Worldwatch Live Discussion Archive
 In 2008, half of the Earth's population will live in urban areas, marking the first time in history that humans are an urban species. State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future, released on January 10, will explore the myriad ways urbanization is affecting our lives and the global environment--with a special focus on the ideas that can make our cities more environmentally sustainable, healthy places to live.
Join Project Director Molly O'Meara Sheehan for a Web chat Thursday, January 11, at 2pm EST to discuss the findings. Submit your questions now!
Join Worldwatch Research Associate and Vital Signs 2006-2007 project director Erik Assadourian for a discussion about the report illuminating the trends that are shaping our future—from energy and climate to quality of life, military expenditures, habitat destruction and more.
"It is essential that government incentives be used to minimize competition between food and fuel crops and to discourage expansion onto ecologically valuable lands," says Worldwatch Biofuels Project Manager Suzanne Hunt. Submit your questions now and join Suzanne for a Web chat to discuss the prospects of sustainable development of biofuels.
Join Worldwatch Institute Senior Researcher Brian Halweil to discuss the role of organic food in helping to alleviate hunger globally. In an article in the May/June issue of World Watch Magazine, Halweil notes that two recent studies reveal that a global shift to organic farming would yield more food, not less, for the world's hungry. Organic farming tends to raise yields in poorer nations, precisely those areas where people are hungry and can't afford chemical-intensive farming. "In poorer nations, organic farming techniques like composting and green manuring and biological pest control may be farmers' best hope for boosting production and reducing hunger," writes Halweil.
Zoë Chafe (Worldwatch), Daryl Ditz (Center for International Environmental Law), and Kate Davenport (EcoVentures International) joined more than 100 environment ministers in the glittering desert city of Dubai for a series of meetings organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). This gathering, billed as the first of its kind in West Asia, brought together scores of government officials, youth, business associations, and NGOs to discuss four important subjects: chemicals management, international environmental governance, energy, and tourism.
A new report on the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami says that governments have violated human rights and ignored the most vulnerable populations. And a day after President Bush declined to address mistakes in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in his annual State of the Union speech, a U.S. Government report says lack of leadership and poor planning hampered the disaster relief effort.
Worldwatch Institute's Lisa Mastny, Senior Editor, and Brian Halweil, Senior Researcher, will be online to answer your questions on sustainable gift-giving this holiday season. Special guest Josh Dorfman, host of The Lazy Environmentalist and Founder/CEO of Vivavi, will join Lisa and Brian to weigh in with tips on guilt-free gift giving.
According to Frances Moore Lappé, in a country where lobbyists outnumber politicians 56 to 1 and 75% of citizens agree with the statement, "Our government is run by a few big interests looking out only for themselves," it is little wonder voter participation is at an all-time low. Fortunately, Lappé believes we have the tools to break this downward spiral and breathe life into our 'thinning' democracy. By using the new tools of the communications and ecological revolutions, we can reclaim our status as 'midwives of living democracy' and ensure that our government serves all interests, not just the special ones.
On October 8, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Pakistan, India and Afghanistan—killing at least 43,000 people and leaving more than 3 million people homeless. Residents of the affected region are no stranger to suffering, having been at the epicenter of a tense political conflict for more than 50 years. Natural disasters have the potential to destroy dwellings, damage livelihoods, and spark disease epidemics. In some cases, however, natural disasters create suffering that cuts across the divides of conflict, prompting common relief needs and opening paths to reconciliation.
With constant talk of mad cow disease, Nipah virus, and more recently the threat of avian flu, it is clear that food security is an issue of growing concern around the world. While current and emerging farm diseases are a serious threat to global food and health security, the interplay between climate change and agriculture poses an even greater challenge to farmers. How are farmers combating these challenges, and what can consumers do to make our food system more secure?
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