Top 5 World Problems

11.    War

a.     War is by far the oldest problem the earth faces.  While it is important to have a strong military and national defense, war still devastates individuals and can impact any nation in a negative way.

b.     This is the number one problem in the world I believe, because it is the oldest problem and has been the biggest impact on the earth as a whole.  War devastates entire nations and funding these wars negatively impacts the economy of the nations of those involved and those who are helping out their allies.

22.    Terrorism

a.     Terrorism is a major issue because it happens on all different scales. There is international terrorism, such as ISIS, that knocks out hundreds of people per attack and devastate many areas and families.  There are also smaller forms of terrorism such as domestic terrorism.  This effects usually smaller amounts of people but still is a serious issue that needs to be handled better.

b.     Terrorism is the 2^nd biggest problem, because like war, it can still devastate nations and take a large amount of innocent lives.  Although terrorism does this on a slightly smaller scale than war, it is still a major issue, and is in fact a major cause of war. 

33.   Poverty

a.     Approximately 50% of the world population is living off of less than $2.50 per day.  Poverty also leads to other major world issues such as hunger, and death caused by preventable illnesses due to the inability to afford care.

b.     This problem is ranked 3^rd in my opinion, because such a large amount of people all over the globe are affected by it.  Poverty is also a big part of the problem of medical issues and not being able to afford proper care for treatable illnesses.  Poverty does not effect the entire globe as much as war and terrorism do in my opinion, in this current time period.

44.   Medical Issues

a.     Medical problems such as non-communicable diseases are the cause of approximately two-thirds of the global population each year.  Other medical problems such as physical and mental handicaps, mental illness, and other chronic health problems are a major issue that many people have to deal with through out their whole life.  The lack of treatment for all of the above in third world countries is also a very big issue that causes those with treatable illness to lose their lives.

b.     Medical issues is 4^th because all though it is still a major problem in the world, it does not affect as many people as my first 3.  Many people can receive the proper care for medical problems, but there still is a major portion of the global population who suffer from various conditions that are unable to have them treated.

55.   Species extinction

a.     Species that we use as food and resources are becoming extinct.  This limits the amount of resources on earth that we as humans need to survive.

b.     Although this problem has the potential to one day be the biggest problem the earth faces, it is currently not at the point to where the world is suffering from the extinction of species.  This is a problem that could be prevented from developing into a worse problem in the future, and I believe that problems that are immediately affecting the world should be addressed first.

11.   Medical Issues

a.     A practical solution to this would be more funding for research and development of medicine. Also, the possibility of exporting medical professionals to other countries to help those countries that do not have much medical assistance.

b.     This solution could be implemented the best because we already have the resources to achieve it.  There are plenty of citizens all over the globe in prospering countries that are qualified professionals in medicine whom are currently unemployed.  These medical professionals could be outsourced to 3^rd world countries who do not have proper medical care, given the proper equipment.

22.     Poverty

a.     Poverty could be practically resolved by increasing available jobs, and increasing the economy. 

b.     This solution is the 2^nd most likely to be implemented because it involves just making adjustments to the economy.  While fixing the economy is not an easy task, it is a more practical solution then the bottom 3, and could be relatively achievable if the right person for the job ever finds themselves leading the nation.

33.     Species extinction

a.     Species extinction could be cut down by using fewer resources for things non-essential to survival.

b.     This solution falls right in the middle because it is a very simple adjustment to society, but not one we as humans would be willing to accustom to.  We have grown used to having all these resources readily available to us, and the economy has benefited greatly from things such as paper from trees, making clothing from animal fur and skin, and many more. However, if we continue to use resources for things of leisure as opposed to using them for survival, the world could find itself completely dry of the things we need in order to live.

44.     Terrorism

a.     A practical solution to terrorism would be to stop funding countries who are responsible for terrorism, and to resolve issues with countries who are primarily responsible for it.

b.     This is the 2^nd hardest solution to implement, because it requires a lot changes as well as making amends with countries whom we are enemies with.  While people may believe things like gun control may decrease domestic terrorism, this is un likely to happen as there are many citizens who own guns and use them properly that are unwilling to give them up.  Terroristic acts from foreign countries are also at times part of religious practices.  In order to limit this, these religious practices would have to proven ineffective to those involved, which is near impossible.

55.     War

a.     War could be practically resolved by reducing terrorism, as well as decreasing debts to other countries.

b.     War is the hardest solution to solve because in order to solve it, it requires solving other non-probable issues first such as terrorism.  On top of this, there will be always be differences and disputes between nations. It is human nature.  A country will always owe another country something, and countries will always disagree with another country or have an issue with them, which will result in war.  I believe war cannot be resolved until the majority of the world’s problems are solved first.