Is Poverty Necessary? Looking back at the Millennium Development Goals

[@vlogbrothers]

(The blue background is not permanent. Lots of stuff will be tacked up onto the blue background. I almost did it all today but I kept having to spit out lots of blood which was discouraging so I quit.)

[@juliaz1422]

+vlogbrothers but I like the BLUE! also- hope you feel better soon!

[@megnelson9204]

I hope you feel better soon!

[@indubitablyzara]

+vlogbrothers I **guess** that's a good reason? Maybe? (Seriously though, I hope you stop spitting out blood soon, and not because of the background.)

[@inksplatter1]

Well, that would have made for spectacular early Halloween decorations.

[@look2much2]

+vlogbrothers Agenda 21 now Agenda 2030 - and John, your buddy Bill Gates (he said it and did not retract it) wants to reduce human population as a means to these goals. Surprisingly you never mention your buddy Bill's means to the end. Goals are good, but for WHOSE means?

[@DavidParody]

*These goals make me excited for the future*

[@nolanthiessen1073]

As an environmental educator, I am *really* not a fan of people using *only* global warming as an example of sustainable development and environmental protection. As bad as global warming is, and will be, a lot more environmental issues are far more pressing which get pushed behind the great wall of global warming. Fish stocks are 50% lower today than they were 40 years ago. Fossil fuel burning kills 670,000 people per year in China alone. 80% of Earth's pre-human forests have been destroyed or fragmented. It's huge numbers like there that the public needs to hear, not 2C per century of warming. If we bring attention to the HUGE number of environmental issues in the world, people become less likely to dismiss the environmental movement because right now it is largely seen as purely focused on an abstract idea of global warming.

[@spoygg]

true

[@RumerPriestly]

Except no one wants to hear about these things or do anything about them because most of the problems stem from animal products in our diets. No one wants to stop eating burgers, even for the sake of our planet.

[@SergioArangio]

Agreed, those are important, but those last two issues are in two major contributors to global warming. So really, fixing any of the problems we've caused would create a positive chain reaction for the world. Just take care of the damn planet, please.

[@99growlithe99]

Finally, I've found an expert on the topic! There's a new documentary called "Cowspiracy" that has been wildly increasing in popularity, and the premise of the film is that veganism is the only thing that can completely reverse global warming, pollution, and overpopulation. And it claims that if you aren't vegan, you are not an environmentalist. If you haven't seen it already, I suggest you watch it, because it makes some interesting points. I'm not an expert on the topic, so I don't know how credible the facts in the film are, but a large amount of environmentalists are praising this film. In your opinion, are the claims made by this film (pertaining to veganism being the only answer) logical or outlandish?

[@RumerPriestly]

+99growlithe99 www.cowspiracy.com/facts/ right here you'll find citations to all the evidence that provides proof for all of the issues raised in the documentary. It's credible. There is no way for our current lifestyle to be sustained long term when it comes to what people eat.

[@user-xx5nk1wv1e]

Get well soon, John! Wishing you a speedy recovery :)

[@vlogbrothers]

+sydney yendys Thanks. (...he said, seeping blood from his jaw.) -John

[@sebastianmcc14]

woah....there are actually positive things happening in the world? who knew? the news sure as hell doesn't report it

[@untappedinkwell]

+sebastian mccullough That's because the news cares more about ratings than responsible reporting most of the time.

[@DeathlyMessanger]

+sebastian mccullough - There is a story of a Russian news site doing a day of good news. They report losing readers as a result. www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30318261

[@jadasmiles]

+sebastian mccullough sensationalism, conflict and violence sells way better than ordinary life. Would you watch the news if they told stories like "today a woman gave birth and did not die", "a child went to school alone and returned home safe", "a youtuber uploaded a video about reminding people not to forget to be awesome"?

[@luckyyuri]

+sebastian mccullough we fucking needed that like a breath of fresh air! 2 minutes of assuring statistics... done by somebody. i am again ready to consume and shit my way happy-go-lucky through life, sleeping' like a baby. who the fuck will dare say now we live in a world society where thousands of kids die from horrible disease and hunger, while, others have 50 cars and eat cake with gold flakes. i will slap his dumb ass with these cheerful stats from a site linked to the world bank. we're making efforts here! this is what's needed in such matters, very sloooow but sure changes. sometimes i think those poor dying bastards have it easy. we are the ones worrying to death here... needing comforting. you lazy minds, this is all it takes to get back to your happy ignorance?! is just like living among ku klux klan killing people and saying yay! we got reasons for optimism, it is slowly but surely getting to milder forms of torture

[@rebelbeammasterx8472]

www.reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/?ref=search_subreddits

[@lovetherain227]

been feeling a little cynical about our society lately based on whats in the news. this gives me hope for a better and better future. Thanks John. really needed this today and it reminds me to be a better Nerdfighter.

[@backthen4449]

when i heard about the literacy rate, i teared up a little(:

[@XPimKossibleX]

+Cycling in Edmonton from the Eyes of a Teen are you serious?

[@maryelise520]

What I love about your videos is that you guys don't just focus on what's wrong with the world. You give a balanced perspective and show us definitive proof of the goodness of humanity. I appreciate that unlike the news, you don't depress me or give me existential crises.

[@brwneyedgirlx19]

Vlogbrothers videos give me hope for the future. One of the few places on the internet where that is almost always the case. Thank you.

[@MrSaqeq1]

it's nice to see a "world posititive" video in the middle of all the negativity that seems to be common nowadays. Thank you John. Poverty isn't necessary, we have all the resources necessary for every human being to live a decent life, and I strongly belive we can get there one day.

[@juliaz1422]

'That doesn't seem possible- except we did it! YES people!' is going to be a thing I say now.

[@LyricalDJ]

+Julia F You beat me to it. Yay, people! Let's make sure the next 25 years will be even better! Also, thanks John for showing us some of the good news and goals we can work towards (especially when we know we have achieved so much already).

[@soocool102]

As a 12 year old, seeing this makes me more optimistic about my future. There's nothing major I can do to make a change until I'm an adult. I'm always hearing the most tragic and heartbreaking things about the world, and sometimes I'm scared things will only get worse. But this gives me hope.

[@xxxtoddythebodyxxx]

Just scrolling comments and curious. Don't mean anything bad, just wondering how this aged for you.

[@jayknight139]

you are an adult now are you still optimistic lol?

[@Aditya-vu4ey]

Heyy!! YOU'RE AN ADULT NOW!!

[@robscallon]

alright, go humans!

[@elliottmaclean8348]

i've never seen a rob scallon comment on anything other than music stuff huh

[@yiggy3834]

@@elliottmaclean8348 samae

[@AureliaLivyaPoluan]

Poverty is still very much real in my country. So many people are living hungry and receiving less than what they need to sustain their daily needs. But videos like these give me hope that one day things will be better. Thanks, John 😊

[@liz1dancer]

I hope the next Goals focus on the environment more because it's great that poverty is being reduced etc but if we don't have a healthy and sustainable way of life with the planet it seems like all the efforts would be a bit pointless

[@Loathomar]

+Lizzie Dymond It is an interesting question because if we view issues by lives saved vs money spent, ei both spending money on reducing global warming and the other MDG will save lives, but how many and at what cost. To make a significant effort to reduce CO2 production is truly mass in comparison to the cost of the other MDG. It is estimated that to get where we are today in the MDG, the world has spend ~$50B over the last 25 years. In comparison, just the current weak US plan will cost the US an average of 1% of it's GDP ever year for the next 35 years. Or $167B+ every year JUST for the US's weak plan. It the same 1% of GDP is done by every country, that is ~$750B per year. So, 350 times what we have spend on MDG. The MDG spending has been estimated to help save ~45 million lives, and made billions of lives better. Can 1% of GDP spending to reduce global warm save 15.75 billion lives? No, as that is more than twice the number of people then is alive.

[@saeedbaig4249]

+Eden Grey But ISN't the Earth a more or less closed system. Sure, its dynamic and ever changing, but the resources on t are still relatively finite. The amount of water in the world now is more or less the same as it was 3 billion years ago. I'm just a little worried, that with income inequality rising, the word's poor are going to get the short end of the resources stick.

[@saeedbaig4249]

Eden Grey Alright, I see your point about resources being cycled in the environment. However, I'm just worried that if our rate of population growth is to be exponential, and more resources are consumed at a faster rate, eventually Mother Nature will intervene by "controlling" (i.e. starving off) the population.

[@malachihoskins3967]

I got a little choked up in that last thirty seconds. You and Hank make me feel so much better about being in the world. This is a corner of the internet that consistently presents me with laughs, insight, and hope. Thank you SO much.

[@katiehusband1505]

This video kind of makes me hopeful. The MDGs were very ambitious and maybe we didn't hit all of them, but I'm staggered by how much progress we did make. Cutting infant mortality in half in 25 years is incredible. Increasing literacy rates especially in girls by that level is astonishing. Hopefully the next set of goals will target climate change better and help solve some of the problems of people displaced by war and poverty

[@brittanyalways7276]

In this world where we are constantly being called to action over the millions of injustices that occur, it can sometimes feel overwhelming and hopeless. Thank you, John, for showing some of the good humans are capable and giving us motivation and hope to continue improving lives.

[@jillianm8958]

Since this will get lost in all the comments... I once farted while leading a horse and the horse got scared and kicked me in the knee. This also has nothing to do with this video

[@Tytoalba777]

+Jillian Michelle Lol wat? I'm going to make sure this gets top comment

[@Fawkes42]

+Jillian Michelle Were you ok?

[@ikonane]

Sorry to hear that!

[@syedmonzareen5002]

Very meta. I approve.

[@MrUtak]

+Jillian Michelle RIP knee.

[@irenebernardi3954]

These are so inspirational. Im one of your younger viewers, and seeing this much progress just in the past 15 years makes me want to join the future movements that will make this world a even better place. Thanks a lot John

[@Random3716]

Thank you, John, for making this video. I was having a rough day, but now I feel a little better.

[@vlogbrothers]

+Andy Winds ah, that's great to hear. Thanks for watching. -John

[@livvyisawsum]

This video and the fact that we are making progress is so important. Many people ignore the global goals, and suggest that they are pointless, because it's unrealistic and won't work. But the Millennium Development Goals prove that it can, and has. (I did a geography a level and had to answer an essay question in my exam about MDGs and I'm just so glad this is a topic being talked about.)

[@Kalleosini]

80% of the wealth will belong to 20% of the population, regardless. but it would be nice if those on the lower end of the rest of the population doesn't have to suffer from hunger.

[@tkbennett1123]

someone's been watching Vsauce

[@Kalleosini]

kyle bennett wasn't exactly trying to hide it.

[@Kalleosini]

***** yeah I'm not from USA so I'm not deluded and think USA is the whole world.

[@Kalleosini]

Eddie "JaggSauce" Gluskin I'm not a smart person, I just watch smart videos. I didn't know about Zipf before the Vsauce video

[@Kalleosini]

Eddie "JaggSauce" Gluskin ''in Murica we speak anglish, if yew can' dew that, yuw can just GIIT OUT!''

[@emmah9395]

This is exactly what I needed. Its so easy to feel completely discouraged by problems that the world has, hearing how things have improved gives me hope. These problems are not even close to solved, but we are on our way!

[@juliaanna4347]

Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity!

[@Thiefree]

it fascinates me how much this feels like a shareholder meeting. as it should, I suppose! we're all invested in the world getting better, after all. most people just don't get status reports.

[@PINGPONGROCKSBRAH]

+Thiefree I think it's awesome that decreases in maternal deaths and child deaths correlate so strongly with investment money. That's the strongest confirmation yet that my charity dollars actually make a difference.

[@tabethavandeventer7418]

I love that you get real with us and talk about problems, but also feed us little nuggets of hope like this; progress--good news of any sort really. thank you so much for this.

[@lordofdinosaurs6102]

Wow ... This has to be the highlight of my day something that's positive! Well back to college homework.

[@Jenny_Little_Wren]

+Lord of dinosaurs I agree! Weirdly (and surprisingly just a coincidence, not intentionally on my tutor's part) my college assignment has a lot to do with the MDGs today, so yay to this video being relevant to my studies and not just procrastination :D

[@vlogbrothers]

+Lord of dinosaurs I'm glad I could provide an encouraging four minute break. NOW DO YOUR HOMEWORK. :) -John

[@dramagirl1295]

ive gotten two oral surgeries in the past year and they left me pretty much incapacitated for a week afterwards. i'm quite impressed you were able to make this video a DAY after your surgery

[@jillianm8958]

I still don't even know how John is THIS awesome. Like...how

[@vlogbrothers]

+Jillian Michelle Thanks, Jillian.

[@jillianm8958]

OMG JOHN GREEN REPLIED TO MY COMMENT AHHHH

[@MizFreeze2u]

John - Thanks for this video. I lead a high school aged Girl Scout troop. We have been learning about the MDGs as part of Thinking Day and visits to WAGGGS centers the last several years. I think this video is a great way to let them see what was accomplished and what wasn't in an entertaining, easy to understand format.

[@89nekkoinu]

idk, with less human mortality do we create a good balance with nature? in this steady human population growth next 25 years will be a challenge providing food and water for people.

[@vlogbrothers]

+Eko ari wibowo Well, there's definitely a challenge to having so many people on the planet, but lowering infant mortality and poverty decreases population growth. When people have fewer kids die, they choose to have fewer kids. We've seen this across centuries and in many different cultures. I actually made a video about it a few years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWm4nYevnKiMoNE (Sorry for the shameless self-promo!) -John

[@CopyOfMe]

Actually food isn't a problem if we only get to distribute it to everyone (you know, instead of the rich hoarding it all). And as the world population gets richer and more educated, children per woman continues to decrease, so at this rate, the human population will stop growing at ten billion. And we can, with efforts, survive at this size.

[@CopyOfMe]

+Camilla Nilsson Dang it, John was faster!

[@abi_rose]

+Eko ari wibowo if we are optimistic, the increased population will become a resource in itself, with more minds working on problems we are more likely to have a technological breakthrough and find the solution. as esther boserup said: "mother is the necessity of invention"

[@89nekkoinu]

***** you are right about society with less infant mortality and poverty decreases population growth. i've experienced it first hand. on my country one generation ago people here usually have 4-8 even more child. nowadays most of people choose to have less child. but according news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140918-population-global-united-nations-2100-boom-africa/ in 2050 we touch 9 billion population and as you know its critical point where earth able to sustain that much people or not. food and water shortage is a real global threat according to my opinion.i just hope our technology advancement can coupe up with human growth in time.

[@whatareallofthis]

Great timing on this video, John. I needed to get some faith in humanity back today, and this video restored it. Hope your recovery from surgery continues to go well!

[@steve8t2]

Misleading title. I wish you would have talked about if poverty is necessary or not.

[@klosch84]

nec·es·sar·y ˈnesəˌserē/ adjective 1. required to be done, achieved, or present; needed; essential. "members are admitted only after they have gained the necessary experience" synonyms: obligatory, requisite, required, compulsory, mandatory, imperative, needed, de rigueur; More 2. determined, existing, or happening by natural laws or predestination; inevitable. "a necessary consequence" synonyms: inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, inexorable, ineluctable... According to definition 2 the title still works :)

[@ratter88]

+Wesley Geisterfer I have actually heard people argue that poverty is necessary, for a number of reasons. That there simpy isn't enough for everyone, that poverty is the only thing that forces people to do the jobs everyone hates, that poverty just means that only those worthy of power have power... I don't agree with these points, but still, there are people who would not see "Is poverty necessary?" as a rhetorical question.

[@BlackGateofMordor]

+Wesley Geisterfer Most clothes are manufactured in sweatshops by poor workers, who are subsequently paid very little for their work. This produces a lower demand for consumer products and even for food in these nations. Would the rise of the middle class in these nations produce economic problems for first world nations? Will the rise of China and the Asian Tigers create problems with the American and European middle and lower classes? Will America need to accept large numbers of Mexican immigrants in the future to satisfy jobs deemed as disgusting, or will America's current poor need to change their attitudes towards work? Does poverty in other nations encourage globalisation and the movement of the textile and manufacturing industries to the third world? These are all legitimate questions that John could have discussed. Answering in a facile manner does little to explain why it could or could not be necessary.

[@BlackGateofMordor]

***** I'm not afraid of people, but to deny the fact that the movement of manufacturing to China, India and Indonesia and the subsequent rise of the middle class in these nations has been having a dramatic effect upon the world's economy is silly. It's the kind of interesting thing that John has talked about before and he could mention both sides. Also, your second phrase is clearly wrong. The French keep rioting and they've got plenty of food.

[@FinestSeven]

+klosch84 No it doesn't. The video doesn't answer wether poverty is existing by natural laws or predestination or not. It just points out it is existing.

[@RagnarokLoki2012]

This video is a good reminder that, yes, we have very far to go before things are fixed, but we've made such progress thus far. It's easy to get bogged down in the fights that have yet to be won, if you don't remember how things used to be.

[@RustyClantonOfficial]

This is incredible. There's SO much hope, dudes.

[@izzymangoes7088]

As an avid geographer, I applaud you for sharing the importance of the SDGs in relation to the afore-scheduled goals to the interweb whose readers must be aware of just how important sustainability is in such a context!

[@annikaw1920]

This video just made me happy. When I watch the news it always seems to me as if our world is broken, but this video is giving me the hope that it isn't.

[@vlogbrothers]

+Anni we Yeah, good news happens slowly and bad news happens all at once, so we don't tend to report on good news because it isn't new. It's just a slow trend. But most of the slow trends in global development are very very good news. (Climate change is a huge exception.) -John

[@annikaw1920]

+vlogbrothers ...now I'm even more happy, which is so weird, but oh my god. John noticed my existence. YES I NOW IT'S STRANGE TO BE AS HAPPY ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT I'M DEFENSELESS AGAINST MY NERDY-FANGIRL-FEELINGS.

[@siddhantgoyal8709]

+Anni we The world may be broken, but hope is not crazy :P

[@annika9594]

This video made me cry and remember that there are actually good people in this world. Thanks for reminding me.

[@Oregano420]

Do you know what else comes in 8 parts? Voldemort.

[@RetroYoungen]

+The Mooseman VOLDEMORT IS POVERTY! And a lack of education... and disease... and NEVERMIND I shall leave now.

[@Thukfudo]

+The Mooseman You are an awesome person!

[@vlogbrothers]

+The Mooseman I used that one already, in like 2011. It's getting harder and harder to find eight-parted things. :) -John

[@MrJCharlesB]

+The Mooseman There's something oddly familiar about you...

[@CourtneyKirkmanJo]

I love this. It's so nice to know that good things are happening in the world and hear about progress, instead of the negativity that I'm used to hearing everywhere.

[@pkerch00b1]

yay! we arent fucking up!

[@Squalidarity]

...as badly as we could be anyway.

[@samparr3368]

Yeah there's still the problems of the atmosphere becoming more hostile, species rapidly disappearing, racism, gender, and sexual discrimination, every other president or some such world leader wanting to send us to a country we have no business being in, and insane people who take their beliefs just a bit too seriously. But this is still a nice win.

[@rosey7162]

+sir shalo Optimism, meet pessimism. ^

[@samparr3368]

Well i'm just saying, there is always more to do.

[@ivanclark2275]

Well, compare it to any other time in human history, and I say we're doing pretty great.

[@celestelrain7421]

Videos like this gives me hope for humanity, especially knowing that we are moving forward in equality as a species.

[@xoxoizzie365]

Can you guys do a video on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

[@xoxoizzie365]

+Zarathustra Venda we?

[@xoxoizzie365]

+Zarathustra Venda i'm so confused

[@xoxoizzie365]

+Zarathustra Venda u need to go

[@ChelseaJeanBentley]

+Isabela McClintock I think its a white man behind a desk is the youtube channel he's a kiwi did a really good video on the TPP

[@ChelseaJeanBentley]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4PWZISvfb5ohc0

[@sesicama]

As a student of development, I think it is fantastic that John made this video! It is so sad that MDG7 is the least successful one, when it (argueably) is the most important one. The new development goals are important and we can hope that the success of those will be as massive as the success of some of these. And I hope Hank actually does talk about them on Friday - a video like that is allowed to be more than 4 minutes too! It is also a very interesting topic that you (John and Hank, if you're reading this) are more than welcome to discuss in your podcast. I am a long time nerdfighter, have been watching for several years, but I very rarely comment. So rarely that I think this might be my first time.

[@callumetherton5441]

29 seconds after upload. I'm early for once. WOO

[@gabiyao7556]

I THINK UR FIRST THIS IS UR LEGACY PASS THIS ON 2 UR CHILDREN

[@callumetherton5441]

I feel so proud, on 11 views and 2 likes when I loaded it. I can hardly believe it.

[@gabiyao7556]

+Ham Etherton you are the superior and people should bow at you...

[@callumetherton5441]

Gabi Yao Today, I feel as if a I am a superior being. My timing was amazingly on point.

[@MikeMafiaII]

+Ham Etherton You must have a claim to a throne somewhere because of this, one would assume

[@taimiski]

This video made me think about world in a brighter light after a long time. All the negative news that I've been hearing recently have manipulated me. I need to remember to think positive. I'm so happy that you John and Hank keep making these videos. Thank you :)

[@Wout12345]

Heh, didn't know they went so well actually. Saw a bit about it on the news today, though they just focused on the failed goals of maternity and child deaths. I suppose the media's a bit pessimistic over here as well ...

[@vlogbrothers]

+Wout12345 They did fail in the sense that instead of maternal deaths falling by 75% they fell by 50%. But saving millions of mothers' lives over the last ten years is, as failures go, a pretty good one. Obviously there is a long way to go, and by not making serious investments until recently we've made less progress than we should have. But humans are getting less poor and less sick and better educated, and there's much to celebrate in that. -John

[@DanThePropMan]

+Wout12345 Yeah, that's pessimism in the extreme combined with the nirvana fallacy. (i.e., "If we didn't 100% achieve these lofty goals, that means we *failed completely*!")

[@clairezalla]

Though humanity has a long way to go, it's good to be reminded that we have achieved a lot together, too. Thanks, John!

[@juliep.7494]

3:15 *Hank, I'm in love with you*

[@YASHA5555]

+Karah Brown I think she meant it sounds like that what he's saying :)

[@karahbrown5099]

+CurlyMe Gotcha ;)

[@PurpleLover523]

+Julie P. OMIGOD IT DOES SOUND LIKE THAT

[@juliep.7494]

+CurlyMe what did he really say though? I cannot make out anything besides this homoerotic love confession :)

[@YASHA5555]

+Julie P. Honestly? I don't understand either. Maybe "Hank, I don't know about you"?

[@careysmith7259]

I love how positive this is. We are constantly hearing about awful things on the news when globally conditions are getting better for so many of our fellow humans. This just made my day.

[@daydreamin4]

I love "parts" videos, such a sucker for organization and lists! Also sorry about the surgery, John, sounds more painful than a fake tattoo

[@vlogbrothers]

+daydreamin4 Much more. I'd get 100 fake tattoos before another procedure like this one. -John

[@daydreamin4]

+vlogbrothers On one hand, I'm like "ouch that's terrible" and on the other hand I'm like "squeeee i got a reply!!" That just made my day :)

[@jamesclark6264]

I have, from day one of my Vlogbrothers/Nerdfighter experience, appreciated more than anything else the pervasive optimism and hope that is founded in logical analysis of the facts that I find here and almost nowhere else. Thank you. Now, let's roll up our sleeves and try to make some more progress on #7, shall we?

[@RaviBhogaita]

Faith in Humanity = Restored

[@Deggget]

I just wanted to say thank you, John, for showing that humanity can do something good for a change.

[@elfboi523]

Is extreme wealth necessary?

[@rjfaber1991]

+elfboi523 Probably not, but it is certainly useful. Comparatively speaking, nearly everybody in Europe and North America is extremely wealthy, and it is from those countries that the majority of the aid has come that has reduced HIV and maternal deaths according to John's graphs.

[@saeedbaig4249]

+Robert Faber Then again, if wealth was distributed more evenly, humanity as a whole would have more access to basic needs like food, water, shelter and education. Would we lose some luxuries? Yeah, but it's just something to think about.

[@elfboi523]

Sideeq Mohammad I still wish I had a fully functional pleasure android though.

[@saeedbaig4249]

Don't we all...

[@linavb99]

This is really hopeful and making me feel good, instead of the current newspapers only reporting on what is going wrong in the world instead of also focusing a little on what we fixed and what we're doing good

[@MCTimTime]

I'm all for gender equality, but preferential treatment for women in areas such as the sciences for a woman and man with the same qualifications is ridiculous. Equality, not quota filling. That is what we need. Equality is equal opportunities, as men and women simply are different, so don't try raise numbers artificially, as we are not the same. We deserve an equal start, but what we choose to do with that and are ability are up to us.

[@tkdyo]

+MCTimTime I think the key really is just to let girls know from a young age its ok to be in the sciences in the first place. There was litterally 1 to 3 girls in each of my 20+ student engineering classes, and I dont think colleges are doing the discouraging.

[@suzig6185]

+MCTimTime While I wholeheartedly agree that the best suited person (male or female) for the job should get it, equality isn't everyone getting the same thing; it's everyone getting what they need.

[@untappedinkwell]

+tkdyo A big part of this problem is definitely the way that we communicate/talk to/talk about little girls (and women generally, but especially girls who are fermenting those skills and talents). I see so many people who comment exclusively on the appearance of young girls, and almost never say anything about their smarts or abilities. And there's also a bit of attitude from within those industries (or even misconceptions about those industries held by parents/teachers/classmates/etc.) that drive women away. So making sure that we're praising innovation and intelligence and science in everyone from a young age is great, and working to change the sort of cultural... bullshit that is "women don't do these things" so that when they do do them, they're respected and treated right--those would both be great ways to work on balancing the science fields out.

[@ArtsyMate]

+Shea Bryan EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WILL LEAD TO EQUAL OUTCOME. I'm sorry. But this makes me so mad. People don't seem to get that it's societal biases working against women that stop them from getting into certain careers - whether they be at school, from parents or the workplace themselves.

[@vazzmatazz]

+MCTimTime "men and women simply are different" Raised differently, yes. Fundamentally different in meaningful ways, no. On this topic, "Delusions of Gender" by Cordelia Fine is a very interesting read.

[@clairemckinley691]

At the recent World Scout Jamboree in Japan, there was an initiative set up by the UN to help develop the new goals, with teenagers from over 150 countries coming together to give their suggestions about how they can instigate change in their own communities using the new development goals. I was lucky enough to be a part of this program, and I am hopeful that the input of the young people in the world will bring about positive change.

[@annikaw1920]

A PARTS VIDEO YEEEES

[@heidiv4322]

Thanks so much. One of my students is working on their research project on this exact subject! Now, I can share this video with her.

[@lendial]

Is it possible for a world state to exist in which everyone has a decent quality of life void of poverty?

[@vlogbrothers]

+lendial Yes. I mean perhaps it depends on your definition of "decent," but extreme poverty is not necessary or inevitable. -John

[@tomtommythomas8722]

+vlogbrothers Then vote for Bernie Sanders.

[@jasonschneijder2012]

+lendial Absolutely, in fact, malnourished people work harder and better and are more likely to achieve more in life. The more educated kids there are, the bigger the chance we find some geniuses who can help solve the new problems we'll have to deal with. Last but not least: people with a say in their country's government, or with power to change their country are less likely to go to war, and people who do not live in poverty are less likely to commit crimes and join militia's. Enough reasonsto build a better world!

[@jasonschneijder2012]

+Jason Schneijder *reasons to

[@darthutah6649]

depends on whether you're referring to absolute poverty or relative poverty

[@astridweatherfield4840]

Once again, the Vlogbrothers educate me on something I was completely ignorant to before. Thank you for doing all that you do.

[@LorraineVirginie]

I know you guys are passionate about the environment, the planet, world hunger, and so many other awesome things. You guys should really look at how veganism can affect all of those things!!! I would love to see you do a video about how going vegan helps the environment and people everywhere (not to mention your health and animals). Check out the huge effect we could have on world hunger if everyone went vegan - most of the deforestation in the Amazon is to create space for livestock farming, and a huge amount of plant food is given to livestock animals to produce a smaller amount of meat. "If all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million," David Pimentel, professor of ecology in Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, reported at the July 24-26 meeting of the Canadian Society of Animal Science in Montreal.

[@stargate525]

+LorraineVirginie And yet the entire world going vegan would almost immediately cause the extinction of all domesticated cattle, chickens, pigs, bison, and goats. They provide near-zero non-food value, and are largely incapable of surviving in nature (cattle especially). It also neglects the argument that vast stretches of the world are unsuitable for agriculture but excellent for grazing. Big Ag has been the largest contributor to water crises around the world (as corn needs a lot more water than a similarly-sized field of cattle). Beekeeping would end as an industry, leaving the already worrying bee populations to collapse entirely and cripple the ecosystem. Vegans and vegetarians are overwhelmingly deficient in Vitamin B12, Creatine, DHA, and Protein. Supplements for those are usually made from animal products. Not to mention that we are very efficient users of our animals. The phrase 'everything but the oink' is not an exaggeration. And a lot of these products are gels, oils, and materials we would otherwise have to turn to synthetics for. Synthetics largely made from petroleum. Fact of the matter is that a world of vegans is a silly idea, especially if you're going to tout it as a triumph of environmentalism.

[@KingofSpoons64]

+LorraineVirginie Veganism is fine, but we need to go beyond that. Human kibble for everyone!

[@rubbers3]

+LorraineVirginie I'm an animal. I have fangs. Fangs are developed in meat eating animals. So I eat meat. And it is good. I don't want to not eat animals. Go ahead and tell a tiger that it should turn vegan. Jokes aside - going full vegan is not a good idea for human health. I've once read that the most optimal, for human health would be eating meat like once-twice a week. PLUS - everything that +stargate525 wrote. This guy is right. I support it.

[@spoygg]

It's really sad how uneducated these replies are. Meatards.

[@1900maniac]

+Spoygg (Ivan) I guess you don't want to spread veganism. If you do, calling people meatards is the wrong way.

[@Manda7854]

In a world full of negative media, it is incredibly refreshing to realize how far we have come as a human race. Thank you for the great video!

[@aasmund_ks6369]

Now, let's work against the trend of climate change, as it is the most important of the goals.

[@tombarrows1265]

Man made climate change is bullshit

[@PINGPONGROCKSBRAH]

+The Wizard (Of New Zealand) I agree, it's bullshit that we're continuing to emit all these greenhouse gasses despite the environmental consequences.

[@tombarrows1265]

PINGPONGROCKSBRAH Its bullshit because there is no threat from anything we can do to the climate.

[@PINGPONGROCKSBRAH]

The Wizard I could argue with you, but I don't think that will change anything, so instead I'm going to laugh at your pointy hat. haha.

[@untappedinkwell]

+PINGPONGROCKSBRAH It's also bullshit that we've got access to sustainable energy (re: solar and wind) and we aren't making it as affordable and desirable as possible to have. I mean, we're working on it, we're getting there, but there are a good number of companies and awesome peeps who could be working a little faster. Really hope they do.

[@lillyjohnson3937]

So moral of the story... We aren't perfect but we're making a damn good effort to make lives all over the world better. That's a pretty awesome thing to hear.

[@Skip6235]

"Overall though. . .this has been a really good 25 years for humans" I was born 25 years ago. Coincidence? (yeah, probably)

[@albasanchez4793]

I can't understood very much because of the language, but I understood some things and I think that is awersome how you can explain so much things in only 4 min. So reflexive. Love you as a writer and as a youtuber!

[@PeterKim222]

I really, REALLY want either Hank or John to do a video on Martin Shkreli (the hedgefund guy who made the AIDS medicinal pill go from $13.50 per pill to $750).

[@untappedinkwell]

+Peter Kim I can see why you want that, but I don't know that they'd say anything on the subject that hasn't already been said: dude's a dickwad and that kind of price hike is unethical, to say the least.

[@DeathlyMessanger]

+Peter Kim - Maybe suggest it to Dr Aaron Carroll over on Healthcare Triage.

[@ajollyoldben]

+untappedinkwell They could link it to an overall discussion on the inflation of drug prices in the united states. OR how certain rare diseases are either not particularly profitable and things like above happen or simply aren't profitable to research and what can be done about this. OR they can talk about something else. :P

[@ClaireF_]

This is so encouraging and really shows the power we all have to make a change in the world and that achieving such massive goals such as these is not impossible and can be done!

[@alextcherdak5896]

HOW ARE LITERALLY ALL THE VIDEOS SINCE I STARTED MY GLOBAL ISSUES ELECTIVES ABOUT THE VERY TOPICS IN MY GLOBAL ISSUES TOPICS???

[@zarathustravenda1910]

What do you mean?

[@alextcherdak5896]

I literally started a class about the Syrian Refugee crisis the day before that video came out, then a class on islam right before the Muslims≠terrorists vid, and last week we talked about the Millenium developpment goals. Zarathustra Venda​

[@zarathustravenda1910]

nathalie alexandra Tcherdak haha nice to hear about it.It seems the way of telling you YOU WERE RIGHT.Keep up the good work.

[@alextcherdak5896]

+Zarathustra Venda well, I have Global Issues tomorrow, maybe the course will reveal spoilers for upcoming vlogbrothers content... 😂 :D Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, it's much appreciated

[@bjornsteelside]

+nathalie alexandra Tcherdak Because they care about you. Also that's a kick-ass elective. I wish I had that option. This college or high school?

[@Shaynnanigans]

As someone born in 1990 and therfore is 25, it is great to see this progress in my lifetime. Let's do even better the next 25 years.

[@bauxsedai1495]

You had one thing that's split up in 8 parts and you didn't mention Voldemort's soul. That's a bummer John.

[@sarahshepard5698]

The most encouraging video I've seen on KZbin in quite some time. Thanks, John.

[@Achillez098]

I suddenly have more faith and confidence in the human race :D

[@harveersingh5504]

I get so happy when I know about what John is goin on 100% about Cuz I learnt it in school

[@TiasTravels]

Wow, I can tell I'm becoming a real adult because I'm actually starting to know some of these "world news" things you guys are talking about before watching the videos! #GrowingUpNerdfighter

[@untappedinkwell]

+TheGingerHermione Yay for working towards being a better global citizen! And welcome to adulthood! DFTBA.

[@julianabarbosa5164]

This video just made a very seemingly boring school project far more interesting than I thought it would be. Thank you John! And greetings from Colombia.

[@GKForwhatisworth]

I was excited.... until you got to the goal about environment :(

[@stephanieg2887]

These videos are so inspiring. I know its important (extremely important) to be aware of global issues, but its nice to have positive news every once in a while. It gives me hope that we can all help make our world a better place.

[@denisakovarova9548]

I like you so much

[@vlogbrothers]

+Erena Smith Thanks you also seem nice! -John

[@tome4376]

John answered you, congratz! :D

[@kayleeshook1593]

It truly is incredible that all of that happened. These videos do restore my faith in humanity.

[@3333amira]

666th view. great

[@YeetSauce47]

It's great to see what humanity is capable of when we work together, but we still have a very long way to go to achieve a "perfect world" where everyone is equal.

[@fiddlehead11]

yay! thanks for this, I often get lost in the sadness and suckiness of the world. It's good to remember that we are making progress even if it feels painfully slow.

[@RebeccaAlden]

Wow this is amazing. Seeing such gigantic and seemingly impossible goals that really impact the whole of humanity achieved (or at least a lot more progress was made on them than I ever thought possible) is just so heartening. This is really cool.

[@horabehnejad7188]

Thank god you made this video. I had an assignment due on the millennium goals and had no clue what to do, until an awesome Nerdfighter friend of mine showed me this video!

[@Neha71580]

As a constantly changing world I hope the goals this time get set up on a different levels and on the issues which are important enough to be worked on for a decade or two and considered as a step for some real development. Part of why I loved this video is that you got so much awesome information (and an awesome media to tell through) on how much we have improved so far 'globally'. I would love if the goals this time bring out something even better!

[@taylorberlin8597]

Yay! Vlog brothers AND UN MDG!?! Two of my favorite things to nerd out about!!

[@andreabreckenridge5680]

Guys, we can do this. We can reach even better goals. We are an awesome and capable generation. Let's do this.

[@jeremytuttle9439]

The goals for gender equality are wrong. Equality of opportunity means that each of us has the opportunity to pursue a life that is fulfilling to us, regardless of sex, age, race, etc.. For instance, if more males than females actually want to be doctors and more females than males actually want to be nurses, they should be able to follow what they want to do without too much pressure coming from ideologues. I find it very telling that I rarely see the results of a poll that asks, "Do you feel like you can't live the life that you want due to gender discrimination?" I would hazard a guess that that is because it wouldn't quite fit the narrative. Other than that, the direction our world is going in is a good one.

[@LyricalDJ]

+Jeremy Tuttle The goals should be about opportunity. That if a woman wants to become a lawyer or doctor (or whatever) she has the right, the opportunity and the backing of her society to do so.

[@HatingWontDoIt]

although I agree with this, to an extent, many girls, and boys, will have their ideas of 'what they want to become' based around what is ok for a person of that gender, like telling a child, a girl cant be a -insert job here- and eventually most children will base their aspirations around these ideas. so a girl may want to be a doctor but settle for nurse and similarly a boy may want to be a nurse but choose not to because it is supposedly a female career choice.

[@paultorrisi4992]

+Bareerah S But what about jobs that women should consider very carefully, before entering, like military. It would probably be better to tell a young girl that being in the military is potentially dangerous, and that boy are naturally better cut out for the job, would it not?

[@HatingWontDoIt]

+Paul Torrisi that is true, but many jobs, such as government jobs, or working in medicine or education or law are often shown to be jobs dominated by men in which women are not as capable , limiting women in such a way is incredibly unfair, its one thing to tell someone about potential hurdles and show them their strengths and weaknesses and another to say a whole gender is incaple of a certain job. dftba

[@TheFalrinn]

+Jeremy Tuttle Gender equality is a very complicated subject and means very different things in different places. But as these sorts of development goals tend to focus on the developing world rather then fully-industrialized nations, so to avoid rambling for too long I'll only discuss it in that context. I think most can agree that at minimum we need to make sure women are being allowed to attend primary school. Yet in many parts of the world girls are expected to stay at home and help with household tasks while boys are more free to attend school. Even when girls are not prohibited from attending, they still are often tied up in housework for much longer then their male counterparts and only have time to study at night (which in places without reliable electricity is a bit of a predicament). These are not problem we would normally consider because we don't have the context to consider it. Universal primary education is so ubiquitous in the western world that it's hard for us to understand that in many parts of the world it isn't, and that in some places it's sometimes much more readily available to boys then girls. But the statistics don't lie. There is a disparity in even the most basic of educational opportunities that has produced a literacy gap between men and women. This literacy gap has been shrinking rapidly, and it's even slammed completely shut in some regions (south-east Asia springs to mind as a region that did have this gap, but doesn't anymore, at least not a statistically significant one). But it's only happened because people have worked to make it so. You might be wondering what does any of this have to do with you or me, and I'd say it's a fair question. Maybe the women of the developing world are happier not being expected to have an education, ignorance can be bliss after all. However there's a cloud on the horizon in humanity's future, and that cloud is called overpopulation. There are plenty of ways to solve overpopulation, but all but one of them involve some seriously draconian population control measures. And that one good, non-draconian option is to take advantage of the fact that educated women statistically chose to have fewer children. Giving the choice between something like forcefully sterilizing a percentage of the population and making sure women in the developing world have access to education...I know which one I'm going to pick even if I'm not feeling altruistic. ...and it looks like I rambled for awhile anyways. Trust me though, I would of gone on for a lot longer if I wanted to talk about the complexities that exist in the western world.

This video is AMAZING. Really, John. You just gave me this huge boost of optimist that I didn't even know I needed. I applaud you.

[@briellehohne4121]

I definitely needed to hear about all the good things we've made happen in the world. Too often we hear about what we haven't accomplished. But this...this is good. :)

[@xsershx]

Just watched a BBC documentary called "Millennium Children" about the MDGs and their effects. Fascinating. Highly recommend.

[@ALifeLearned]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Being a person having lived in first world poverty, pretty much my whole life (so ironically enough, the exact time period you are speaking of in this video, because I was born in 1990 :P lol) its hard to imagine that things have improved this much! Especially considering the fact that I am still, in fact, impoverished; But seeing that such incredible improvements have actually happened in my life time so far gives me great hope for a better future, where I may actually stand a chance of finally getting pulled out of this economically unjust position in society (Im disabled but I still work a lot on various things, so its not like Im sitting on my butt and whining I have no money :P) - so thank you for giving me more hope John! :)

[@Lynkah]

This is amazing. I honestly was beginning to lose faith on humanity outside of Nerdfighteria and pies we have our fingers in, but this really impresses me. If humanity can continue to set and meet (or near meet) goals like this, eventually we'll fix these huge issues and be able to move on to everything that increases world suck. Thank you John, this video felt like a load off my mind. I didn't realise I was so weighed down by my lack of faith in the capability of humankind.

[@theworldrightnowtalks9042]

I hope you get better John get well soon. You are an inspiration

[@Youtopiawebseries]

I'm so happy you guys are making a #GlobalGoals week. Raising awareness is key in making this thing work! This just makes me want a Crash Course Sustainable Global Development though. Anyone?

[@ErinArchbold]

This video just restored all my faith in the future. It's crazy how much progress we can make in such a short period of time.