THE NEED FOR A LOGICALLY PLANNED WORLD

ECOLOGY (cont.)

Undsafe Water

Unsafe drinking water is a subject related to unclean air.  More than a billion humans on this earth are still forced to regularly consume unsafe drinking water; while the wastes of over two billion people are disposed of in an untrteated state, back into the water and other natural resource systems of human beings.

Many urban centers in the developing world lack adequate facilities for disposal of toxic industrial wastes--pouring them as well into the ground, streams, and coastal shores--where they pollute domestic water supplies, and proceed to sicken and kill neighboring populations.

Like air pollution, these activities also need to be dealt with around the world via the development, by experts, of systems and procedures for the abatement and correction of such conditions on a global basis.  Then, these recommendations should be acted upon, necessary resources and changes put into place, and strict enforcement become the worldwide order of the day

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Abuse of Our Natural Resources

Another factor contributing to our present shameful ecological situation is brought about by plain and simple ignorance and thoughtlessness on the part of many who should know better.  This includes the squandering and abuse of our lands, and the products thereof, on a wholesale basis.

Land resources are blatantly mistreated in many places, with little or no regard for the conseqences.  For example, within certain national territorial boundaries, according to a recent survey by Time Magazine, "slash and burn" is carried on to such a reckless extent that the world loses as much as fifty two acres of forest every minute.  Add to this the toll wreaked upon much of the remainder of our woodlands by overharvesting, and we behold a sorry prospect indeed.

The building industry--which is said to account for a substantial percentage of the materials entering our global economy each year--needs to be controlled and regulated, so as to reflect a degree of concern for society's environment and ecosystems.  Moreover, the use of secondary materials needs to be encouraged in many industries--and perhaps mandated in some--so as to provide leftovers, and consequent hope, for future generations.

Only a single universal governing and guiding entity--above and beyond the constraints imposed by competition between the industrial standing among various nations--can succeed in effectuating such arrangements.

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Abuse of Our Seas

Another problem which has resulted from unwise, uncaring, and reckless ecological management is today's sorry state of our oceans and other bodies of water.  Pollution and overfishing have caused extinction to at least twenty percent of our freshwater species; as well as dramatic decreases in catches, during recent years, within thirteen of the world's fifteen major marine fishing regions.

Each coastal nation claims exclusive rights to an area adjacent to its shores, extending outward to an arbitrarily declared distance.  Then, pursuant to the same theory of national sovereignty as repeated by me before, that section of the world's seas is frequently overexploited and despoiled by the fishermen of that nation.  Add to this the harm rendered by oil spills, pollution which originates on land and runs into the water, and other ecological violations, and our waters are presently in an understandably sorry state. 

In this instance as well, a single worldwide guiding body needs to formulate and impose appropriate rules and controls for each of the aforesaid concerns, which will arrest, and hopefully reverse, the harm that has been visited upon our rivers, lakes, and seas to the present day.

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