PART II: Connecting the
Dots!
25 Questions
Prepared for presentation at the NAFSA
Conference Luncheon, “Sustainability,
Peace and Justice, and the United
Nations”, Kansas City, Missouri, 2 June
2010.
1. When a baby is born, is the
child’s blood pure?
When a baby is born, the child’s
blood probably has over 200
industrial chemicals and
pollutants in it such as Teflon,
Scotchgard, and flame
retardants.
2. What is a nurdle?
A nurdle is the small plastic
pearl that is the first product of
the industrial manufacture of
plastic.
Over 40 pounds of nurdles are
produced annually for every
person on the planet.
3. Worldwide, how many “disposable”
plastic bags are produced every minute?
Worldwide, about one million
disposable plastic bags are
produced every minute, or 60
million every hour.
4. How many plastic bottles are
produced in the US annually?
25,000,000,000 single-serving, plastic
water bottles are produced in the US
annually. 20,000,000,000 are not
recycled.
5. Why did a 65 foot long dead
Blue Whale wash up on the beach
in California in 2007?
We don’t know, but over 400
pounds of plastic was found in its
stomach.
6. What is bisphenol or BPA?
BPA is an endocrine disruptor and
has been linked to heart disease,
diabetes, and various forms of
cancer. Epoxy resins containing
BPA are used as coatings on the
inside of almost all food and
beverage cans. Global production of
bisphenol A in 2003 was estimated
to be over 2,000,000 metric tons..
7. What is India doing about
migrants from Bangladesh?
India is building a wall 4,000
kilometers long and 3 meters
high along its border with
Bangladesh.
8. How many illegal migrants
from Africa have died at sea
in the last 20 years trying to
get to Spain?
Approximately 11,000 people
died at sea trying to get to
Spain. Thousands more died
trying to get to other
countries.
9. What is happening to
the Ogallala Aquifer?
It is now being depleted at a
rate in significant excess of its
recharge, and some estimates
suggest that it will run dry in 25
years.
10. How much snow cover do the
Pyrenees Mountains now have in
the summer compared to 100
years ago?
Only about 10% of what existed
100 years ago. Land in the
Pyrenees used for agriculture
has dropped from 30% to 2%.
11.
What is
“colony collapse disorder”?
Colony Collapse Disorder is the
complete collapse of bee
colonies. One-third of the
human diet comes from insectpollinated plants, and bees are
responsible for 80 percent of
that pollination.
12. How many people on the
planet go hungry every day?
Almost 1 Billion People Go
Hungry Every Day.
13. How Much Food Is Thrown
Away Every Day in the United
States and the United Kingdom?
Enough Food Is Thrown Away
Every Day in the United States
and the United Kingdom to Feed
1.5 Billion People.
14. How many countries
experienced food riots in
2008?
30 countries experienced
food riots in 2008.
15. How many sharks are
killed every day to make
shark fin soup?
On average, just over
10,000 sharks per day are
killed for shark fin soup.
16. How many children die every
day from polluted water?
About 4,000 children die very
day from polluted water.
17. How much coal is mined
every second?
Over 200,000 pounds of coal is
mined every second.
18. Compared to the Gulf Oil Spill,
What is the Total Amount of Oil
Spilled Annually in the Niger Delta?
The amount of oil spilled in the
Niger Delta every year may be as
much as 90% of the current
amount being spilled in the Gulf.
19. How many cars does China
add to its roads each day?
China adds 14 – 15,000
additional cars to its roads
every day.
20. How many days of grain
supplies does the world
have in reserve?
The world had 116 days of
grain in reserve in 1999,
and now has about half
that. Food prices have risen
75 percent since 2005.
21. How many pounds of grain
does it take to produce one
pound of meat?
It takes between seven and ten
pounds of grain to produce
one pound of meat
22.How many pounds of meat
do Americans eat annually?
The per capita annual
consumption of meat in the
United States is approximately
275 pounds.
23. By 2030 How Much More
Food Will We Need?
According to the UK’s Chief
Scientific Advisor by 2030, we
will need 50% more food.
24. By 2030 How Much More
Water Will We Need?
By 2030, we will need 40% more
water
25. How Many More People Are
There On Our Planet Today As
Compared To Yesterday?
In Excess of 200,000 People, Or
About 175 More Kansas City’s
Every Year.
The Global Conversation:
Knowledge for Global Citizenship
Spring Semester 2010 - 45 Students studying in, or from, 20 different countries:
Argentina, Belarus, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland,
Kosovo, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine,
United Kingdom, and United States.
What We Try To Do In The Global
Conversation
______________
• Understand How We’ve Been Living On Our
Planet
• “Connect The Dots”
• Take A Contextual Approach To The Problems
We Face
• Ask The Question – “How Ought I To Live?”