Over this coming weekend, people all over the world will celebrate that one day that we honor the favorite gals in our lives. The one’s whether biological, adoptive or the just because you seem so…"motherly”; our mothers. Most of us are blessed to have our mothers in all of their, nagging, nurturing, worrisome and loving capacity and to have them healthy and whole. But there is one mother who is sick, the mother of all mothers, the one that sustains us all; Mother Earth. As much as she tries to put on a good face, Mother Earth is not the mother she once was. And as strange as it may seem, it is all because of her own children, we are what’s ailing Mother Earth (what an analogy). I have mentioned on my blog once before that I am working on a second book, tentatively titled, “Earthsongs” and that 100% of every penny of all royalties will be divided equally among three charitable organizations: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) http://www.nrdc.org/, iAbolish American Anti-Slavery Group http://iabolish.org/, and The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) http://www.amfar.org/.
The following are some startling facts about my movement that you may or may not already know. They are grim but real as well as disturbing. I often wonder that if the level of consciousness does not begin with us, then who?
*Ninety percent of large fish such as tuna and swordfish are already gone. High-tech fishing trawlers scrape bare the ocean floor, all six species of sea turtle in U.S. waters are threatened with extinction, and marine mammals are increasingly assaulted by lethal sonar and industrial noise.
*China is about to overtake the United States as the world's largest global warming polluter. Its thirst for oil will double by 2010, and its air pollution is poised to quadruple in 15 years.
*The Earth's atmosphere is overloaded with heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which threatens large-scale disruptions in climate. The consequences of a drastic temperature hike of 3 to 9 degrees by the century's end could be disastrous.
*Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.
*More than 1 million plant and animal species will vanish if global temperatures continue to rise as predicted in the next 50 years
*A total of 33 million people worldwide now live with AIDS.
*Young people (under the age of 25) account for more than half of new HIV infections worldwide. Every fifteen seconds, another person age 15-24 becomes infected with HIV/AIDS.
*Every day, over 6800 people become infected with HIV - almost five people per minute (globally).
*5700 people die from AIDS every day (globally).
*The number of people living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to 33 million today, and is still growing. Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.
*Experts estimate that today there are 27 million people enslaved around the world. It’s happening in countries on all six inhabited continents. And yes, that includes the United States. The CIA estimates 14,500 to 17,000 victims are trafficked into the “Land of the Free” every year.
*600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked internationally every year. Approximately 80% of them are women and children
*Slavery is an extremely profitable, international industry. Experts estimate trafficking in the US yields $9 billion every year. Around the world, trafficking in women for commercial sex purposes nets $6 billion per year!
*To add insult to injury, $90 is the average cost of a human slave around the world.
*There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
and get this:
*Human trafficking has recently been described as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world”.
The immediate answer to these problems is within us. We have to take the initiative to become active now before it too late, if it’s not already. This book will be my small way and the bigger beginning of me doing my part. You can start today by donating to these organizations (two of them have been verified and screened by Charity Navigator and Charity Watch), volunteering for a charity of your choice, going green, becoming an advocate or a host of other ways. As of today, the book is right at about 30% complete so I should be going to press by year’s end and I have been in talks with representatives from all charitable organizations. I will keep you up to date with details as things progress and as always, thanks in advance for your support.
*Ninety percent of large fish such as tuna and swordfish are already gone. High-tech fishing trawlers scrape bare the ocean floor, all six species of sea turtle in U.S. waters are threatened with extinction, and marine mammals are increasingly assaulted by lethal sonar and industrial noise.
*China is about to overtake the United States as the world's largest global warming polluter. Its thirst for oil will double by 2010, and its air pollution is poised to quadruple in 15 years.
*The Earth's atmosphere is overloaded with heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which threatens large-scale disruptions in climate. The consequences of a drastic temperature hike of 3 to 9 degrees by the century's end could be disastrous.
*Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.
*More than 1 million plant and animal species will vanish if global temperatures continue to rise as predicted in the next 50 years
*A total of 33 million people worldwide now live with AIDS.
*Young people (under the age of 25) account for more than half of new HIV infections worldwide. Every fifteen seconds, another person age 15-24 becomes infected with HIV/AIDS.
*Every day, over 6800 people become infected with HIV - almost five people per minute (globally).
*5700 people die from AIDS every day (globally).
*The number of people living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to 33 million today, and is still growing. Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.
*Experts estimate that today there are 27 million people enslaved around the world. It’s happening in countries on all six inhabited continents. And yes, that includes the United States. The CIA estimates 14,500 to 17,000 victims are trafficked into the “Land of the Free” every year.
*600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked internationally every year. Approximately 80% of them are women and children
*Slavery is an extremely profitable, international industry. Experts estimate trafficking in the US yields $9 billion every year. Around the world, trafficking in women for commercial sex purposes nets $6 billion per year!
*To add insult to injury, $90 is the average cost of a human slave around the world.
*There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
and get this:
*Human trafficking has recently been described as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world”.
The immediate answer to these problems is within us. We have to take the initiative to become active now before it too late, if it’s not already. This book will be my small way and the bigger beginning of me doing my part. You can start today by donating to these organizations (two of them have been verified and screened by Charity Navigator and Charity Watch), volunteering for a charity of your choice, going green, becoming an advocate or a host of other ways. As of today, the book is right at about 30% complete so I should be going to press by year’s end and I have been in talks with representatives from all charitable organizations. I will keep you up to date with details as things progress and as always, thanks in advance for your support.
6 comments:
I love you Wyls Stylz, you are a gift from Heaven. You will have me and my families total support!
I am so glad you brought these facts to light. Very eye opening and scary too. I will try and do my part.
This problem has been going on for years here in Jamaica. The govermnt does nt care.
It took me two days to catch up with all your blog postings. All I can say is awesome. Your poetry set you in a class above the rest. Keep it coming Wyld.
p.s. I have been doing my part to help save the environment for a few years now.
Hello you. I don't know whether or not you remember meeting me but I work at the mens fragrance counter at Neimans. You were there about a month back. You came in for the Bond #9 fragrance and we ended up talking for about 30 minutes. I have been following your blog every since. I am so proud of you.
Daniella, of course I remember. You told me that that fragrance was a Macy's exclusive. I am so glad to know that you are following. Thank you so much for the kind words and keep in touch
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