America’s corporate machine is sometimes the source of tremendous good, especially with a CEO that has moral values at the helm; in the hands of a CEO who cares for nothing but the bottom line, American corporations are harbingers of injustice, death, and pain, sucking the lifeblood out of communities with lax labor laws worldwide. From their actions, I can only assume that the following corporations have revamped their mission statement to read: No matter what it takes, no matter who suffers, who dies--we will profit.

Losing a child is horrific to say the least, losing a child with the knowledge that they are suffering in a living hell is something that no parent should have to bear.  Yet, for parents in Northern Uganda, this suffering has been occurring for over 20 years virtually unabated. There is a wide swath of land in Uganda where a real life grim reaper has stolen between 30,000-40,000 children.  The LRA also known as the Lord’s Army is a group of rebel soldiers, lead by the infamously cruel Joseph Kony, and since the mid 80’s have they been waging war against the Ugandan government, with an army in which 90% of the soldiers are abducted children.

Global warming is hands-down one of the most documented and disputed issues of our times.  Even with almost every country confirming that global warming is the national security threat, including U.S. Military and NASA officials who back the claim, there are some individuals (usually those whose views grant them pecuniary gains) that still dispute its existence and the apocalyptic threat it truly represents. Unfortunately in America, your chosen political side has a lot to do with your stance on global warming. An article by The Washington Post reported that almost every newly-elected, conservative member of the 112th Congress opposes government action on climate change and even refers to it as a waste of time and money.

Mexico has plunged into a dark abyss of hopelessness, violence and despair, since President Felipe Calderon declared a war on drugs over 28,228 people have perished.   Instead of assuaging the problem, his move escalated violence in Mexico to calamatious proportions.  According to the Congressional Research Service, Mexico is the main supplier of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine to the United States.  Cartels are making millions of dollars via this drug trade and aren’t willing to give it up without a fight.

Our world, hands down an amazing place, full of wonder, mystery, and beauty. Sadly it is also filled to the brim with pain, suffering, and tragedy. Children are the recipients of much of this - in numbers that are simultaneously eye opening and heartbreaking. Every single day 22,000 children will die from diseases or illnesses that are curable.

Sadly, all over the world, including 28 African countries, parts of Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe, women are being subjected to one of the most archaic, humiliating and painful cultural based practices ever - female genital mutilation (FGM).

Domestic violence isn’t against the law in Papua New Guinea.  Yep, you read it right: Men are free to beat and rape the women in their community without any fear of police reprisal.

It’s true that we’ve come a long way, baby: Running countries, heading companies, and making headlines.  Sadly, too many of us have been left behind to deal with the virulent nature of men in our community, backbreaking work, and second-class status. Telling factors of a woman’s status in her country include her ability to obtain an education, vote, find gainful employment, and the rate of maternal death during childbirth.  Seven countries have become renowned, if you will, for being the worst countries in the world for women to live in.

There are numerous studies about eating a carnivorous diet compared to vegetarian diet. But, hands down even the meat eaters have to admit that a vegetarian diet is a much healthier choice.  Even small changes in your diet, like reducing meat, and high fat foods can have dramatic effects on improving you and your families’ health.  A vegetarian diet is made up of fruit, vegetables, breads, nuts, dairy, and eggs, unlike the stricter vegan diets, which require avoiding products derived in any form from animals.

So it’s no wonder that with all the news floating around about the dangers of non-organic foods (think cancer, autism, human fetuses polluted before they leave the womb) and the high price of organic food in the marketplace, that more individuals are choosing to grown their own organic food.  A raised-bed organic garden is a perfect way to get started.