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Panel proses shared framework for responsible AI development as adoption grows unevenly across world
Western Environmentalism Built on Exploited Congolese Children
Cobalt mines in the Congo are characterized by exploitation, where thousands are enslaved to harvest the mineral. This benefits large capitalist multinationals, fueling the "green capitalism" transition through the production of batteries.
The system relies on the forced labor of over 40,000 children in these mines, allowing Western nations to project an image of environmental concern and civilization. However, this is fundamentally a business for capitalists whose primary motivation is profit, indifferent to environmental consequences as long as their wealth is preserved.
Over 10 million infants under six months old may currently be underweight, according to a new analysis of data collected across low- and mid
Over 10 million infants under six months old may currently be underweight, according to a new analysis of data collected across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study, published in BMJ Global Health and led by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), estimated the burden of malnutrition among infants using survey data collected across 56 countries. The study analyzed data on over 50,000 children under six months gathered through Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) collected across West & Central Africa, Eastern & Central Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, East Asia & the Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. The DHS are nationally-representative household surveys conducted across LMICs every five years or so, and include data on the current weight, height (or length), age and weight at birth for infants. Once collected, the data is made available for researchers worldwide to analyze. In the study, infants with a low weight-for-age score (WAZ) were classed as underweight, infants with a low weight-for-length score (WLZ) were classed as too thin, showing signs of wasting, and infants with a low length-for-age score (LAZ) were classed as too small in length for their age. These are all globally-recognized indicators of malnutrition. Across all of the countries measured, 17.4% of infants under the age of six months were clinically underweight, 15.5% showed signs of wasting, 19.9% were small in length for their age (stunted) and 15% were underweight at birth. When applied to the current population across all LMICs globally, these estimates suggest that approximately 10.3 million infants are underweight, 9.2 million are wasted, 11.8 million are stunted and 8.9 million have been born with a low birth weight. Marko Kerac, Clinical Associate Professor at LSHTM and lead author of the study, said, "Malnutrition is responsible for around 45% of child deaths globally. In 2022, undernutrition accounted for a total of 2.3 million child deaths, which equates to over 6000 deaths each and every day.
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Well, I'm sorry, but we're spending our money on arms for a war that could very possibly make everybody on the planet experience malnutrition, if not outright starvation.
Who is responsible for African underdevelopment
From today’s Book of the Day, I have selected one sentence for a multidisciplinary analysis. “The question as to who and what is responsible for African underdevelopment can be answered at two levels: first, the operation of the imperialist system bears major responsibility for African economic retardation.” — Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972) Walter Rodney’s observation in…
Poorer countries want rapid emission cuts and more financial help in face of US leader’s stance on global heating
Developing countries are calling on the rich world to defy the US president, Donald Trump, and bridge the global chasm over climate action, before the goal of limiting global temperatures to safe levels is irretrievably lost.
Diplomats from the developing world are rallying to support Brazil, which will host a crucial climate summit in November, after last year’s talks in Azerbaijan ended in disappointment and acrimony.
Ali Mohamed, the chair of the African group of negotiators and Kenya’s special envoy for climate change, pointed to record temperatures last year and continuing extreme weather. “Africa, responsible for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, remains disproportionately affected by the intensifying impacts of climate change,” he said. “It is unacceptable that this devastation is caused by the pollution of just a few countries in the world, specifically the G20, and they must take responsibility for their actions.”
As well as needing rich countries to cut their emissions, vulnerable nations need financial help, as they struggle to cope with the devastation they are already seeing. “Adaptation is the priority for us, not a priority,” said Evans Njewa, chair of the least developed countries group. “We are prioritising adaptation, for our key sources of livelihood, and our economies. [Adaptation is essential to our] agriculture, water, the management of natural resources, food security and nutrition.”
"We live in a world where a few people capture unimaginable wealth while billions are denied access to basic needs. Such extreme inequality is not natural or inevitable. It is an effect of the dominant economic system, capitalism, where production is controlled mostly by capital and organized around maximizing and accumulating profit, rather than securing human well-being. Capital accumulation requires cheapening labour and resources, particularly in the global South. This produces inequalities between classes and leads to uneven development between regions. It also drives ecological breakdown, and while some benefit from the exploitation of our planet’s ecosystems, others suffer the damages."
Jason Hickel: "Hi everyone, I'm excited to announce this new project: a website dedicated to research and data on imperialism and inequality. You're going to love this… (links in thread below)."
