What are the worlds problems?

[Link]

This thread is about identifying and listing all the problems that we have heard of and can think of (realistic challenges - no crazy aliens in black suits please). I doubt that I know all of them, so do enlighten me. Any problem put forth can be debated.

At the top of my head:

- Global warming

- Overpopulation

- Overconsumption

Some of you might think that overconsumption isn't a problem, but our consumptionrate right now is considered by many scientists to be unsustainable. We consume water and food faster than the Earth can replenish it. It sounds paradoxical with all the water in the ocean, but that's what I've heard.

What else do we have to deal with?

Additions:

- The global economic system

- Garbage

- Energy crisis

- Fresh water scarcity

- Global hunger

- Bacterial resistance to antibiotics

- Noise pollution

- Light interference

- Desertification

- Colony collapse disorder (CCD)

[Simon]

I would list religion as it creates so much ignorance, hate and violence. It truly is the root of all evil... :ph34r:

[Link]

I would say that it's fundamentalism/extremism and not religion per se that is the problem. Political fundamentalism can be just as destructive. It is the lack of self-reflection, self-criticism, critical thought, and it is narrowmindedness and prejudice and will-full ignorance that is the problem. All of those things are not confined to religion, and not all religious people are guilty of all those things. If you insist on painting all religion as evil, then you are no better than all the religious who insist on painting atheism as evil, and you risk turning good people away. Religious people, but good people nonetheless.

I hope this isn't a topic where we'll bump our heads for the rest of our lives. -_-

[YounGMessiah]

Religion is a main root of a lot issues IMO, you look at how they truly pass the message through other countries/towns/cities/tribes and it's horrid and sad. Evil comes in all shapes and forms

[NoNukes]

Any problems? What about the financial sector and all the wealthy wall-street bankers who sabotages the economy?

[Link]

Wall-street bankers sabotaging the economy is indeed a problem, but they're just using loopholes that can be closed. I think legislation can take care of most of that. However I do think that the way the economy works right now is a problem. I don't think that religion is necessarily a problem, but I think all of us can agree that the economic system needs some drastic changes. It is now added as world problem in the opening post.

Oh yeah, the huge amount of garbage that we have, the energy crisis and our depleting water resources are pretty big problems too. That reminds me of the global hunger problem. And quite unrelated to all that is the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The widespread use of antibiotics - both inside and outside of medicine - has a significant role in the emergence of resistant bacteria. Looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us.

[YounGMessiah]

The federal reserve is responsible for the screwed up monetary system.

[Link]

Can you elaborate on that? From what I know about it - and I don't know much - it was created to prevent or decrease financial crises.

[antioxidantking]

To many problems to talk about......

we know the state of the EU and America, it will be common sense and every man for themselves soon, I think every body can play a part in helping themselves and our Mother Earth........In my view one of the easiest ways is for you or your family to be concerned about your health in and around the home and the use of chemical free biodegradable products.

To many additives go straight down the drain and into our water system which is so precious, you can start by using Soap nuts or soap berries a natural alternative to washing detergents berries from trees which save you money and the water system.

No chemicals will enter your skin by using this product sickness and the problems of health these days are growing and can be avoided by looking at what you eat and use around the home. I source my Soapnuts online from ECOLurve to help with a biodegradable cleansing alternative in the home and also raw natural healthy products that make you feel and look great.

[Link]

Yes, there are many problems, and that's why I'm trying to list them. I don't expect us to go into full detail with all of them, but it's good to have them written down somewhere. Some of the problems I were not aware of, and some of them I sometimes forget.

A good strategy to deal with problems is to be able prioritize. To find out out which is more important you first have know what the problems are. This thread is about finding out what problems there are. I intend to make another thread to discuss which problem is more urgent some time in the future.

[Link]

2 new things that might be problems: spreading of deserts and global mass death of bees. Desertification and Colony collapse disorder respectively.

Here is small article about plants and animals that might be crucial to our lives: http://www.telegraph...ve-without.html

The list contains primates, bats, bees, fungi and plankton.

[zararina]

Wars/conflicts of those who are greedy of power and money. Those who likes to be followed and own everything they would like to have. These kind of people causes a lot of world problems.

[kat74]

I think the biggest problem in the world today is the human being. He is the beginning of all the trouble around. Because of the human, the mother earth is suffering and the human being is causing problems for each other. So I think we are our biggest problem. All the problems you have all listed above are caused by man, so don't you agree with me that we are our own disaster.

[Leila]

I agree with Kat24 that humans are the problem - we seem to be very talented at creating problems and stumbling around for so called solutions. The 'solutions' of course coming with a price-tag. Feeding into the consumer culture that we live in.

My little rant aside - all the problems are actually symptoms with one cause. If we can eradicate that cause, then almost all the symptoms will disappear. So, where do we put our focus? No, I do not have the answer as but I do feel that is we simply RESPECT ourselves, our neighbors and the planet that is providing us with a home...we will be fine.

When we become lovers instead of haters and war-mongers....then we will be self-governing systems that will be solution finders instead of problem makers. Then it will fall in our laps...not a second before.

Right now, there is no place for us and our egos on this planet!

[Link]

All the problems you have all listed above are caused by man, so don't you agree with me that we are our own disaster.

No, I don't quite agree with that. I would say that some of us - or even most of us - are the cause of the problems, but not all of us. I can't really put 'humans' as a problem, since I'm hoping for solutions that do not require the extinction of the human race. I could put something like human nature or habit. If I didn't believe that we could change, then I wouldn't be here.

[Simon]

No, I don't quite agree with that. I would say that some of us - or even most of us - are the cause of the problems, but not all of us. I can't really put 'humans' as a problem, since I'm hoping for solutions that do not require the extinction of the human race. I could put something like human nature or habit. If I didn't believe that we could change, then I wouldn't be here.

Ah yes. I don't believe that humans are a source of evil either. Humans are capable of to doing good and wonderful things. We can create lovely music, build wonderful things and help and show love and compassion to other animals and people. Unfortunately we are also easily manipulated into selfish and ignorant acts.

[oraclemay]

There are good humans, but there are evil humans too who do everything for self gratification. Can you find any problem that we are experiencing in this day and age that was somehow not initiated by a human? I don't think you can.

[shilpa]

I think a few of the basic problems of almost many people are greed and ignorance. People are ignorant, hence there are problems like global warming taking place worldwide. There are thousands of environmentalists who are shouting at the top of their voices through NGO's, forums, social services, yet hardly anybody makes any major change for the benefit of the environment. People are greedy, hence they do not want to spend millions of dollars to amend the current system for the benefit of the environment. People are greedy for power and superiority, hence there are terrorist attacks happening in different parts of the world.