The Millennium Development Goals promised to reduce poverty by half by 2015. Why are Africa and India so far behind in reaching this target? Follow the Big Debate about “Why Poverty?” with panel of top world politicians, ministers, writers and policy-makers from UK, Nigeria, India and South Africa as well as participants from business leaders, academics, activists and students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JD7nB8tRc4&app=desktop.

Mining is one of the big industries in Africa that is supposed to contribute in erasing its poverty. However, though the enormous mineral resources in Africa, the question still remains “Does Mining Benefit Africa?”. Follow the Big Debate on this topic with focus on where the income and wealth of Africa’s minerals ends up? Is the benefit is still for the investors and not for the population? Would Africa be able to develop education, health, sanitation and transport infrastructures from such wealth? Are the taxation systems correct, accountable and transparent? Whether or not Africa is heading to an overall privatization, how would public services be developed? All in all would poverty is still remain when all the mineral resources in Africa are consumed?  Many facts and information are uncovered from top politicians, government and finance bodies, mining industries, World Bank, policy-makers and activists from Africa as well as representatives from international companies and others bodies of relevance to the topic.

Would we still hear the same story, again and again, a worker in the mining industry after 22 years of loyalty in a company reporting billions in profit still has no electricity, no sanitation and continue to live in poverty!

One of the six Nobel Prizes that are globally awarded every year is devoted for inventions in Physics. This year “2014”  the prize was awarded for efficient blue Light Emitting Diodes “LED” which enables the production of bright and energy-saving white light sources. “LED”, used in the scientific and market communities, is replacing other sources of light with tectonic changes and transformations in the global lighting technology.

The interest of humans for lighting started already with the discovery of fire and the earliest forms of artificial lighting were made from natural grease-filled materials with fiber wick.  Ancient Greek philosophers were credited for the first peculations (500 BC) about the nature of light, followed by the first correctly attributed  vision to the passive reception of light reflected from objects by Ibn al-Haytham (1038 AD). The 17th century witnessed several progress in compound microscopes and refracting telescopes with advances in astronomy, e.g. by Galileo, Kepler and Snell. Further progress in nature of light was obtained from a long controversy between two theories: wave theory by Huygens (1629-1695); and particle theory of Newton (1642-1727). It was not until 1892 when the invention of the incandescent light bulbs, wire filament heated to high temperatures by electric current, were successfully completed by Thomas Edison. Through further advances in physics during 20th century, new knowledge and understanding was gained (http://www.canon.com/technology/s_labo/light/001/11.html) not only what regards the nature of light but also developing materials and laboratory procedures for production of artificial light by different types of lamps, e.g. ballast, fluorescent, compact fluorescent, halogen and LED (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighting). LED-lamps, in addition of being most energy effective artificial light sources, have several exceptional versatile and advantages for smart mobile application and integration in renewable energy-based timely applications.  http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=2370&view=2

Many physical phenomena exiting in nature, such as light, has fascinated humans to search about their origin and some of us went more in depth to find ways to study them and even re-produce them not only on small laboratory scales but also for much more wider everyday life applications. This is how our science and technology keep advancing and transforming observations and abstract ideas to understandable and comprehensible realities with useful applications for human benefits. Innovations keep generating new inventions replacing less efficient, less accurate and less secure inventions to more efficient, accurate and safe products. This evolution in science and technology is important, essential and imperative for improving the quality of life on earth and for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments. This is not a straightforward process free from difficulties, constrains, disappointments, failure, mobility, pain, and even threats, accidents and disasters and above all the continuous and hard struggle to find the necessary resources, investments and partners. Some of these can have solutions and remedies through preparedness, lobbies and also systematic, gradual and continuous build-up of pre-required and introductory knowledge as well as collaboration and teaming up in consortiums.

Science and technology nowadays, also market dynamics, are characterized by being trans-disciplinary with diffuse barriers between disciplines, so classification to physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine and economy is introducing increasing pressures not only on researchers, management of research infra-structures and projects, top peer-reviewed journals and research-funding organization but also on career-development-plans, involvement and shaping of early-stage researcher as well as construction and management of higher education in general. Alfred Nobel’s Will (http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/will/testamente.html) (http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_gb/alfred-nobel/testament/) stated that the prizes “shall be annually awarded to those who, during the preceding year shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” within the disciplines of physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, economy, literature and peace. With the new era of trans-disciplinary and trans-sectorial requirements for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments new possibilities for awarding the prize are to be expected for joint inventions by physicists and chemists; physicists, chemists and physiologists; chemists and physiologists; physicists and physiologists; ……. etc as long as the inventions are contributing to the greatest benefit to mankind. Classification into disciplines is just to give equal chances and terms to all disciplines contributing in “the greatest benefit on mankind” including existing and emerging nexuses (water-energy, environment-medicine, environment-economy, …. where underlying sciences can be combinations of physics, chemistry, physiology or even economy for example) with impacts on “the greatest benefit on mankind” in particular life quality and the conservation and protection of natural resources. The scientific career, engineering endeavor, entrepreneurship, mobility, diverse, dynamic and global engagement of Alfred Nobel and his concern about safety and peace as well as his transparency, cultural, literature and art interests have all in all finally resulted in unifying humans towards the neutral goals of the hard issues of science and technology with the soft face of humanity as reflected in literature and peace (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel).

Tuning the mission of science, technology and economy towards achieving sustainable socio-economic developments has to be completed by global instruments to foster mutual respect across geographical, cultural and religious boarders for achieving peace within and between different generations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6VQpB4kGtQ&app=desktop).

Food is a daily concern not only for us but also to grow up whatever we need to eat as well! How much do we know about food production, in particular animal and meat production? How much water and energy are needed for such production, also what are the impacts of such production on our environment and health? An interesting issue is the production of chicken and eggs, by being by far most popular food items in the market. Here is a good example of high-quality production and preparation of eggs for the market and consumers (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10203243637959486&id=1465162541).

The ever-increasing world population is requiring more and more chicken and eggs but how can humans cope with the increasing pressures on chicken? Yet the world has not yet reached peak chicken (http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2013/08/peak-chicken). What about “organic or eco” production; what are the diverse culture and ethics in chicken production and processing? With increasing pressures on water-energy resources how would we sustain farming and production in terms of feeding? Could insects feed animals of tomorrow’s meat industry? If so, what are the challenges posed from convoluted legislation and possible health risks? Indeed, The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a report (pdf) last year promoting the introduction of insects into both our diets and animal feed. Scientists and researchers, also claim that “other protein sources for livestock and aquaculture are urgently needed” which in real life terms can be understandable. However, some scientists and researchers even suggest that insects are ideal in this context as they can be “sustainably reared” on vegetable and domestic waste as well as byproducts from slaughterhouses. But startups recognize that for consumers, the thought of directly eating insects is often hard to stomach.

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/08/insects-feed-animals-meat-industry-startup-food

What makes Scandinavia expensive and beautiful is the costs associated with safety, security and quality of life on all levels. But there are things you need to know if you are planning a long stay, e.g. in Sweden (https://sweden.se/society/20-things-to-know-before-moving-to-sweden/).

It not only about tourism and long stays in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries but in general it is how the culture, social life and economy are being entangled and intertwined with nature and the environment. What you see as a tourist, or experience during a stay, has long history of socio-economic evolution, continuity in space and time and deep involvement of generations (http://www.academia.edu/7640463/Entangled_Environments_Historians_and_Nature_in_the_Nordic_Countries). The article explores questions of definition, disciplinary knowledge and the need for interdisciplinarity, and the problem of national, spatial, and temporal boundaries in environmental history. It concludes with a look to the future of Nordic environmental history.

The industrial revolution (http://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industriella_revolutionen), the advance of science and technology during past centuries (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century) , and the associated accelerating “production-consumption” because of population pressures are taking us to new global tectonic shifts. The scream of nature and life on earth is forcing a new world order to bring about zero-carbon technologies for major cleanup of the atmosphere from all un-necessary emissions of carbon dioxide. Indeed, we should shape these shifts to a much more wider and inclusive cleanup from all toxic pollution and waste that are causing enormous and accelerating degradation of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the land. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=10

For many decades and even centuries there have been an accelerating divergence of the socio-economic twin “eco-nomy and eco-logy” with enormous feedback impacts on the functioning and metabolism of all life processes and qualities on earth. The convergence of the gap between eco-nomy and eco-logy is IMPERATIVE for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments around the world. Just some few examples from two most big economies in world the USA (http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=10) and the emerging China (http://www.mining.com/china-the-worlds-biggest-energy-consumer-and-producer-72513/).

http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/

We can dream to get a world which we can enjoy together in combinations of natural colors with positive impacts from worlds greatest music.

BBC for SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT, 4 December 2014, tells that African soil crisis threatens food security because of substantial soil degradation where 65% of arable land, 30% of grazing land and 20% of forests are already damaged. This serious land degradation accounts for about a quarter of land area of sub-Saharan Africa, which is indeed a vast area. The study has been published ahead of the 2015 international year of soils.

According to Montpellier Panel, made up of agricultural, trade and ecology experts from Europe and Africa, the problem needed a higher priority by aid donors as land degradation reduced soil fertility, leading to lower crop yields and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Soil degradation was also hampering economic development, costing the continent’s farmers billions of dollars in lost income.

The Montpellier Panel said that this issue must be given ‘Global priority’ as Africa is facing a combination of severe difficulties of land degradation, poor yields and a growing population. Panel chairman Sir Prof Gordon Conway, from Imperial College London, described the issue as a “crisis of land degradation and soil management”, adding: “We have got to do something about it”. “There are about 180 million people who are living on land that is in some way or another degraded. It is really very severe.” Neglecting the health of Africa’s soil will lock the continent into a cycle of food insecurity for generations to come, a report has warned.

Other factors are likely to add further threats for accelerating soil degradation, e.g. global warming, hydro-electric power industries (http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/big-dams-bringing-poverty-not-power-to-africa-2006) and peak phosphorus by the end of this century  (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_phosphorus).

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30277514

Living conditions on earth are highly dependent on climate and weather conditions that are primarily controlled by natural conditions on the earth and its position in the solar system. This is except the negative man-made impacts on the environment and climate that started with the expansion of world population and after the industrial revolution with observable effects on life during the past century.

So far, the major achievements of humans on earth have been dramatic. In addition to ancient civilizations, the past centuries have witnessed major global transformations that are brought about by enormous scientific and technical advances and innovation. Such developments and the associated fast urbanization, after the first and second world wars, have caused gradual marginalization, or even isolation, of some or even major populations in many regions around the world which is indeed the essence of increasing poverty, at least in relative terms. With the initial stages of the digital revolution such gaps have also increased though in the long run they would rather shrink because of increasing access to knowledge and the associated benefits from the “transfer-of-knowledge” and “exchange-of-knowledge”.

With the increasing globalization there are growing needs not only to understand and to know the life under “normal” conditions, i.e. less natural extremes in weather, but also to know more about how “normal” is “normal” under climate conditions that are drifting from the natural functioning of the earth’s system. In particular we need to widen our knowledge on the more extremes in harsh environments (http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/here-are-5-of-the-harshest-environments-on-earth/). Such understanding on the global level allows promoting and extending the applicability of science and technology. However, climate and weather conditions set severe limitations on the applications that can be based on scientific and technical advances and innovations. Remote cities (http://www.buzzfeed.com/adamdavis/the-most-remote-and-extreme-cities-around-the-world) and places at the end of the earth (Palmerston: The island at the end of the earth http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25430383) are few examples. Also, the living conditions of rural populations in particular “uncontacted people” or the so-called “isolated peoples or lost tribes”, i.e. who live, or have lived, either by choice or by circumstance, without significant contact with the more globalized world (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted_peoples). The increasing mobility and movement of people is bringing with it new needs for globalization of “cultures and traditions” rather than, and not only limited to or forced by, globalization of science and technology. Coupling science and technology to cultures and traditions is among difficult challenges in many places around the world.

In spite of the fact that our planet is undergoing a population explosion there are regions with declining populations because of increasing isolation. In the website below we will take you to places, e.g. the isolated areas of Arctic, Antarctic, canyons, deserts, Saharas, ……,  where it would be even hard to find a companion. It can even be much harder to survive in these places with the “affordable” technologies we have in populated urbanized regions. With this insight you will probably have a new appreciation for the people in your life, or you may probably prefer to stay where you are and do much better to preserve and protect your environment. Anyway enjoy these 25 most remote places in the world:

http://list25.com/the-25-most-remote-places-in-the-world/

Mining activities are among essential drivers for the global industry especially what regard the exploration, processing and production of raw materials necessary for technological production worldwide. For a global overview and up-to-the-date coverage check “Terrapinn – Total Mining” for information on exploration, investment, and development of miners, financiers and investors (http://blogs.terrapinn.com/total-mining/category/minerals/).

The growing fear of world industry to run out of raw materials there are intentions directed towards the moon. Professor Ouyang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in an interview conducted by BBC News, states that China is in pursuit of natural resources up in the celestial skies as the earth’s mineral resources gradually dwindles, starting with the moon. “The Moon is full of resources – mainly rare earth elements, titanium, and uranium, which the Earth is really short of, and these resources can be used without limitation.”

If this would be the solution from where the energy resources to the outer space come from? And even if the needed energy would be available, what shall humans do with ever increasing amount of waste and pollution? Under these conditions would humans still have accessible and affordable quality of air and water for life? Few new challenge facing future generations.

http://blogs.terrapinn.com/total-mining/2014/02/28/chinas-moon-mining-pursuit/

Information from “CDC” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA regarding Ebola Virus Disease and protection of people. Check Key “Questions and Answers on Ebola” concerning: Personal protection against Ebola?; Has the “patient zero” been identified?; How do I know if I have seasonal influenza or Ebola? If I  am experiencing some flu-like symptoms (e.g. fever, headache, muscle aches).

What is “CDC” doing in the U.S. about the outbreak in West Africa?; Travelers: What is being done to prevent ill travelers in West Africa from getting on a plane? In West Africa, during travel and in the United States; What do I do if I’m returning to the U.S. from an area where the outbreak is occurring?; What do I do if I am traveling to an area where the outbreak is occurring? Should people traveling to Africa be worried about the outbreak? In the United States: Are there any other cases of people in the U.S. getting Ebola?; Is there a danger of Ebola spreading in the U.S.?; Why don’t we restrict travel to the United States?

Check with the local authorities in your counry if similar questions and answers can be applicable, e.g. elsewhere around the world.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html?mobile=nocontent

As humans, in many ways we are special. We are developing with everything working together in complex and fully functioning machine. However, this is not the fully story of evolution on earth. Bacteria are the truly special organisms, evolving very quickly, able to elegantly escape and evade the best of modern medicine. Thus evolution is not only about explaining where humans may have originated but it also a process occurring around us now that we should understand unless we are willing to lose the game to our sleeker, sexier competitors.

http://darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk/pages/index.php?page_id=g1

Indeed, the era of antibiotics is coming to an end, what once appeared to be miracle medicines have been beaten into ineffectiveness by the bacteria that humans designed to knock out. Once, scientists hailed the end of infectious diseases but the old ones are coming and even more new ones are on the way.

Peak antibiotics – Aug 14

At least 30 new diseases have emerged in the past two decades, for many of which there is no treatment, cure or vaccine, or the possibility of effective prevention or control. In addition, the uncontrolled and inappropriate use of antibiotics has resulted in increased antimicrobial resistance and is seriously threatening drug control strategies against such common diseases as tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, dysentery and pneumonia. Many more that is spreading to new geographical areas, because of changing habits, lifestyle, behavior (including injecting and non-injecting drug use) and cultural or social values. Travel, including tourism, global mobility, pressures on water resources, climate change, intensive land-use, agriculture, farming and animal production, also play a role. The practices of modern medicine also contribute. New animal diseases pose potential food-borne risks to human health that are sometimes difficult to evaluate or predict. All of which have developed anti-microbial resistance. The most dramatic example of a new disease is AIDS, deadly haemorrhagic fevers and Ebola. Epidemics of food-borne and water-borne diseases due to new organisms such as cryptosporidium or new strains of bacteria do exist. New strains such as those of cholera and influenza do not follow the usual pattern of being more common in younger people. They affect all age groups, since older people have not acquired immunity to them from previous infection. These are trends taking place in many places around the world.

Despite the emergence of new diseases, there is still a lack of national and international political will and resources to develop and support the systems that are necessary to detect them and stop their spread. The next few years are certain to be critical for the future of antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance will increase if present trends continue.

http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/dise-cn.htm

In addition to the eco-systemic impact of industrial agriculture and global circuits of capital, our highly mobile society and the consequent climate disruption from fossil-fueled globalization have worked to propel the spread of invasive species, diseases, and pathogens:

http://collapseofindustrialcivilization.com/tag/peak-antibiotics/