I don't know if you guys know about this

[bodhitree]

at http://freerice.com/index.php you can earn rice for people in need all around the world by playing a simple vocabulary game. The site raieses funds through ad's. The site is legit, and has been featured in the Washington Post, the BBC, and many other media outlets. Don't get me wrong, I love my kfm, but this is certainly a more productive way to kill down time at work. Oh, and I would encourage you to use www.dictionary.com if you don't know the answer! Cheating for a good cause really isn't cheating!;)

[Mr Punch]

Just so long as you're aware that food aid is the worst kind of aid possible... apart from testing dangerous new drugs/agrichemicals on people of course, and selling them your huge backlog of banned drugs/agrichemicals.

But don't let me spoil the glow.

I still play it every now and then.

Check this out. (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/Browse.aspx?catalog=Unwrapped&category=UWGifts):)

Or this, for my lovely transatlantic bros! (http://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/);)

[bodhitree]

Just so long as you're aware that food aid is the worst kind of aid possible... apart from testing dangerous new drugs/agrichemicals on people of course, and selling them your huge backlog of banned drugs/agrichemicals.

But don't let me spoil the glow.

I still play it every now and then.

please explain?

[Mr Punch]

Well, not only is it not helping people in poorer countries to get themselves an education and help themselves grow their own food etc, but nor is helping them with enriching their infrastructure (soil, tools etc).

Plus, it's undercutting the local farmers who do actually grow food, and then have to sell it on at daylight robbery prices to multinationals supplying family restaurant chains in the west... or without even the anti-multinational angle, undercut farmers can't sustain their production with nobody to buy their crops: leading to a worse infrastructure, soil quality etc.

[bodhitree]

Well, not only is it not helping people in poorer countries to get themselves an education and help themselves grow their own food etc, but nor is helping them with enriching their infrastructure (soil, tools etc).

Plus, it's undercutting the local farmers who do actually grow food, and then have to sell it on at daylight robbery prices to multinationals supplying family restaurant chains in the west... or without even the anti-multinational angle, undercut farmers can't sustain their production with nobody to buy their crops: leading to a worse infrastructure, soil quality etc.



Wow, never thought of it that way.....

[Mr Punch]

My major was Forestry which included a huge component of natural resource economics. Turned a few of my do-gooder ideas on their heads... Of course, it's just an opinion.

Next Christmas I'm going to ask everybody who wants to buy me a prezzie to get a goat for a farmer or some ****. I don't need anything.

[bodhitree]

Thanks for the insight and the links! I need to bookmark those when I get home!

[BruceSteveRoy]

My major was Forestry which included a huge component of natural resource economics. Turned a few of my do-gooder ideas on their heads... Of course, it's just an opinion.

Next Christmas I'm going to ask everybody who wants to buy me a prezzie to get a goat for a farmer or some ****. I don't need anything.

i was actually looking for a link to a charity i heard about this year. you donate money and they give a dowry goat to some poor girl in a poor country. i guess the girl gets a couple of goats. anyway, the goats breed and the girl eventually has a sizable dowry for when she is old enough to marry. this helps her family since they will have a new son and helps the girls so they dont have to sell themselves as prostitutes to support themselves. the person i know that did this said the girl she donated to was either in tibet, or india. i can't quite remember. but i think its a pretty cool charity.

[SPJ]

thanks for the link.

China is not producing enough food for its people. the farmers are behind in economic scale in the society. the government is addressing this in all of its meetings.

while Taiwan, Thailand and US etc produce more food than they need. they are exporting to other countries including China.

--

[David Jamieson]

Give the gift of medicine and water filters. the food thing is ng as stated.

you know, the whole "give a man a fish..." thing

[golden arhat]

thanks for the link.

China is not producing enough food for its people. the farmers are behind in economic scale in the society. the government is addressing this in all of its meetings.

while Taiwan, Thailand and US etc produce more food than they need. they are exporting to other countries including China.

--

i dont think china can really say it has the same problems as the african continent

not even close

[David Jamieson]

china is poisoning itself while africa is being poisoned by others. there is a difference.

[Mas Judt]

Oh ****, David said something I agree with. WE ARE DOOMED! DOOMED! :D

[Mr Punch]

you know, the whole "give a man a fish..." thingGive the man a fish and he dies of cadmium poisoning?! :D One way to solve the strain on resources!

[SPJ]

China is doing all it can to bring down population growth rate while India does not,

However, baby boy is favored over girl in China with one child policy.

maybe in a decade or two, there will be more boys and not enough girls.

So India may become the most populated state in 10 years?

and China become boy more state.

:eek: