I know the famine in East Africa is old news, but we keep getting ever more grim news about the number of people at risk (now estimated at 11 M), the delay in rain, and the puny nature of donations so far. How can people die of starvation in the 21st century?
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I know, I'm surprised too. I don't understand how anyone can live with millions and billions sitting in their bank, gathering dust, while people are starving all over the world? How can they go about life with $5000 spas and manicures and hundreds of thousands of useless fad which will be forgotten next week? I feel enraged when I hear people (rich celebrities) thousand dollar bag or shoe....argh!!!!!
We are actually now at a time where everyone in the entire world can have enough food if it was shared; and not dumped in the garbage. And I'm not even talking about sharing with third world countries, they don't have the gernourisity to share with their own countrymen. They dump resturant food which can be donated to homeless shelters or soup kitchens EVERY SINGLE DAY by the gallons.
It's very depressing. Anger and depression come and go...what can I do? I'm just a broke student nobody.
Keeping in mind the number of people starving in Sub-saharan countries, check these statistics on food wastage in rich countries:-
"Federal statistics suggest that nearly 26 million tons of food waste are generated annually in the U.S. Only about 700 thousand tons of food residuals– less than 3 percent– are diverted to recycling options such as composting or animal feeding. The remainder enters into the solid waste stream, with ultimate disposal in landfills or incinerators."
http://www.foodpolicyinstitute.org/research/waste.html
"From entire crops of barely blemished potatoes, to shelves of supermarket sandwiches on their sell-by dates, it is a roll call of waste created by one nation that could lift 150 million people from starvation in one year.
The ability of Britons to throw away food deemed imperfect, out-of-date or surplus to requirements was put into sharp relief yesterday with the revelation that 30 to 40% of all produce is simply binned. Research based on government statistics has found that, every year, food worth £20bn is discarded on its journey from the farmyard to the fridge.
The study puts a figure for the first time on the profligacy of a supply chain where producers are forced to leave fruit rotting on trees because it does not meet supermarket standards and millions are throwing away food for the sake of a "best before" sticker." http://www.derbygripe.co.uk/foodwste.htm
It's an extremely sad world.
Firefly
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