The AP recently reported on the lack of progress in reaching the UN’s MDGs. I include an excerpt:
Halfway through a 15-year global development plan, millions of people are being lifted out of dire poverty and millions of children are going to school, but the world is failing to sufficiently cut hunger, maternal mortality and infant death rates, the United Nations said Monday.
Progress in reaching the Millennium Development Goals — set by global leaders in 2000 to alleviate world poverty, disease and hunger — has so far been mixed, the U.N. report card says.
[…]
“The lack of employment opportunities for young people, gender inequalities, rapid and unplanned urbanization, deforestation, increasing water scarcity and high HIV prevalence are pervasive obstacles,” the report said. “Moreover, insecurity and instability in conflict and post-conflict countries make long-term development efforts extremely difficult.”
Other worrying data show more than 500,000 women still die each year from treatable and preventable complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Half the population in the developing world lacks basic sanitation, and carbon-dioxide emissions rose to 29 billion metric tons in 2004, from 23 billion in 1990.
“Climate change is projected to have serious economic and social impacts, which will impede progress” toward the goals, the report said.
This shameful news disappoints me greatly. Instead of preventing the preventable death of 500,000 women, we allow the pollution of the earth which will lead to more suffering, hunger, and death. I fear that if we do not radically change our course soon, we will doom ourselves.