I chose the elective global goals for my 2nd semester of year nine at ASC. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals served as the focal point of this elective, which intended to make our a more world a more sustainable one. The Global Goals were established by the UN or United Nations on January 1st 2016. They identified the top 17 problems and pledged to address them by 2050. I chose this elective because I wanted to be in a class that would allow we to work on projects that I was truly passionate about, and that I could challenge myself to do better in this world. I also wanted more free time away from homework, so this was one of my best options.
-No poverty: There are more than 700 million people worldwide who survive on less than a dollar a day, making poverty a major problem that needs to be solved on a global scale.
-No hunger: 750 million people globally experience hunger, with 9 million of those people dying every year, 3.1million of those people are children demonstrating that this is a serious issue that cannot be ignored.
-Good health and wellbeing: Despite recent advancements in healthcare and medical sciences, there are still disparities in access to care, and with COVID-19 remaining a major issue, more needs to be done to improve our worlds response to virus’s and disease as a whole. Because of this the UN has vowed that no person will die from a disease that can be cured can cure by 2050.
-Quality education: As a result of poverty and prejudice more than 100 million children around the world are unschooled and do not have access to quality education. This shows that all countries in the UN need a better and more effective healthcare system that can be sustainably funded.
-Gender equality: Despite the major improvements in gender equality within the past 100 years there is still a major gap in the rights of men and women. With America just recently making it illegal for women to get abortions, a choice that majority of (rational) people around the world know to be a massive step in the wrong direction. This action shows that there is still much more progress to be made and that gender equality is a crucial and vital problem that needs to be solved for the good of humanity.
-Clean water and sanitation: On average 1.2million people die each year from lack of clean drinking water, with 6% of the death rate in poorer countries being from lack of water. Many people in poorer countries must go long distances to obtain water, regardless of how dirty it may be. They do not have the same opportunities as many people in the developed world to obtain water directly from a tap on demand. This is a major humanitarian problem that needs to be solved.
-Affordable and clean energy: in the modern day, there are many ways to produce clean energy, however many countries around the world refuse to switch to a cleaner alternative that fossil fuels. This is a vital issue that needs to be solved as energy production is a major contributor to global warming with 43 billion tonnes of Co2 being released into the atmosphere in 2019.
-Decent work and economic growth. We need goal 8 because it encourages equitable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth that creates good, meaningful employment for the global community to increase human well-being that is crucial for our economy and the world around us.
-Industry innovation and infrastructure: We must construct resilient infrastructure, encourage inclusive industrialisation, and nurture innovation. However, recently, the share of infrastructure in least developed nations has remained low, so we must find a solution to this issue in whatever manner we can.
-Reduced inequalities: In our modern world not all people are created equal. Many people will have a far easier or harder life just because of what they look like or for conditions that they have no control over. The UN have decided to try and tackle this impossible task in order to make the world more equal and a better place to live in.
-Sustainable cities and communities: The purpose of this goal is to improve road safety, particularly by expanding public transportation, provide all people with access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transportation systems and increase quality of life overall.
-Responsible consumption and production: Goal 12 promotes more environmentally friendly consumption and production practises through a variety of initiatives, such as targeted regulations and global accords on the control of environmentally hazardous materials. This is very important for a more sustainable future where humans can have a smaller footprint on the environment.
-Climate action: Global warming is one of the largest problems that we face in the modern world and even though it is proven that it is very serious many high-level government officials still refuse to act because of corruption and trying to please fossil fuel companies. Global warming and climate change are major issues that need to be solved in order for our prolonged existence on this planet.
-Life below the surface: Life under the ocean accounts for 15% of all life on this planet. However, it accounts for 10% percent of all species that went extinct since the industrial revolution. Humans need to take drastic action to clean our oceans and stop many notable species from going extinct, not only to protect human supply and food chains, but also to protect all life on this planet no matter how small it may be.
-Land life: Land on life consists of 80% or all life on the planet. However humans have been destroying natural habitats and cultivating land that many animals need to survive in order to make space for infostructure and farming. This is needs to stop and humans need to work toward a better future where we can survive without hurting the natural habitat of many crucial species.
-Peace, justice, and strong institutions: This goal insures that all around the world the justice system is strong and that the principles of justice are upheld. We must make sure that strong institutions are in place and that peace is upheld throughout the world (hopefully without turning it into a dystopian hellscape, Fingers crossed).
-Partnership for the goals: When people work together, everything is made easier, allowing us to complete a task more quickly and with more assistance.