Global Challenges

Introduction

Nowadays, observing animal rights and environmental issues are two of the biggest challengeshumans have to face. We are not only destroying our environment but also the animals’ natural habitats Instead of protecting nature we use it to our advantage.

Animal testing for instance involves subjecting animals to often painful experiments in the name of human progress. Another example is using animals for entertainment in zoos or circuses. Likewise, overfishing and factory farming show man’s ruthless exploitation of nature. Overfishing threatens marine ecosystems and factory farming raises ethical and environmental concerns due to the inhumane living conditions animals have to endure. 

The second crucial issue we need to address is climate change and the rampant consequences that will follow. The worldwide temperature is rising rapidly, causing fires, floods and the destruction of entire ecosystems. This leads to a number of problems, including, but not limited to, the rising of sea levels, largely caused by the melting of the global icecaps and glaciers, and the resulting refugee crisis, when islands and coastal regions will inevitably have to be evacuated. Returning to our first issue, climate change is already having a tremendous impact on all life forms inhabiting the sea, for in a changing environment, many of them face grave dangers, to the extent of extinction. All in all, we have to watch the environment more closely, because if we lose control over the process of climate change, we’ll be left with severe consequences. 

Demands

• ban the sale of animal-tested products 
• reform the meat industry and factory farming with a view to keeping animals in a nearer-to-natural environment
• reduce, reuse and recycle plastic
• make processes in the recycling, fashion and meat industry transparent
• ban unnecessary hunting on land and water
• stop overfishing and marine pollution
• ban farms that raise animals for their fur and leather
• fund institutions that prevent environmental damage 
• make cities more sustainable by insulating buildings, supporting public transport at the expense of car traffic and prescribing solar panels for all new buildings.