The Future Foretold/Mommy I'm Hungry
From The Endtime
| The Future Foretold | ||
| A World at War | Mommy I'm Hungry | A Plagued Planet |
"And there will be famines..."
Are we living in a time of increased famine? There are 1.2 billion poor people in developing countries who live on $1 a day or less. Of these, 780 million suffer from chronic hunger, which means that their daily intake of calories is insufficient for them to lead active and healthy lives. Children are famine's most visible victims. Malnutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year.[1]
In June 2002, 32 countries faced exceptional food emergencies, with an estimated 67 million people requiring emergency food aid as a result. As in previous years, drought and conflict were the most common causes and Africa the most affected region.
Worldwide, drought and other unfavorable weather conditions triggered food shortages in 21 of the 32 countries facing emergencies. War, civil strife and the lingering effects of past conflicts sparked crises in 15 countries, including several also plagued by bad weather. General economic problems severely undermined food security in eight countries, frequently in combination with adverse weather.
Dry weather and excessive rains during the growing season devastated food crops in several countries in southern Africa for the second consecutive year. In addition, the effects of ongoing and past civil conflicts threaten the food security of over 14 million people in 11 African countries.[1]Sir John Houghton, a climate expert and chairman of Britain's Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, warns that we have yet to see the ravages that global warming will wreak: "Forests will die, diseases like malaria will spread, and starving refugees will wander across borders as weather becomes more extreme."[1]
While it took all of human history until 1830 to reach a world population of one billion people, it only took 100 years to add a second billion (1930), 30 years for the third billion (1960), 16 years for the fourth billion (1976), and 11 years for the fifth billion (1987). World population grew by an estimated 77 million in 2002 and now tops 6.2 billion—more than double the level in 1960. The world's population is expected to reach 8.5 billion by the year 2030. As the number of people increases, per capita availability of water and arable land decreases.
The Simple Solution
The terrible irony is that the world can produce enough food to feed its expanding population. While some famines are caused by drought or other natural disasters, most starvation in the world today could be avoided were it not for man's selfishness and inhumanity. War, embargoes, government corruption, and economic oppression are all symptoms of the real problem. While innocent children starve, some rich nations destroy millions of tons of food in order to keep prices artificially high.
An article from AP tells us that the authoritative Bread for the World Institute expressed such sentiments in its fifth annual report:
The world produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite a 70 percent population increase. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 calories per person per day.[1] The recommended daily intake of calories for men is approximately 2,500 and women 2,000 according to Britain's Food Standards Agency. The principal problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food.
The inequities present in the world are brought out when we consider that the amount of money that the richest one percent of the world's people make each year equals what the poorest fifty-seven percent make.[1] As of 2002, one-fifth of the world's population consumes four-fifths of global income.[1]
If we could all learn to simply follow the Golden Rule and do unto others as we wish they would do unto us, even such daunting problems as world famine could be eliminated.
The Great Waster: War
Famines are frequently the result of war, so more war usually means more famine. Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower highlighted the wanton waste of war when he declared,
Worldwide, there were some 19 million refugees and displaced persons in 2002—largely as a result of wars, political turbulence, civil conflict, and social unrest (e.g., Afghanistan, the Balkans, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, East Timor, Congo, Somalia, and Sudan). In such emergencies, malnutrition runs rampant, exponentially increasing the risk of disease and death.[1]
Here are some contemporary facts that put what Eisenhower said in perspective:
The 1991 Gulf War cost the Allies a half billion dollars a day, or about $350,000 a minute. One fighter plane costs about $25 million. One Tomahawk cruise missile costs $1.3 million. One air-to-air missile costs $800,000.
Translated into more relatable expenses, for the price of one Sparrow radar-guided missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for five years.
These figures are peanuts compared to the billions that are annually poured into weapons and warfare worldwide. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that world military expenditure in 2001 was $839 billion. That means an astronomical 1.6 million dollars are spent worldwide on the military every minute! A $30-billion, 10-year plan to provide clean water to the poor of the developing world would cost just 13 days of military spending. Experts tell us that just 23 days of military spending yearly could eradicate malnutrition worldwide.
Many are appalled at the money that small developing countries spend on armaments while vast numbers of people of those countries are destitute, but are more understanding of the developed countries that "can afford it." But the developing world is spending a paltry amount compared to the major players.
Notes and References
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