Deforestation, the action of clearing a wide area of trees, is harmful to the earth as well as the breathing organisms that live on it. Forests cover 30% of the earth’s land. Unfortunately, the rate today of deforestation equals the loss of twenty football fields every minute. At this rate, it is estimated that within one hundred years there will be no rainforests. The goal of our non-profit organization, “Leave Leaves Alone,” is to provide information for those who are not educated on this problem. We present statistics at conferences around the world, allowing everyone to get involved and help stop deforestation.
We also provide service trips to affected areas to get a first hand view on what is occurring in those areas.The government should serve people, not the other way around. If the people are properly served, the economy should flourish; unemployment should be low, and production should be high. It is a chance to continue participation in caring for God’s creation, man. All men should experience self-worth.
This often is accomplished through work. However, work is more than just an opportunity to make a living; if the dignity of man is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected, such as the right to decent and fair wages and the organization and joining of unions. This, unfortunately, is not true for all workers. Female and children workers are affected the most.
For instance, in 2013, female full-time workers in the US made only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 22%. In addition, currently there are 85 million children worldwide working in hazardous conditions and undergoing physical and sexual abuse and humiliation by their employers. In order to put an end to child labor, it would cost roughly $760 billion over a 20-year period of time. These issues need to be addressed just as the issues on deforestation need to be addressed. Before we started this unit, I did not know much about–or think much about– Catholic social justice issues. These were issues that did not affect me.
However, because of the expo, i am now aware of these injustices in the world. I am not only just aware, but i also feel a compulsion to help rectify them. also learned how these problems impact almost all of society. In the future, i am determined to become an advocate for these social issues and any others that are detrimental to our world and to the people who live in it.
