UAEM: 'Mexican Society is Affecting the Environment' The News
go to original January 2, 2013

Environmental problems are of a social nature, determined largely by factors such as population dynamics, technological advancement and economic and political activity, said State of Mexico Autonomous University (UAEM) Professor Jesús Gastón Gutiérrez Cedillo.

Gutiérrez Cedillo, who teaches geography at UAEM, said that to solve environmental problems, authorities and society as a whole must work to eliminate poverty, promote healthy lives for all sectors of society and avoid unequal distribution of wealth.

He said that, according to figures from leading international research agencies, eliminating poverty is still a long way from being achieved. The World Bank has published alarming numbers on wealth disparity, with 515 million people in South Asia living on $1 a day, closely followed by East Asia and the Pacific, where a further 446 million live under these conditions, he said.

Approximately 110 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean survive on $2 a day, a stark contrast to Europe, Japan and Canada, where inflation is low, the poverty line is $14.40 per day and the amount of people living in poverty is no higher than 15 percent, Gutiérrez Cedillo said. Fox News Latino reported in September of last year that by the end of 2013, over 60 million in Mexico will be living below the poverty line.

Maintaining healthy and fulfilled lives for all in the short, medium and long term, will require solving problems that arise in poor countries, he said, adding that worldwide, 120 million people survive without potable water, 842 million are illiterate, 766 million have no access to health-care services, 507 million have a life expectancy of 40 years or less, 158 million children suffer from some degree of malnutrition and 110 million children do not receive any formal education.

The UAEM professor said that to overcome these challenges, officials must concentrate on preserving ecosystems and natural resources so sustainable development can become a viable option for solving these kinds of problems.

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