trillion a year;
* The illegal drugs trade accounts for eight
per cent of world trade, or $400 billion a year;
* 1.3 billion people live on less than $1 dollar a day;
* About 840 million people are malnourished;
* One in five of the world's children of
primary school age is out of school;
* 100 million people are homeless;
* 12 per cent of people in the richest
countries live in poverty;
* 2.6 billion people have no access to sanitation;
* Two billion people have no electricity;
* In New York City, 52 per cent of children are
born into poverty;
* Sweden and the US have over 600 phone-lines
per 1,000; Afghanistan has one;
* The average Bangladeshi would have to work
more than eight years to pay for a computer,
the average American needs only one month's wage;
* 20 million Chinese will buy mobile phones next year;
* 11 people are infected with AIDS/HIV every
minute; 95 per cent of cases occur in
developing countries;
* AIDS causes 2.3 million deaths a year;
* Nearly 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS
* There are 31 million refugees and displaced
persons in the world;
* The total debt of developing countries stands at $2.2
trillion;
* 8,000 to 10,000 children are maimed or killed
by landmines every year;
* Malaria and measles each kill one million
people a year;
* Four diseases nearly eradicated: polio,
guinea worm, neonatal tetanus, leprosy;
* Four diseases identified since 1995: nipah
virus, avian flu, new variant CJD, Kaposi sarcoma virus;
* The 5 least developed countries: Burundi,
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, Sierra Leone;
* The 5 most corrupt countries: Cameroon,
Nigeria, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan;
* Since 1970 40 per cent of the forests on the
earth have disappeared;
* The availability of water today is 60 per cent of 1970
levels;
* 3,000 of the world's 6,000 languages are endangered;
Compiled by Paul Cullen. Sources include:
UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, Dataquest, Forbes, the
Economist and Transparency International.
==========================================================
PROUT advocates the economic liberation of all. While a socio-economic theory,
it encompasses the whole of human individual and collective existence within a
paradigm of all-round integrated growth.
Cardinal values of PROUT are those of neo-humanism, which takes into account
the good and happiness of all living beings; plants, animals and human beings.
Details are available on www.prout.org and www.proutworld.org.
==========================================================
------- End of forwarded message -------
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Dr. Stefanie S. Rixecker
Division of Environmental Management & Design
Lincoln University, Canterbury
PO Box 84
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 64-03-325-3841
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