onment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertificati

Global issues are of great importance for they may literally decide the future of the human race. The very concept of issues that are global in scale is recent. Global issues have and hold the potential for extensive impacts on people and the planet. Global issues are beyond the ability of any one nation to resolve and are persistent, or long-acting. Their onset may take years, decades, or even generations to be felt, and may take similar amounts of time to be resolved.

I am going to outline a few global issues briefly before finally concentrating on one particular issue, starting with conflict. There are around thirty high-intensity wars raging around the world today. These conflicts cause millions of casualties, as well as social and economic disruptions that threaten food supplies, health, local environments and political strength in many regions. Most conflicts start over things such as access to farmland, water, fishing grounds, timber resources, or control of valuable products such as diamonds or coffee. Combatant groups can be entities from opposition, communal or the government and are often members of a particular class, ethnic group, or religion struggling for right to use to natural resources, social services, or political power.

After food and water, energy is our most basic need. Modern cultures are founded almost solely around the production and consumption of energy. Many people believed that our main concern was the fact that supplies will eventually run out, when in fact the greater concern about energy is that our current energy models are unsustainable because of environmental and economic issues. Our current energy models rely mainly on hydrocarbon fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal which provide nearly 80 percent of the world’s energy. However, this can cause smog and acid rain, and may be linked to global warming. We also use long-established biomass fuels such as solid wood that provides almost 10 percent of the world’s energy but unfortunately contributes to deforestation and air pollution. The final energy model we use is a nuclear generation which provides just over 6 percent of the world’s energy, but produces toxic waste which needs long-term safe disposal.

Human impact on the environment is becoming both more visually obvious and more extensive. Almost 40 percent of the earth's land surface is being used as cropland or pasture land and half the planet's tropical forests have been destroyed or ruined. The planet's protective ozone layer has been badly damaged, while huge numbers of carbon emissions causes smog and acid rain, and also contributes to global warming and climate change. All of these environmental impacts result from the needs and desires of our growing population and the models of production and consumption we use to try to meet those needs and desires. Much of the damage to the environment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertificatio

ties, as well as social and economic disruptions that threaten food supplies, health, local environments and political strength in many regions. Most conflicts start over things such as access to farmland, water, fishing grounds, timber resources, or control of valuable products such as diamonds or coffee. Combatant groups can be entities from opposition, communal or the government and are often members of a particular class, ethnic group, or religion struggling for right to use to natural resources, social services, or political power.

After food and water, energy is our most basic need. Modern cultures are founded almost solely around the production and consumption of energy. Many people believed that our main concern was the fact that supplies will eventually run out, when in fact the greater concern about energy is that our current energy models are unsustainable because of environmental and economic issues. Our current energy models rely mainly on hydrocarbon fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal which provide nearly 80 percent of the world’s energy. However, this can cause smog and acid rain, and may be linked to global warming. We also use long-established biomass fuels such as solid wood that provides almost 10 percent of the world’s energy but unfortunately contributes to deforestation and air pollution. The final energy model we use is a nuclear generation which provides just over 6 percent of the world’s energy, but produces toxic waste which needs long-term safe disposal.

Human impact on the environment is becoming both more visually obvious and more extensive. Almost 40 percent of the earth's land surface is being used as cropland or pasture land and half the planet's tropical forests have been destroyed or ruined. The planet's protective ozone layer has been badly damaged, while huge numbers of carbon emissions causes smog and acid rain, and also contributes to global warming and climate change. All of these environmental impacts result from the needs and desires of our growing population and the models of production and consumption we use to try to meet those needs and desires. Much of the damage to the environment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertificati

in concern was the fact that supplies will eventually run out, when in fact the greater concern about energy is that our current energy models are unsustainable because of environmental and economic issues. Our current energy models rely mainly on hydrocarbon fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal which provide nearly 80 percent of the world’s energy. However, this can cause smog and acid rain, and may be linked to global warming. We also use long-established biomass fuels such as solid wood that provides almost 10 percent of the world’s energy but unfortunately contributes to deforestation and air pollution. The final energy model we use is a nuclear generation which provides just over 6 percent of the world’s energy, but produces toxic waste which needs long-term safe disposal.

Human impact on the environment is becoming both more visually obvious and more extensive. Almost 40 percent of the earth's land surface is being used as cropland or pasture land and half the planet's tropical forests have been destroyed or ruined. The planet's protective ozone layer has been badly damaged, while huge numbers of carbon emissions causes smog and acid rain, and also contributes to global warming and climate change. All of these environmental impacts result from the needs and desires of our growing population and the models of production and consumption we use to try to meet those needs and desires. Much of the damage to the environment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertificati

rgy, but produces toxic waste which needs long-term safe disposal.

Human impact on the environment is becoming both more visually obvious and more extensive. Almost 40 percent of the earth's land surface is being used as cropland or pasture land and half the planet's tropical forests have been destroyed or ruined. The planet's protective ozone layer has been badly damaged, while huge numbers of carbon emissions causes smog and acid rain, and also contributes to global warming and climate change. All of these environmental impacts result from the needs and desires of our growing population and the models of production and consumption we use to try to meet those needs and desires. Much of the damage to the environment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertificati

onment is a result of over-consumption of resources and production of wastes by wealthy nations and individuals.

Nothing is as basic to human survival as food and water. But billions of people lack access to adequate nutrition and clean water. Around 800 million people are chronically hungry and over two billion lack adequate nutrition and more than 80 countries now face water shortages.

There is enough food available to feed everyone on the planet, today. But economic policies, poverty, discrimination, and poor governance keep many people from receiving enough food. Through destroying natural habitats for farmland, over-fishing, pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion, and desertification, we are also doing damage to the Earth in producing much of our food.

Health is completely essential for social and economic development. Population growth, globalization, and unsuitable development have made health more fragile than ever for many people in the world. Inadequate development has resulted in poverty and insufficient health services in much of the world, while over-consumption by developed nations has created severe environmental health impacts. Health is very much linked to other global issues. For example, poverty is a major contributor to ill health. Poor people, especially women and children, often cannot afford sufficient nutrition, clean water, or access to medical attention. Ill health, therefore, traps people in or condemns them to poverty.

I am going to finally concentrate on the gap between the rich and poor as a global issue and hopefully comprise an idea for action that a primary school could take on.

As time goes by, the gap between the worlds rich and poor is becoming larger and larger, both within countries and among them. The vast majority of the world’s population is receiving an ever-decreasing share of its wealth, while the share claimed by a few rich nations and individuals is steadily growing.

The results of this widening rich-poor gap are diverse. They include environmental destruction as richer nations can afford to over-consume resources, while poorer nations are forced to over-exploit the environment just to survive. People may be forced to migrate and move in search of adequate resources. They also include conflict wealthier nation’s fight to keep what they have, while those suffering a lack of resources fight to attain them. Global inequality has many causes and is diverse and complex. Such as, the unequal distribution of natural resources, and lack of access to education, healthcare, especially for women and girls.

History has shown that individuals and nations do not have to stay in poverty for an indefinite period, however. With a knowledge and understanding of the interdependence of our world, it is possible to eradicate the original causes of poverty. By increasing economic opportunities, access improves to nutrition, education, and healthcare. This creates a higher income, more independence (especially for women) and the opportunity to obtain environmentally safe technology and products. When social health improves so does the stability of it, better economic production and less opportunities for conflict. Population tends to even out, governments tend to be more democratic, and environmental protection becomes both more desired and attainable.

Most people have an image in their minds of what they perceive to be a poor person but rarely think beyond that image to all the other ways being poor affects a person’s life, or how that poverty affects the larger wor