Conclusion

For the past few months, we have been posting weekly about different global issues. The purpose of this blog is to inform you and raise awareness about human rights, poverty, etc. As Chriatians, one of our tasks given to us is to protect God's creation and help each other.
You may think protecting nature may be impossible, but one simple act may mean a lot. For example, picking up a piece of trash you see on the streets might make a small change to our world.
As for helping one another, we should help others according to their needs. Jesus did not take the nature of a king but chose to be a servant to this world. We should follow his example and serve the world.
Thank you for visiting our blog!

Child Labor Response/Reflection

Child labor is a form of modern slavery. Think of all those children, all 168 million of them, that are deprived of their childhood and freedom. If we do not do anything about this issue, child labor will continue to exist in the world. Poverty is one of the main reasons that child labor occurs. So, to efficiently tackle this problem, we first must deal with the cycle of poverty. There are children in Africa that harvest cocoa to be made into chocolate. Fair trade chocolate is chocolate that does not use child labor in its manufacturing process. Have you ever thought about how a child laborer's life is like? Back breaking, sweaty, hazardous work. 85 million children work in those conditions. We ask you to spread the this issue to your family, friends, neighbors, etc. That is what God would like from our society - to help those who are oppressed and do not have a voice. We have a voice. We need to use that voice to change the world around us. One voice may be tiny and insignificant, but with a thousand voices, the world can hear us clearly. Justice should be brought to this.


Proverbs 21:15
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, "let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

Forever 21 uses forced child labor in cotton.
http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-forever-21-to-stop-forced-child-labor-in-cotton

Poverty Global Issues Response/Reflection

For the past few months, this blog has identified many global issues and gave you sufficient information on those problems. From now on, we would reflect on these global issues based on Biblical perspectives and analyze what our response/actions should be.

Poverty is not an issue that could be broken by those who are actually living in poverty, but could only be changed by wealthier people who are willing to step up and make change to our world.  However, our selfishness has blinded our eyes from seeing poverty as an issue. Almost all of us know how to help this global issue, but because we live too comfortable we don't want to lose what we have now. The only solution is to step out of our own comfort zones and reach out to those that needed our help. Jesus was willing to become a servant of us and washed the disciples' feet. He did not think that the sick were dirty and accepted the untouchables as children of God. Jesus came down from heaven to set a perfect example for us to follow. How could we not help the poor even when the King himself came down to help all of us?

Poverty could never be broken because of humans' sinful nature: selfishness an greed. We are never satisfied with what we have now and wanting more wealth and riches. Have you ever thought about those families who live on 1 USD a day? You would WANT more money, but they actually NEED the money to survive.

Bible Verse #1: 
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. - Deuteronomy 15:11

Bible Verse #2
Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. - Psalm 82:3-4

God tells us many times in the Bible to stand up and help the needy. How can we ignore it these verses all the time? Poverty is a very important issue and we should try our very best to end this cycle. Even though poverty will never end in our world, we should still reach out and help the poor.

Lack of Access to Education

According to EFA, like food and shelter, education is a right for all people. An article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that everyone has the right to education. Education opens the door to opportunities and freedoms in one's life.

In many developing countries, children are unable to attend school or have access to education due to many reasons. Females, especially, usually do not have an education because families tend to believe that males are dominant and that females should work at homes. One of the reasons many children are unable to have an education would include not being able to afford an education. Help around the house is needed in poor families. They need all the helping hands they could get to earn money just for survival. In their opinion, education is not of utmost priority. Additionally, time is an obstacle. Having to spend countless hours working, many children cannot find the time to go to school. Even when they do have time, oftentimes, the school is far away, and the children have to walk a distance to reach it.

Education is very important. There are many positive effects to education. Education can beat poverty. With basic reading skills, people can find better paying jobs and be lifted out of poverty. Promoting gender equality, education allows woman to reach their potential next to men. The knowledge about health that education provides would reduce child mortality rates and fight preventable diseases. Lack of education can lead to higher rates of unemployment, low income, and even poverty. It also leads to the lack of knowledge about health and other important aspects in life.

Somali refugee Hali Shukri always had a passion for education. Her desire to learn English brought her to a refugee camp in Massawa, Eritrea where over 3,000 Somalis live. Before, she could hardly speak and write English. Now, she is somewhat fluent in that language and can write it. Hali says, "I wouldn't want to be doing anything right now, other than studying." Currently, she uses her new skills to work part-time as a Somali-English translator. Her dream is to study at a university and to become a doctor.


Ecclesiastes 7:12 - For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Sites Used:
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/efa/
http://www.bmz.de/en/what_we_do/issues/Education/hintergrund/bildungsituation/
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/redefining_education_in_the_developing_world
http://www.unhcr.org/51d17c749.html

Human Trafficking

"Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries or abroad...."

- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

definition: "The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered 'Trafficking in persons' "

Human trafficking is an issue in almost all the countries in the world and is a kind of "modern-day slavery". It involves the trading of humans through deception and kidnapping for the purpose of prostitution, labor, organ transfers, etc. They can be transported among the same country or even foreign countries. Most of these victims are children.

Traffickers aim for people such as: (from Polaris Project)

- undocumented immigrants

- runaway and homeless youth

- victims of trauma and abuse

- refugees and individuals fleeing conflict

Human trafficking does not happen in front our eyes very often, because everything happens behind the scenes. Humans are secretly transported to one place to another illegally to work for their traffickers benefits. They don't receive money and are treated in inhumane ways.

Victims often have no idea in where they are heading and clueless in what their future will be.

Victims transferred to their new working place were treated brutally under horrible working conditions. Traffickers lock their "slaves" in brothels and factories and forces them to work in their businesses. They work in places such as sex industries or in farming fields. Traffickers use lies, deception, violence, threats in order to manipulate and control its victims. 

Sites:

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html?ref=menuside

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking

http://www.ice.gov/human-trafficking/

http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview/the-victims

Animal Abuse

Cruelty to Animals - The crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. It can include neglect that is monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or been put in imminent danger of death

Cases of animal cruelty:
- starving
- slaughter of animals and their organs
- animal fights
- chained dogs and cats

Animal cruelty and abuse appears on TV once in a while on the news. People suffering from mental disorders are likely to abuse animals and even family members. Others illegally cage dogs and cats, breeding them to create ideal offspring to sell for large amounts of money. Although the animals are not able to complain or fight back, it will still hurt them very deeply. Many people may not see animals as living organisms but we must understand that they are part of God's creation. We were given the responsibility to take care of them and in return, we receive their loyalty and respect.

We may find bull fighting entertaining, but have you ever heard of the story behind all the laughter? According to Humane Society International, approximately 250,000 bulls are killed yearly in bullfights. Bulls are killed by being stabbed and slowly dying form blood loss in front of millions of speculators. I think watching bulls dying for our own entertainment is very inhumane. Yet, laughter remains in the flowing blood and pain bulls.

Have you ever heard of dog fighting? Dog fighting involves specially bred dogs and arenas for the purpose of entertainment and gambling. Dogs are put in closed areas to bite and attack each other until either one dies. Those watching place bets on who they think the winner would be. The fight can last up to two hours and dogs can end up severely injured, mentally or physically. Dog fighting is legal in certain areas, including Japan, Honduras, and parts of Russia. Skin torn, legs broken, and bones fractured, dogs are forced to fight their own kind. Should we reconsider morals and ethics while speculating these scenes?

You may still think that animals are not to be respected and are okay to play around with. But I want to inform you that millions of these animals' lives are in danger due to encouragement from the crowd, no matter among bull or dog fighting.

Video - blind cat, Possum was one of the cats found in cages:  http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/

Sites Used:
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Animal+abuse
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/#.UxwYBvmSxkg
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1395866/cat-killers-get-hong-kongs-longest-ever-jail-sentence-animal-cruelty
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/dogfighting/facts/dogfighting_fact_sheet.html#.Uxw9pvmSxkg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_fighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLx0M_NO9pE

Global Warming

What is global warming? Global warming is the increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere. This can be caused by greenhouse gases that trap heat that would otherwise leave the Earth. It is a type of greenhouse effect. The exchange of incoming and out going radiation that warms the Earth is referred as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gasses are gasses in the atmosphere that absorbs radiation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, common greenhouse gasses includes carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide. The increased amount of greenhouse gasses traps more heat, increasing the Earth's temperature day by day.

Ever since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, humans have been burning fuels at a high rate, contributing to the increase of greenhouse gases. Current day contributions to greenhouse gases would include the production of electricity, transportation, manufacturing, and forestry. The production of electricity makes up 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation makes up 28%, manufacturing makes up 11%, agriculture makes up 8%, and forestry makes up 14%.

Global warming has many effects. Below is a list of global warming's impacts.

• Rising seas - can flood fresh water marshlands, low cities and islands
• Rainfall patterns alterations - droughts in one area, flooding in another
• Increased chance of extreme events - ex: flooding, hurricanes, storms, droughts
• Melting ice caps and glaciers - species lose their habitats
• Animal populations vanishing - following widespread habitat loss
• Spread of diseases - diseases, such as malaria, can migrate to warmer regions
• Loss of plankton because of warming seas - it can topple the entire ecosystem

What you can do:
- Inform others about this growing issue
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Use less heat or air-con
- Take more public transport and drive less
- Turn off electrical appliances when not using them
- Use energy-efficient products


Genesis 2:15 - The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Sites Used:
http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_warming.htm
http://www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gases.html
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

Poverty and Poor Health

36 million deaths each year are caused by diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and lung diseases. This is almost 2/3 of the 56 million deaths every year. Numerous deaths occurs because of the unavailability of health care resources. Poverty and poor health are closely linked. Poverty creates poor health because it forces people to live in environments that make them sick, without clean water or decent shelter. Infectious diseases weaken and even kill millions of the poorest people every year.

People living in poverty have to make harsh choices regarding their health. For example, many people knowingly put their health and well-being at risk because they cannot bear to see their children starve. Furthermore, people living in poverty are unable to afford health care and doctors' fees. The cost of drugs and transportation to reach a health center is oftentimes too expensive for the poor to afford. As a result, sometimes, children are pulled out of school to help earn money for the sick person. The burden of caring for a sick person is usually a female relative's job. This can have a long-term impact on the woman's opportunities later in life and her own health. Most of the time, the sick person would end up losing their life because they do not have access to basic medication for curable diseases/sicknesses.

According to Boafesta, cattle are hope to him. He talks about the many health issues where he live in. Emphasizing the link between poor health and poverty, Boafesta says, "When disease comes there is no way out but to sell one of the cows. From the time I was born until now, I have lived on produce from the field. But drought is now putting that under threat. What gives us hope is cattle." Selling his cattle is how Boafesta deals with poor health.

Sites Used:
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/587/health-issues
http://www.who.int/hdp/poverty/en/
http://www.healthpovertyaction.org/policy-and-resources/the-cycle-of-poverty-and-poor-health/the-cycle-of-poverty-and-poor-health1/
http://panos.org.uk/resources/boafesta-cattle-are-hope/

Plastic Surgery - Imperfection

Have you ever thought about these questions?
- Am I pretty?
- Can I be pretty?
- Why am I so ugly?
- Why is SHE so pretty?
- Can I have her face and her body?
The society we live in today makes us believe that we need to reach a level of perfection, which can never be achieved. We walk by large billboards and ads on the streets and can't help but think about our own imperfection. Or it might be Barbie's "perfect" appearance that affected you on how you think about yourself. But, please be reminded that Barbie dolls are fake and getting a body like Barbie is probably one of the hardest things to do.  I think the idea of "changing your face" is against what God made you. God made each of us perfect and in His image; He has never made a mistake.
Some people might think that plastic surgery is acceptable because it only deals with the outer appearance. Others might think that it is not okay because it is against God's will. However, this is my opinion. Plastic Surgery may change how you look, but it will never change how you think and act. It doesn't matter whether or not you're pretty or not, but if your inner self is filled with darkness and hatred, changing your physical appearance would not make a difference.
Korea is widely known for their plastic surgeries. Therefore, girls at a very young age start thinking about having plastic surgeries. According to statistics in Korea, one in every five women participated in some sort of plastic surgery. A possible reason why numerous Koreans are crazy for surgeries could be because of Korean celebrities. A lot of Korean celebrities have undergone some sort of cosmetic surgeries so that they would look pretty in front of their followers and fans. Since K-pop is popular among teenagers, it has informed to them about plastic surgery.
Plastic surgery is popular not only for its beautifying effect, but also for medical purposes. Scars and wounds can be replaced through plastic surgeries. According to Stanford School of Medicine, plastic surgery can be a reconstructive surgery that could repair the hole left behind by a bone tumor after its removal. Another way plastic surgeries can be helpful is when people age and they start developing wrinkles and tissues sagging. A cosmetic surgery can lift your skin up so it would not affect your everyday life.

Sites Used:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/v
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery
http://plasticsurgery.stanford.edu/
https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/skin-wrinkles-and-blemishes
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2134352/One-women-Seoul-gone-knife-South-Korea-tops-global-list-plastic-surgery-procedures.html

Overpopulation

According to Overpopulation.org, one third of the population growth in the world is a result of unwanted or incidental pregnancies. Every year, 80 million unintended pregnancies occur in developing countries. Growth is most rapid in the 49 least developed countries. Calculations have shown that their population is going to double in size from ≈ 900 million inhabitants in 2013 to 1.8 billion in 2015. In the year 2050, the US Census Bureau predicts that the world population would reach 9.2 billion. Each day, the world population increases by 200,000 people. In any country, it takes 70 years for the population to double at a growth rate of 1% per year. Overpopulation is a big issue if not tackled effectively.

A region is considered to be overpopulated if there is not enough farmland/grazing land to feed everyone. Overpopulation can be a cycle. When people are poor, they have to spend all their money on food. This results in being unable to afford an education or medical care for their children. When children are unable to have an education, especially girls, they tend to marry earlier and have more children because the families want to have less mouths to feed. High infant mortality rate leads to having women believe that they need to have more children as insurance. However, overpopulation may have somewhat of a benefit. If there is a large number of young people entering the labor market, it can boost the economy. But, there needs to be jobs available for these young people. If they are educated, it improves the chances of boosting the economy.

Overpopulation will lead to not having enough basic resources. These basic resources include food, water shortages, air quality, fuel, the ozone layer, and the earth's topsoil. One out of 7 people go to bed hungry every night. 25,000 people die of hunger-related issues every day. Food production and distribution could catch up if our population dropped to a sustainable level. Around 1 billion people lack the access to water for consumption, sanitation, and agriculture. Lung-related problems have risen dramatically due to air pollution. As more and more people have to travel many miles to gather some sort of fuel (wood, oil, etc.) for cooking and heating, it increases their vulnerability to hardship and danger. The ozone layer no longer protects us as well from the UV rays from the sun. Lastly, the earth's topsoil has limits. Growing excessive amounts of food is depleting the 6 inches of topsoil rapidly.

Overpopulation would also lead to social problems, such as overcrowding. In an experiment on Norway rats, rats were put in overcrowded cages. Many of them suffered physical and behavioral problems. Scientists think that if this type of situation happened to humans, it would affect us just as badly. Conflicts and wars are another problem, as lack of hope for the future due to their living situation combined with low self esteem can result in violence.

Speaking of crowded cages, in Hong Kong, tens of thousands people have been living in "bird cage" homes. These small homes are 6 feet by 2 feet. It is pretty much like a wire cage, being made out of wire mesh. Each little cubicle has its own rent. They are stacked on two levels - $775 for a cubicle on the upper deck and $1160 for the lower bunk because the lower bunk barely allows the occupant to stand upright. However, this depends on the type of apartment they live in. Some have 3 levels. Chung lives in a 625 square feet flat with 18 strangers. They all share a common bathroom and kitchen. Chung complains that temperatures oftentimes reaches to 34°C.


Sites Used:
http://www.overpopulation.org/faq.html
http://howmany.org/environmental_and_social_ills.php
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084971/Hong-Kongs-cage-homes-Tens-thousands-living-6ft-2ft-rabbit-hutches.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/28/cage.homes/index.html?iref=24hours

Food Crisis

"Frost in Brazil and Paraguay, dry conditions in Argentina, and delayed plantings due to wet weather in producing regions in the Russian Federation and Ukraine all raise concerns for winter wheat harvests."

       - Food Price Watch - November 2013

Where does YOUR food come from? How much does YOUR food cost?...

Food prices worldwide are getting increasingly higher by the day. The weather has been a great affect on food supply and farm productions. The declining amount of farmed goods was one of the reasons that caused the inflation of food prices.

East Africa 2011- severe drought: East Africa experienced one of the most severe drought in 60 years. 10 million people were affected by this drought in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia. This drought has caused crop failures and limited food supply in these regions. "All the predictions show seasonal rains are far away and the situation will deteriorate -- we have not even reached the peak of the crisis," said Dr. Unni Krishnan. Refugee camps had to withhold thousands of people, with many of the population leaving their home country to escape from the food crisis. The drought has made the price of food shoot high up and millions of the victims are suffering from hunger. Farmers had lost two of the rainy seasons to harvest which is very rare in their region.
In Somalia, where the government does not control the entire country, the situation has become harder to control. Over 2.5 million people in Somalia are affected by the drought when at the same time, a civil war is active in the country. Foreign countries find it very difficult to deliver aid into the country because of the ongoing conflict. Food prices in poor areas have significantly inflated because of the situation they have been living in. By reading about food crisis, I think we should start being aware of the food waste we create daily. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that food waste worldwide is approximately 1.3 billion tons per year. Let us all not waste food and rather send food to places that do need food. They need YOUR help.

The Guardian states that more than half of the children under 5 in this region died from the drought from hunger and malnutrition. A refugee camp called Dadaab can only hold 90,000 but this drought had created an extra amount of 370,000 people joining the camp.

Sites Used:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/publication/food-price-watch-november-2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_East_Africa_drought
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/08/east.africa.drought/index.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/18/east-africa-drought-disaster-report
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/04/drought-east-africa-climate-change
http://www.unep.org/wed/quickfacts/

HIV and AIDS

According to Aids.gov, 33.4 million people currently have HIV/AIDS. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Similar to many other viruses, it can cause common colds. However, unlike other sicknesses, your immune system is unable to get rid of the virus. HIV attacks a person's T-cells or CD4 cells, using those cells to replicate itself and then destroying them. When HIV destroys many of your CD4 cells that your body is unable to fight it anymore, it can result in AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. As the final stage of HIV infection, people in this stage have defectively damaged immune systems.



Where did HIV originate from? Scientists identified that a particular kind of chimpanzee from West Africa contributed to HIV. Believed that humans were affected when they came in contact with chimpanzees infected with SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), the SIV mutated into what we know as HIV. Slowly, the virus spread across Africa and to the rest of the world. The earliest known case of an HIV infection in human was found in a blood sample of  a man from the Republic of the Congo in 1959.

HIV can be found in human body fluids. It can be transmitted through many different ways, including through sexual contact, pregnancy, breast feeding, occupational exposure, and rarely, through blood transfusion or organ transplant. If your partner has HIV, it can be transmitted to you through sexual contact. A baby can get HIV from drinking infected breast milk. Healthcare workers can get HIV when they come in contact with infected blood through needles sticks or cuts. Getting HIV from a blood transfusion or an organ transplant is rare because medics carefully examine it before giving it to a donee.

The earliest signs of HIV include headaches, fevers, rashes, swollen lymph node, and exhaustion. Other symptoms may include muscle or joint pain, sore throat, and ulcers. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, these symptoms usually arise between 1-2 months of the infections. If you suspect that you have HIV/AIDS, it is important to consult with a doctor as soon as possible.

Sites Used:
http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/what-is-hiv-aids/index.html
http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/statistics/index.html
http://www.theaidsinstitute.org/node/259
http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/index.html
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/early-signs-hiv-infection

Tobacco Smoking

How is tobacco made? Tobacco comes from the tobacco plant. After its harvest, a series of 'curing' the tobacco is done for the next seventy to ninety days. It is later sent to different factories for further treatments and made into products such as cigarettes, cigars, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff.

In 2011, according to the American Cancer society, about 43.8 million people smoke cigarettes in United States alone (1 in every 5 adults).
Most of these smokers are men but there are also a large amount of women smokers. The use of tobacco is common not only among adults but also among teenagers. Nearly 1 in every 3 high school students use of tobacco in some form.

What are some reasons people start smoking? Is smoking and consuming tobacco a good thing? Some people start smoking is because of peer pressure, parental influence, advertising, medication, etc. I think most teenagers take cigarettes because it might make them look "cool" or popular. But smoking will have greater consequences later in their lives.

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, cigarettes kill 440,000 people in United States every year. Smoking can lead to several kinds of illnesses. It can damage your organs including your brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidney. Helping you breathe, your lungs are especially affected. They get badly damaged because of the chemicals in cigarettes, turning into sticky brown tar. Deformed lungs can result in lung cancer that can result in death.

Another kind of consequence that we could all suffer from is its pollution. Oftentimes, after people finish their cigarettes, they litter their cigarette butts right on the streets. An estimation of the total amount of cigarette butts disposed of worldwide is 1.69 billion pounds per year. Not only do cigarettes create a massive amount of waste, it also pollutes our environment. People around these smokers can also receive damage to their lungs if they inhale too much of their smoke. Pollution can ruin animals' habitats and the air we breathe in.

What you can do:
- Stop smoking
- Pick up trash around us for our environment
- Don't smoke in public so it won't affect others

Sites Used:
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0310171/how_is_tobacco_made.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/tobacco-info6.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_cigarette_consumption_per_capita
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/smoking-cessation/10-reasons-people-start-smoking2.htm
http://www.tobaccofreeca.com/smoking-problem/impact/environment/
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-addiction/what-are-medical-consequences-tobacco-use

Environmental Pollution

Many people have heard of air, water, and land pollution, but have they heard of the other kinds of pollution? Being able to understand the basics about pollution can minimize individual's contribution and vulnerability to pollution's harm. There are 9 recognized sources of modern pollution. Other than having a damaging impact on the environment, these sources of pollution can also affect the health of humans.

According to the dictionary, air pollution is defined as the contamination of the atmosphere. Air pollution can be in the form of small particles, such as dust, or excessive gasses. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is one of the main pollutant that is causing global warming. Fumes from vehicles, radiation from nuclear accidents, and the burning of fossil fuels all contaminate the air. These are linked to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and some types of allergy.

Water pollution is when anything degrades or contaminates water's purity and quality. It can occur in any body of water, such as oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and reservoirs. Examples of water pollution are dumping waste into the middle of the ocean, bacteria growth, raw sewage running into streams, and even oil spillage.

Land pollution is caused by misusing earth's resources and disposing waste inappropriately. Litter disposed on the side of the road and not in the rubbish bin is a common example of land pollution. This makes the sanitation workers's job harder. Pesticides and other farming chemicals are also examples of land pollution. We must avoid using them as best as we can. Not only has land pollution affected the lives of humans, but it has also done damage towards the natural habitats of animals.

Light pollution may sound rather silly, but it is caused by the over illumination of areas that are oftentimes not needed and will cause disruption. Some examples would include unnecessary lights (like at home when you're gone), night time sporting events or other forms of entertainment, and street lamps that emit light in many directions, not only downwards onto the street.
Thermal pollution is excessive heat caused by human activity that will cause lasting negative impacts on the earth over long periods of time. Thermal pollution can be caused by power plants, heat from factories, and deforestation. This kind of pollution can cause wildlife populations to have a difficult time adjusting to the temperature changes.

Noise pollution are loud noises that cause disruption or annoyance to humans and animals. Examples of noise pollution includes vehicles of airplanes, loud constructing noise, traffic, and even concerts. Constant exposure to noise pollution can cause hearing damage and wildlife disturbances.

Visual pollution is basically unattractive views or things that visually damage the nearby landscape. It can range from skyscrapers that block the view of the scenery behind to  billboards/advertising to even graffiti on nature. All these can cause eyesores.

Radioactive pollution is considered rare. But when it occurs, it is very deadly. It can cause intense damage to human health. Uranium mining operations and nuclear power plant leakage are sources of radioactive pollution. The unfortunate event of Japan's nuclear leak a few years ago would classify as radioactive pollution. The explosion of the atomic bombs on Japan are also examples of radioactive pollution. Radioactive pollution can cause cancer, loss of white blood cell, and vomiting.

Personal pollution is the contamination of a person's health and well-being. It may even contribute to the other 8 forms of pollution. Smoking and drugs are common examples of personal pollution. Smoking can cause lung cancer, while drugs can cause premature aging.


Air pollution in Hong Kong is a serious problem. Cases of asthma and bronchial infections have increased over the past few years because of bad air quality. Traffic is a main cause in Hong Kong's air pollution. To find out more, visit this site http://www.airqualitynow.eu/city_info/prague/page4.php

It is important to not contribute to any of these forms of pollution, as they will, sooner or later, affect the you and the environment you live in. Numbers 35:33-34 says: "You shall not pollute the land in which you live...you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I  dwell, for I the Lord dwells in the midst of the people of Israel." As stewards of God's creation, we must be take care of the land, as God commanded.

Sites Used:
http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/radiation_effects_body.html
http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/kinds-of-environmental-pollution.html
http://www.ask.com/question/personal-pollution
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution-overview/
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Types_of_Pollution
http://www.openbible.info/topics/pollution
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/water/water_maincontent.html

Orphans and Orphanages

An estimate of the amount of orphans worldwide is 153,000,000 according to World Orphans. The cause of a great amount of orphans is because families are too poor, parents are diseased, loss of parents, etc. A huge amount of parents end up having AIDS and chose to abandon their children. Due to the cycle of poverty, the amount of orphans increased rapidly through time. Every day, 5,760 children become orphans but 10-15 % of orphans commit suicide before age 18. Just like littering, children and babies were left on the streets waiting for a kind-hearted person to pick them up and send them to an orphanage. The growing amount of orphans has increased the crimes of trafficking, selling, sexual abuse of children. Once again, Africa is one of the countries with the most orphans in the world.

Stories of orphans: 

This little girl was abandoned in the streets of Africa, near a police station. Fortunately, the baby girl was picked up and sent to a hospital and had to lie in a crib for eleven months to barely be kept alive. She suffered from malnutrition and was diagnosed with HIV positive. The unnamed girl was then sent to an orphanage in March 2001 and was given a name. From that time on, she lived happily in the orphanage and lived on as a healthy child.
An abandoned girl can still live happily in an orphanage after her rescue...



In China, a severely burned baby was dropped off from the police car into a local orphanage. The baby boy Levi was wrapped in only a blanket with 10RMB stuffed into the cloth. He was immediately taken to the hospital and his condition was horrible. Fluid was coming out of his burnt wounds with a sick smell. Even if survived through the treatments, some of his limbs had to be amputated. As the director of the orphanage prays for Levi, they wait for good news from the hospital and a miracle to appear. Levi was then transferred to another hospital at Beijing Children's Hospital by a kind-hearted woman, Lisa. The physician asked a series of questions: "Why are you bothering with this baby? His woulds are so grievous, are you sure you don't want to just let him die?" But the family that wanted to adopt Levi insisted for Levi to take the surgery and would want to save their baby boy. Throughout the treatment, Lisa sat next to for days and night, reading the Bible next to the baby. The day of the big surgery has come and it was a great success. They were thankful for Levi and his successful surgery. Now Levi lives with his new family in America. :)

What you can do...
- instead of having your own blood related child, think about adopting one. it will be a big help towards the community
- prayer for diseased and homeless orphans
- REMEMBER: think before having a child

Sites: 
http://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/news/projects/world-orphan-week/orphan-issues/pages/default.aspx
http://www.sos-usa.org/about-sos/what-we-do/orphan-statistics/pages/global-orphan-statistics.aspx
http://www.orphanhopeintl.org/facts-statistics/
http://www.chinaorphans.org/levi.htm

Abuse of Domestic Workers (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong is home to approximately 300,000 foreign domestic helpers. They make up 3% of Hong Kong's population. 48% of the domestic helpers come from the Philippines, 49.4% come from Indonesia, and 1.3% come from Thailand. They usually live in their employer's residence and perform household chores, including cooking, cleaning, washing clothing, and taking care of children. A survey conducted in 2012 has found that 58% of domestic workers faced verbal abuse, 18% has faced physical abuse, and 6% suffered sexual abuse. Many domestic helpers come to Hong Kong to help support their family. Some do not have enough money to send their children to school. According to a survey conducted by the Liberal Party, 40% of the domestic helpers deliberately misbehave to get themselves fired. I am very thankful that my helper has been patiently serving my family for more than 14 years.

Indonesian helpers fighting for justice

Domestic helpers are given rights and protection by the government. Currently, the minimum allowable wage (MAW) given to domestic helpers is $4,010 per month. These wages should not be paid any later than 7 days after the end of the wage period. If the domestic helpers are being underpaid, they have the right to report it to the Labor Department. They are given 1 rest day in every period of 7 days. Furthermore, every 2 months, domestic helpers are given at least 2 weeks off to visit their home country.

Erwiana before and after

However, some Hong Kong employees may neglect these rights and abuse domestic helpers. Have you read in the news lately about Erwiana Sulistayaniangsih? Currently 23 years old, she is a foreign domestic helper from Indonesia. Her employer 羅允彤 mistreated her in their home in Tseung Kwan O. Using sticks and hangers, Erwiana's employer beat her daily for "performing poorly" at her job. According to her employer, she poured hot water on Erwiana's hands and feet because she was lazy. Erwiana was only allowed 2 meals of plain bread and rice a day. Employer 羅允彤 threatened to kill her family if she spoke of this incident. Once, Erwiana tried to contact her employment agency, Chan's Asia Recruitment, but the agency told her that she must pay of her debt before they would listen. In addition to all this, Erwiana was only allowed 4 hours a day to sleep - from 1 pm to 5 pm in the afternoon. After 8 months of torture, Erwiana was no longer able to walk and was allowed to return home with $100. One of Erwiana's friends helped her in the airport. Another Indonesian domestic helper, on the same flight as Erwiana, noticed Erwiana's condition and was concerned. At first, Erwiana denied her torturing and said that it was a skin condition due to the dry weather. But, later on, she confided to the Indonesian domestic helper that she was beaten and tortured by her employer. The Indonesian stayed on to help Erwiana on her flight. Presently, she is resting in a hospital in Java. In response to Erwiana Sulistayaniangsih, over 5000 Indonesian domestic workers have rallied at the government headquarters on January 19, demanding justice for Erwiana. Two other maids, 31 year old Susi and 28 year old Bunga, have claimed to be abused by the same employer. They, too, suffered injuries, but were not in as poor condition as Erwiana.

Pictures taken by a friend at the airport

When I found about Erwiana and what she went through, I was furious. Why would someone do such a thing? This is a form of modern slavery. I hope that justice would be brought to this issue, and that similar incidents would not happen every again.

Prayer:
- Erwiana would quickly heal
- Justice would be brought to Erwiana and the other domestic helpers

Sites Used:
http://hklawblog.com/2013/10/09/who-is-the-victim-domestic-helpers-or-hk-employers/
http://hongwrong.com/maid-abuse/
http://hongwrong.com/tag/blog-2/
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/01/22/justice-erwiana-housewife-charged-abusing-three-indonesian-helpers
http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/FDHLeaflet_Eng.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_domestic_helpers_in_Hong_Kong
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/01/20/police-make-arrest-in-hong-kong-maid-abuse-case/
http://www.immd.gov.hk/en/faq/foreign-domestic-helpers.html#wages
http://hk.next.nextmedia.com/article/1246/17167773

Religious Persecution - Christians

Our world has over 4,200 religions and beliefs in total. The major religions (calculated by followers) are Christianity, Islam, and "non-religious". While Christians try to spread the word of God and share the Gospel, they face hardships such as religious persecution from other religions. Let's take a look at some countries where Christians are persecuted the most.




Ruled by a Communist dictatorship government, Christian persecution in North Korea reached the highest rank on earth. As an atheist/tradition belief country, no room was left for another religion to root. North Korea is an isolated country where no news can easily leave or enter the country. Although it is difficult to spread Christianity through its strict borders, several brave Christians risk their lives to spread the good news about Jesus. If tourism in North Korea is very difficult, spreading the Gospel in Korea is almost impossible.  Tourism in North Korea is allowed but there are restrictions and guided tour to lead you through the trip. They never allow you to see the "real" North Korea, but only the good and prosperous areas were seen. From my point of view in spreading the Gospel in North Korea, some visitors probably left the tours and ran elsewhere, risking their lives for the Koreans. Through underground Christians and illegal doings, small amount of North Korea's population has heard of Jesus and became devout Christians.

News of Christianity spreading in North Korea is an exciting topic. But without the Bible, how can they further learn and understand God? Bibles in North Korea is illegal and prohibited. Several organizations smuggle Bibles into North Korea through bribery, taking the risk of harsh consequences if they were caught (consequences include torturing, beating, executing, etc).

According to World Watch List, 50,000-70,000 Christians were imprisoned in labor camps. Anyone found involved in illegal and secret religious activity may be arrested, disappeared, tortured, or publicly executed.

Stories of Victims:
Kim Tae Jin - a runaway from North Korea and curretly lives in Seoul
"Freedom of choice is unknown in North Korea" As a North Korean, they were told to do but never chose to . He believes North Koreans never knew what is freedom because they never get the chance to choose. Kim wants to see more of the world, so he flees to China where he heard about Jesus Christ and read his first Bible. In four months, he was arrested and deported back to North Korea, and was sent to the Yodok labor camp. Life was miserable in these labor camps. They were tortured, beaten, threatened. Working was their life, with thin blankets at night and little food during day. "Anyone captured trying to escape was publicly executed. Prisoners were treated worse than cattle." One day, a Christian approaches Kim in Yodok and he was told to confess his sins. Kim was too afraid to talk about God, recalling a good friend of his that almost died in the hands of North Korean soldiers. Kim eventually escaped again on April 10, 1992 to China. He got baptized in China and now lives in South Korea. "My personal message is this, show an interest in my country. Pray for it. We need your support."

- prayer
For more information about North Korea, you can watch "Seoul Train"

Sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions_and_spiritual_traditions
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
http://www.worldwatchlist.us/world-watch-list-countries/north-korea/
http://www.billionbibles.org/north-korea/north-korea-bible.html