Perspectives on Social Issues
(January 2005)
Presbyterian Church USA Endorses Israeli Divestment
"The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA recently voted to initiate a process to divest from companies that profit from Israel's occupation of Palestine. PCUSA is the first Christian denomination to divest
from the occupation and, with 2.5 million members and a stock portfolio of $7 billion, it is likely the largest organization to do so. The church is not divesting from the country of Israel in general, but only from particular companies "whose behaviors cause oppression," said the Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick, the clerk of the PCUSA. He also said the church plans to use divestment as a last resort if shareholder resolutions, dialogue, and public pressure fail to persuade companies to change practices that harm the Palestinians. The church's Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee plans to begin with companies that profit from settlement construction, destruction of homes and orchards, and construction of the separation wall -- all of which violate international law....
The group Jewish Voice for Peace applauded the church's decision, saying that Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is harmful for all parties and that ending the occupation is the best way to help the Jewish people create a future free of terror and anti-Semitism."
"Church Divests from Israeli Occupation" by Michelle Burkhart, Indicators, YES! A Journal of Positive Futures, Winter 2005.
Car Culture Is Very Costly
"Annual car costs made up 19 percent of household expenditures, second only to shelter costs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent data (2001). In fact, the cost of car ownership for most U.S. families exceeds the amount spent on food and health care combined. Furthermore, the American Automobile Association (AAA) calculated in 2004 that the annual cost of owning a car, after accounting for depreciation of the car's value, is more than $8,000 a year, or 56.2 cents per mile....
Even worse are the environmental costs of the car culture. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reported in December of 2003 that natural disasters linked to climate change cost the world more than $60 billion in 2003. According to the Earth Policy Institute, air pollution claims the lives of 70,000 Americans every year (nearly double those killed in car crashes), and in a November 2003 study, ecologist Jeff Dukes dramatically demonstrated what an inefficient use of resources fossil fuels really are.
In contrast, the choices we can make to wean ourselves from fossil fuels all diminish the costs associated with the car culture, producing a range of additional benefits for each of us personally, for our local communities, and for society as a whole."
"Liviing 'Car-Lite'" by Andrew Korfhage, Coop America Quarterly, Fall 2004.
Factors that Increase World Hunger
"According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, the number of hungry people is rising at the rate of five million per year. The highest rates of hunger exist in the developing nations, particularly in the southern areas of Africa. There and in other of the world's poorest countries, women and children are at especially high risk of damage from inadequate nutrition. Child-bearing women enduring chronic hunger are more likely to bear underweight babies; close to a third of the children in Africa are born underweight. The low status of women aggravates the situation and can lead some into high-risk behaviors like prostitution in order to survive....
Further aggravating the situation are Africa's civil wars. The longest-running conflict is in Sudan. As militias lay waste to villages and crops in the western part of the country as part of the current ethnic cleansing in Darfur, new crops cannot be planted.... Apart from droughts, wars and AIDS, other factors contribute to world hunger-factors for which the rich nations bear much responsibility.
Among these are farm subsidies in the United States and Europe. Advocacy organizations like Bread for the World point out that developed countries protect their own agricultural industries by paying their farmers $300 billion yearly in subsidies for basic crops like wheat, cotton and corn. Because of these subsidies, the United States can export these products at below-production costs; this makes it impossible for poor farmers to compete even in their own local markets."
"Thanksgiving and World Hunger," Editorial, America, Nov 22, 2004.
Risks of Asthma and Allergies Increase with Plastic Products
"A Danish study of children aged six and under has found that their risk of developing asthma and allergies increased by a factor of three with exposure to softening agents from PVC flooring and other 'plastic products in the indoor climate.' Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark examined almost 11,000 children from the town of Värmland, Sweden. The town was selected because of its relatively low levels of outdoor air pollution. Following the initial evaluation, they chose 198 allergic children and 202 healthy controls for a nested case control study. Along with health questionnaires, extensive clinical investigations and exposure measurements were made. Building inspectors investigated the homes and collected dust and air samples for analysis of chemical and microbial agents.
The researchers found that the concentration of several plasticizers were higher in the dust from the homes of the children with allergic diseases. The risk of developing asthma was three times higher for children from the homes with the highest concentration of the plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in comparison with children from the homes with the lowest concentration. Another plasticizer, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), similarly increased the risk of developing hay fever and eczema. No associations were found between health effects and four other plasticizers."
"Plasticizers Found in PVC Increase Risk of Asthma and Allergies Among Children," Science for the People, From the Ground Up, Ecology Center, Nov 2004.
Junk Food Banned in Schools
"An emerging national movement to get junk food out of schools scored a victory in September when the Seattle School Board unanimously voted to ban the sale of foods high in sugar and fat and prohibit exclusive contracts with beverage vendors such as Coca-Cola. The policy also encourages school food providers to offer food that is fresh, local, organic, non-genetically-modified, and unprocessed. The Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools, a Washington state non-profit, pushed for the junk food ban to combat childhood obesity.
Due to financial pressures, many schools accept fees in return for allowing companies to sell and advertise junk food and soda via vending machines and student stores. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 75 percent of beverages and 85 percent of snacks sold in school vending machines were of poor nutritional quality. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that poor diet, often established in childhood, contributes to heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. South of Seattle, the Olympia School District is turning to organic food. Lincoln Elementary began offering organic produce at their salad bar several years ago. Most of the food they offer is now organic, and lunch participation has increased by 16 percent. Servings of fruits and vegetables have also gone up, and costs per meal have decreased, mainly because desserts were eliminated. All schools in the district will offer local, organic produce by the end of 2004."
"Junk Food Removed from Schools" by Michelle Burkhart, Indicators, YES! A Journal of Positive Futures, Winter 2005.
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Gratitude to the Institute for Peace and Justice
for use of their Pope Paul VIth graphic. |
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