The Arithmetic of Compassion
Text:
The author of this article brings up surprising facts that really capitalize on the amount of resources and money that is overspent on this earth. The article states that if we divide the total amount of gross world profit ($65 trillion) by the total population (6.8 billion) we will reach a number that represents the amount of money that each human is entitled to on this earth. The number comes out to be $9,000 per year. He also goes father to state that this is when we are using 30% over what the earth produces, and if we continue to do that it will never grow. With the threat of using all of the earths production and the fact that the earths population is hypothesized to grow Ulansey suggests that a hum being is entitled to about $6,000 per year.
Response:
I am having a hard time processing the information that was provided in the article. It is so easy to read something like this and agree with the author, while looking at our lifestyles and shaking our head. I think that many people in our demographic (young adult, educated, Americans) have grown up with the idea that they money we work hard to obtain is ours. Personally I have worked hard long hours at establishments that did not appreciate my labor just so I could have enough money to spend at school. It is hard to look at my labor and now think that the money that I worked hard for was somehow an injustice. Unfortunately we live at a time and in a place where following "the Arithmetic of Compassion" is impossible to live by. There were facts that were brought up that are horrifying. For one I know that my family spends more money on the healthcare of our pets (dog, cat, turtle) than 1.4 billion people who live bellow the poverty line.
Text 2: Fair Trade Booklet
"Fair Trade is a very attractive concept, across the political spectrum. People like the idea of helping people, not with the opportunity to work hard and decently." -Daniel Salcedo
Response:
I like this quote because it demonstrates how fair trade can be a very successful movement. After reading through the booklet it is evident that the trend has helped many people change their lives. It stated that the U.S. alone has spent $2 billion on fair trade in 2008, most of that being coffee. I think the more knowledge that people have about fair trade the more people will chose to spend. I also think that coffee is one of the leading products people purchase through fair trade is because it is a smaller price. The difference between a fair trade cup of coffee is probably only a couple dollars more. This is a change that people are willing to incorporate into their lives.
« FTRN BookletFT Week 2 »
More blog posts in this category Common
Subscribe to RSS-Feed
Visitors
Board Statistics
