Eduen: Blog

THE GLOBAL PROBLEM:  A Worldwide Challenge

For decades, many of us have known that the way we treat our land, air, water, and, in some cases, our own bodies has set us on a potentially perilous course.  This danger looms ever closer as our planet’s population continues to escalate and natural resources continue to diminish.  Many areas of the world are already facing this danger in the form of famine and drought, and positive solutions must be found to reverse this problem and keep it from spreading across the globe.

On the individual level, many people suffer from addictions to chemicals and bad lifestyle habits.  “Junk foods” that are virtually nutrient-free and laden with additives, pesticides, coloring agents, etc. are the human counterparts to the degradation of our environment.  Today, exercise for some of us is virtually limited to reaching for the remote control and pushing the order button in the drive-through lane.  Again, we need positive solutions to reverse the unprecedented spread of malnutrition, obesity, and related diseases.

The Eduen Federation will focus initially in four important areas of global concern:  (1) Declining levels of nutrients in our food, (2) Declining availability of life-supporting water for our world’s populations, (3) Dramatically increasing healthcare costs that pose serious threats to both our citizenry and their employers, (4) Our reliance on oil and gas in the face of constantly diminishing supply, rapidly increasing worldwide demand, and consistently increasing prices.

A top-line review of these four major challenges to our planet’s well-being is an important first step in understanding the Eduen mission:

Food Nutrients

·         Recently, data gathered by the USDA over a 50-year period (1950-1999) was analyzed to determine the nutrient content of 43 U.S. fruit and vegetable crops.  Six of 13 important nutrients – Phosphorous, Iron, Calcium, Protein, Riboflavin, and Ascorbic Acid – had declined by a significant amount, an average of 14 percent each.

·         A study of mineral content of fruits and vegetables grown in Britain between 1930 and 1980 revealed similar decreases in nutrient density.  The study found significantly lower levels of Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, and Sodium in vegetables, and  Magnesium, Iron, Copper, and Potassium in fruit.

·         Conclusion from these and other studies:  The produce we grow in the United States and in other countries around the world has significantly lower levels of vitamins and minerals today than 50 to 60 years ago.

Water Supply

·         The World Bank reports that 80 countries have water shortages that threaten health and economies, while 40 percent of the world – more than two billion people – have no clean water or sanitation.

·         Worldwide, demand for water is doubling every 21 years in some regions.  The water supply cannot remotely keep pace with demand as populations soar and cities bulge.  Within a few years, a water crisis of catastrophic proportions will be upon us.  Already many countries do not have enough water to meet domestic demands for food, creating a source of potential political instability. It follows that water will likely replace oil as a future cause of war between nations (World Bank).

·         According to the Worldwatch Institute, so much water is being diverted for irrigation and other human uses that many major rivers now run virtually dry for large portions of the year – including the Yellow in China, the Indus in Pakistan, the Ganges in South Asia, and the Colorado in the American Southwest.

·         The Conservation Science Institute states that the United States is ill prepared to confront increasingly severe water shortages across the country.  Scientists working with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently announced that the parched Interior West could be the driest it has been in 500 years and that drought continues to affect a broad area of the West – from the Central Plains into the Northern Rockies – and has now moved into the Southeast.

Healthcare Costs

·         Price Waterhouse Coopers confirms what most everyone already knows from personal experience:  Increases in spending for healthcare services are still an unmet challenge in the United States, as well as in various other countries.

·         PWC says private health spending increases per capita in the U.S. were the lowest in several decades during the period 1994-1998.

·         In the late 1990s, however, per capita healthcare costs began to increase again, peaking around 2002 (when premiums were increasing an estimated 13.7 percent).

·         The latest estimate reveals that premiums rose by 8.8 percent from 2004 to 2005.  The healthcare landscape has once again changed -- for the worse.

·         Blue Cross Blue Shield reports that five major factors are responsible for rising healthcare costs:  (1) An Aging Population – By 2008, about 15 percent of the general U.S. population will be 65 years of age or older. (2) Lifestyle Choices – Seven out of 10 Americans do not exercise regularly, a leading cause of many chronic diseases.  (3) Prescription Drug Costs – Escalating prescription drug costs account for approximately 20 percent of the increase in total healthcare expenses. (4) Cost Shifting – People with health insurance bear the unpaid costs of those without coverage, as well as rising costs caused by a combination of doctors’ malpractice insurance, attorney costs, and jury awards. (5) Medical Technology – Medical technological advances allow for better, faster diagnosis and recovery – but not without a hefty price tag.

Energy Supply

Chevron summarizes the world’s energy situation clearly and simply:

·         Oil and gas currently provide more than half of the world’s energy supply.

·         While supplies of these fossil fuels are abundant, they won’t last forever.

·         Oil production is currently declining in 33 of the 48 largest oil producing countries.

·         Yet, energy demand is increasing around the globe as economies grow and nations develop.

·         Abundant energy drives economic development which in turn creates demand for still more energy – putting more pressure on supply and further impacting the environment.

·         The challenge for the energy sector is to optimize the development and use of all sources of energy (fossil fuels, renewables and other alternative technologies) while supporting commercialization of new and emerging sources through successful business models.

Obviously, a wake-up call is being sent in all four of these vital areas.  Eduen has heard the call and has elected to take a position of leadership to mobilize public opinion, stimulate positive progress from governments at all levels, and provide a clear pathway for our most promising individuals and organizations to join Eduen’s drive in transforming, rejuvenating, and regenerating our planet.

THE EDUEN SOLUTION:  A Global Plan

Clearly, there is no “magic pill” to escape the unhealthy conditions and threatening elements so prevalent in today’s environment.

Eduen offers the world a way out of this dilemma – a systematized solution based on five foundational success keys, implemented by our Federqation and partners such as those listed in our Partners section:

·         A respect for the land and a dedication to enriching our soils.

·         The proven ability to provide high-nutrient, ultra-fresh foods.

·         The technological expertise to supply clean, pure water in abundance.

·         A willingness to work with effective alternative healthcare methodologies, both new and old.

·         The passion to develop eco-protective, green-living technologies, including alternative energy innovations and metallurgy breakthroughs.