Global Issues
Posts about issues like climate change, flooding, food waste, and other global challenges.
Haiti Earthquake Relief through ShareYourself
First a long year of COVID-19, next a presidential assasination, and now a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. When will enough be enough for Haiti? How can we help Haiti rebuild from this devastation?
Posted by Mitchell O'Neill on August 23, 2021
The Education Gap in America and Haiti
Most Americans have a high school diploma or equivalent education. College is a different matter, largely because of money. In short, it’s expensive. However, a higher percentage of Americans 25–29 have bachelor degrees than the percentage of Haitians who even finish 6th grade. While America’s education system is surely flawed, countries such as Haiti are in dire, urgent need of better education infrastructure.
Posted by Francis Zierer on July 23, 2021
Hunted for Luxury: Illegal Poaching and Whaling
Every year, many thousands of animals are slaughtered for no good reason — not for food, but so their body parts can be sold as luxury goods. Elephants, pangolins, tigers, whales, rhinos, and other wondrous animals are killed or captured and then brought into the black market economy. Poaching, or the illegal hunting of animals, is a horrific practice that continues despite local and global rules that forbid it.
Posted by Francis Zierer on July 16, 2021
The Failures of Radical Environmental Activists
At the end of the 20th century, radical environmentalists in groups like the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front tried to take on organizations they saw as evil. Through bombings and acts of arson, they caused millions in property damage. However, they were only a thorn in the side of the companies they sought to destroy, and were ultimately punished for their actions. The only true path to a sustainable future is through honest research, lobbying, and organizing.
Posted by Francis Zierer on July 09, 2021
What Will Future Farms Look Like?
There are two main types of farm that have dominated the last century: massive agribusiness and small, local, organic farms of the sort that sell at your local farmer’s market. Neither will be able to fully meet the food needs of a rapidly growing global population. They’ll both still exist, in a changed state, but they’ll be joined by new techniques. Vertical farming in particular is the future of urban farming.
Posted by Francis Zierer on July 02, 2021
There’s a Better Way to Process Wastewater
The problem of how to get rid of human waste has always plagued civilization — sometimes literally, as a source of disease. Today, most modern cities have figured out a sanitary waste treatment system. Not as many utilize natural wastewater treatment, a group of low-impact processes that return clean water to the local watershed and sometimes promote the proliferation of wild flora and fauna.
Posted by Francis Zierer on June 25, 2021
Drought: A Worldwide Existential Threat
How long can you go without a drink of water? The answer: not long. Just like humans, the surface of the Earth must stay hydrated to support life. When droughts happen, people, wildlife, and plantlife all suffer. Current droughts are historically severe, in large part due to human actions. Learn how to do your part to reduce that severity.
Posted by Francis Zierer on June 19, 2021
How Ocean Pollution Endangers Humanity
Tuesday, June 8, was World Ocean Day. This is just one of many worldwide initiatives to bring awareness to and prevent ocean pollution. Our oceans are extremely precious, not only for marine life, but for the future of all life on this planet. It’s imperative that you educate yourself on the consequences of ocean pollution and work towards a healthier future for the great bodies of water that make up the majority of the planet’s surface.
Posted by Francis Zierer on June 11, 2021
We Need Bees, They Don't Need Us
Have you ever been stung by a bee? It hurts, but that’s no reason to fear or hate these black-and-yellow, fuzzy, flying insects. Bees are a great friend to humanity — they play a major role in the food chain, especially in fruit production. It’s time to learn more about these insects and take action to protect them. Save the bees!
Posted by Francis Zierer on May 17, 2021
In Vermont, A Model for a Net Zero Energy Future
Just over five years ago, the Paris Climate Agreement set the stage for an international collaborative effort to end the climate change emergency. Similar plans are in place in smaller arenas all over the world—including Burlington, Vermont. Local government figures, businesspeople, and community leaders are on track to meet their net zero energy goal by 2030. How are they doing it? Collaboratively, with compassion.
Posted by Francis Zierer on May 03, 2021
Carbon Offsetting: An Accessible Way to Supplement Your Environmentalism
Do you know your carbon footprint? Ever since the concept was first introduced, in the 90s, environmentally-minded people have been coming up with ways to make theirs smaller. Go vegan, ride a bike, take the bus, buy local—there are many things you can do. More recently, businesses and individuals alike have turned to carbon offsetting as a way to further neutralize their footprints. For Earth Day, we explore what that means.
Posted by Francis Zierer on April 26, 2021
Cryptocurrency is Booming, Climate Change is Looming
With the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, going public, it’s clear that digital currencies are here to stay. Just because this new form of money is digital doesn’t mean it doesn’t have real-world implications—indeed, real-world usage is the goal. Critics tend to highlight the outsize environmental impact of creating and trading these currencies. How big is that impact, and what can be done to lessen it?
Posted by Francis Zierer on April 16, 2021
Padma Lakshmi and Effective Celebrity Activism
There are so many roles to play in philanthropy, from donating large sums of money to putting that money to work on the ground level, to educating the public, and everything in between. Some activists truly lead the rest of us by example through their work. Padma Lakshmi is one of those people.
Posted by Francis Zierer on March 29, 2021
Transportation and Climate Change: We Can do Better
The modern world runs on pollutant-emitting transportation, from air travel to ocean shipping to automobiles. The millions and millions of vehicles in use right now are wreaking havoc on the environment. There are many ways to make transportation more sustainable and slow climate change—explore the possibilities.
Posted by Francis Zierer on March 12, 2021
Deforestation: An Existential Threat
Forests are one of Earth’s most precious natural treasures. They play host to a majority of our planet’s terrestrial biodiversity and are a crucial ally in the fight against climate change. These wonderful biomes are being destroyed every day in the name of industry and agriculture. This destruction is unsustainable and affects all of humanity—what can be done to save our forests?
Posted by Francis Zierer on March 05, 2021
What is The Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement, an international treaty aiming to slam the brakes on climate change, was signed by 196 parties in 2015. This marked a renewed global commitment to the sustainable future of our planet. A few years later, there is still much to be done, though some corporations and nations have begun to rise to the occasion.
Posted by Francis Zierer on February 19, 2021
5 CSR's That Made A Difference During COVID-19
As the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, issues such as hunger, poverty, houselessness, and access to health care deepened and became yet more dire. World governments helped, to varying degrees and with varying effectiveness. What about wealthy corporations, especially those with dedicated corporate social responsibility (CSR) foundations? In a field where there’s often more lip service than real aid, 2020 was an opportunity for corporate giving to step up.
Posted by Francis Zierer on January 21, 2021
Sea Level Rising
As CO2 emissions continue to build and world temperatures rise with them, the polar ice caps continue shrinking and ocean levels continue to rise. The primary culprit behind world temperature increase is the unrestricted use of coal and fossil fuels in both manufacturing and electricity production. The people who stand to suffer most in the face of rising sea levels are of course those living in coastal regions around the world—not just due to higher, more frequent floods, but also increases in extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, and the increased damage to local infrastructure these events bring with them.
Posted by Francis Zierer on January 13, 2021
National Philanthropy Day: How Race Impacts Philanthropy
November 15th is National Philanthropy Day. The purpose of this day is to recognize the philanthropic community, and the importance of contributing to the enrichment of our planet. Here’s a blog examining how race impacts the distribution of resources within the social change space.
Posted by LC Hines on November 16, 2020
Philanthropist Spotlight: Abdul Sattar Edhi
was a Pakistani philanthropist, ascetic, and humanitarian who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest volunteer ambulance network, along with various homeless shelters, animal shelters, rehabilitation centres, and orphanages across Pakistan.
Posted by Mitchell O'Neill on November 06, 2020
Food Loss and Waste Reduction
Today, the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, in an effort to educate people about the importance of the issue of sustainable food production and cultivation. When food is wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food also goes to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change.
Posted by LC Hines on September 29, 2020
Equal Pay Day
For the first time in history, the United Nations is celebrating International Equal Pay Day in an effort to raise awareness surrounding the income inequality between men and women. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acknowledge the need for equality as a fundamental human right, listing gender equality as SDG #5, and Decent work & economic growth as SDG #8. Women around the world continue to be impacted by discrimination in the work force, “making only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men” (UN).
Posted by Hannah Wright on September 18, 2020
Global issues - Flooding and Deforestation
ShareYourself is dedicated to guiding your success as a change-maker. Our guiding includes shining a spotlight on specific social issues in the hopes that we can encourage new ideas and solutions. Right now it is flood season in many parts of the world. Flooding and heavy rainfall can lead to power outages and damage to infrastructure which can trap people in their homes.
Posted by Mitchell O'Neill on August 26, 2020
World Humanitarian Day: Support through the Pandemic
World Humanitarian Day is held every year on the 19th of August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. ShareYourself supports and appreciates humanitarian services; today goes to all of the aid workers, thank you for everything you do.
Posted by Mitchell O'Neill on August 19, 2020
Between COVID and the Classroom
ShareYourself recognizes how crucial global education is during COVID-19, in response, we are offering an education grant that supports education during the pandemic. Please apply to the grant here. Below are examples of ways to help educate students in a safe manner these examples can inspire creative ideas and projects for our grant.
Posted by Mitchell O'Neill on August 12, 2020
10 Ways To Enjoy Summer While Social Distancing
Summer is when we celebrate, travel, and spend time with others. Due to public health restrictions, it isn’t safe to do most activities that are typical of the summer season. Here are 10 ways you can get the most out of the summer during the pandemic.
Posted by LC Hines on July 22, 2020
How To Celebrate The Planet Virtually: Earth Day 2020
Unfortunately Earth day has to be observed from home this year. Here are a few fantastic ways to do so.
Posted by Kunthea Relinski on April 22, 2020
SYS's Top Ten Reads To Inspire Your Activism
We all have a little extra time on our hands, here are some book recommendations to fill your lazy days and inspire your activism.
Posted by Kunthea Relinski on April 22, 2020
Advocacy Is Not Canceled
This is a time of fear and uncertainty but that does not mean that we can not continue to support our communities. Here are some ways to do so.
Posted by Kunthea Relinski on March 24, 2020
Climate Grant Winner Spotlight: Kingsley Adindu
Learn more about Kingsley Adindu: environmentalist, teacher, and winner of the ShareYourself Climate Solution Grant.
Posted by Kunthea Relinski on February 14, 2020
