Friday, October 13th, 2006
I attended the AGM of the Alberta’s Promise organization this morning. The charity that I work with is a agency partner. The idea for this group of 500 business and nonprofit partners comes from “America’s Promise” founded by Colin Powell. “Alberta’s Promise is a movement. A passion. A spark, to inspire Albertans to direct more resources to benefit our children and youth. Alberta’s Promise helps communities, businesses, service clubs, foundations and agencies to work together to benefit our young people.”
We have benefited from the partnership and association by finding businesses that were willing to come along side us and aide us in fulfilling our mission. There have been some very interesting successes but the meeting focused on six. Everything from direct earmarked funding to donated services to corporate leveraging worked to help impacted and at-risk populations.
They launched a new campaign this week that focuses on the tagline: You only get one chance to be a kid.
But many chances to help a kid.
Alberta’s Promise invites any company, agency or municipality to apply to become an Alberta’s Promise Partner. Approval will be based upon the nature of the commitment to children and how the organization’s corporate philosophy fits with the five promises of Alberta’s Promise.
1. Providing a Healthy Start
2. Safety, Growth and Development
3. Interaction, Mentoring and Inspiration
4. Participation and Volunteering
5. Leadership and Innovation
The formation of Alberta’s Promise was announced in the government’s Throne Speech on Feb. 18, 2003 and was later introduced into the legislature as Bill One - the Premier’s Council on Alberta’s Promise Act.
Take a look at the Alberta’s Promise site and see if there are any promises that you would like to make.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Back
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
Sorry for the absence from posting. I have been very busy at work and took on some additional responsibilities on our condo board and with the family clan. I have also had some technical issues with podcast equipment but I think that is resolved and will be back up with a new format on Wednesday.
I am also going to shift from teaching to talking in the blog. I noticed that I was lecturing again so I am going to begin offering my opinion on current events, issues and what I am pondering.
News
After praising Google for their initiative in setting up a for-profit philanthropic organization to seed solution focused projects and research, I wonder if they may have slipped a cog today with the $1.65 Billion acquisition of YouTube. I have found some vids on YouTube entertaining but the whole consumer generated information portal is only so much fluff. I may be missing the boat but I can’t imagine how they calculated a ROI on this deal.
Make Poverty History http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
I will be wearing my white wristband for the next couple of weeks because it is a statement of support. One year after G8 approval to eliminate $72 Billion and increase aid by $50 Billion to the 18 most impoverished nations, did we see any improvement in the lives of citizens of these countries. BBC quotes one family “What happened, in real terms, is that the leaders of G8 helped out their friends in the international banks. I didn’t benefit. My friends and family in Ghana didn’t benefit.” Did the $ just end up in the World Bank and IMF accounts? The biggest ever anti-poverty movement came together under the banner of Make Poverty History in 2005 but what were the results? Did the rhetoric from G8 and others translate into action or was this too big a bite to take and we need to start with managable campaigns? If we actually focused on improving the lives and lifting some Ghanans out of poverty, would we have seen results?
Philanthropy Today reports “A federal law that requires public-housing tenants to volunteer at least 96 hours a year” in US. Under the law, able-bodied residents of public housing ages 18 to 62 who aren’t working or studying full-time must volunteer at least two hours a week or face eviction. The biggest problem identified in the article seems to be that there isn’t any resources to manage and enforce the law not that the residents object. You have read my opinion of voluntary v mandatory so I think the criteria is workable and with very little new resources much could be accomplished by volunteers and community could be improved by the act of volunteering.
Sorry for the absence from posting. I have been very busy at work and took on some additional responsibilities on our condo board and with the family clan. I have also had some technical issues with podcast equipment but I think that is resolved and will be back up with a new format on Wednesday.
I am also going to shift from teaching to talking in the blog. I noticed that I was lecturing again so I am going to begin offering my opinion on current events, issues and what I am pondering.
News
After praising Google for their initiative in setting up a for-profit philanthropic organization to seed solution focused projects and research, I wonder if they may have slipped a cog today with the $1.65 Billion acquisition of YouTube. I have found some vids on YouTube entertaining but the whole consumer generated information portal is only so much fluff. I may be missing the boat but I can’t imagine how they calculated a ROI on this deal.
Make Poverty History http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
I will be wearing my white wristband for the next couple of weeks because it is a statement of support. One year after G8 approval to eliminate $72 Billion and increase aid by $50 Billion to the 18 most impoverished nations, did we see any improvement in the lives of citizens of these countries. BBC quotes one family “What happened, in real terms, is that the leaders of G8 helped out their friends in the international banks. I didn’t benefit. My friends and family in Ghana didn’t benefit.” Did the $ just end up in the World Bank and IMF accounts? The biggest ever anti-poverty movement came together under the banner of Make Poverty History in 2005 but what were the results? Did the rhetoric from G8 and others translate into action or was this too big a bite to take and we need to start with managable campaigns? If we actually focused on improving the lives and lifting some Ghanans out of poverty, would we have seen results?
Philanthropy Today reports “A federal law that requires public-housing tenants to volunteer at least 96 hours a year” in US. Under the law, able-bodied residents of public housing ages 18 to 62 who aren’t working or studying full-time must volunteer at least two hours a week or face eviction. The biggest problem identified in the article seems to be that there isn’t any resources to manage and enforce the law not that the residents object. You have read my opinion of voluntary v mandatory so I think the criteria is workable and with very little new resources much could be accomplished by volunteers and community could be improved by the act of volunteering.
Small Steps part 4
Monday, October 2nd, 2006
Fron National Research Council
Atlantic Region
The 4 R’s - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover
Garbage gone but not forgotten!
Most of our garbage is sent to landfills, dumps or municipal incinerators. But with more and more people producing more and more waste, landfills are filling up faster than we can find new sites for them. And landfills create new types of waste. As garbage decomposes, moisture filters through it producing a toxic liquid known as leachate. Modern landfills are designed to reduce the amount of moisture that reaches the garbage, and many have a system to collect and treat the leachate.
Decomposing garbage also produces two greenhouses gases: carbon dioxide and methane, an invisible, odorless, and highly flammable gas. At some big landfill sites in Canada, methane is now being collected and burned to produce energy.
Water and oxygen are required to break down garbage. But water and oxygen are in short supply deep in a landfill, so decomposition takes place very slowly. In fact, when researchers cored down into a landfill in the United States, they discovered newspapers over 30 years old still in readable condition!
Incinerations are sometimes used to burn solid waste under controlled condition. They reduce the stress on landfills, but they create other environmental problems. The ashes must be disposed of, either at a landfill, or, if they are toxic, at a hazardous waste facility. Burning garbage also produces acid gases, carbon dioxide and toxic chemicals that must be treated with expensive air pollution control equipment to avoid contributing to acid rain, ozone depletion and air pollution.
Recycling is just one way to reduce wastes. To be really effective, we have to incorporate the 4Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover into our daily routine.
Reducing the amount of waste we produce is by far the most effective way to battle the flow of garbage into the landfill. Packaging makes up about half our garbage by volume, one-third by weight.
when you shop, try to find products that have little or no packaging.
What we cannot Reduce we should try to Reuse.
repair you old radio rather than buying a new one.
use jars, tins, and plastic containers to store leftovers, bulk foods and household items.
buy durable, good quality products that will last.
Materials and packaging that cannot be reused should be recycled at home, work and school. You can contribute to recycling by purchasing recycled and recyclable products.
at the store, ask yourself these questions: can this product or its packaging be reused or recycled? Was it produced form recycled materials? Whenever possible, choose products that meet these criteria.
Finally, Recover energy from wastes that cannot be used for something else. This fourth R is difficult to put into practice by individuals, and is geared more toward industry.
Did you know?
Landfill sites account for about 38% of Canada’s total methane emissions. Methane is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas that carbon dioxide.
Did you know?
17 million Canadians (nearly 2/3 of us) have access to recycling.
The language of the Rs
The mobius loop, an international recycling symbol, can be found on many products.
A mobius loop in a light background means that the packaging or product can be recycled where facilities exist.
A light mobius loop on a dark background advises consumers that the product contains recycled materials.
Along with the mobius loop, there will be figures indicating what percent of the recycled content is post- consumer and what percent is post-industrial. Post-industrial recycled products contain materials left over from the manufacturing process. This material has not been used by consumers yet. Products with post- consumer recycled materials are preferred as they have already been used by consumers at least once. In this way, they are “more recycled” than post-industrial products. But beware! Products displaying the mobius loop may not be recycled where you live. For example, many local recycling programs do not collect and recycle cardboard. By learning what you can recycle in your area, you can make wise decisions while shopping.
Fact:
In 1990, about 459,000 tones of materials were recycled in Canada.
SOME TIME IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, AN ARCHAEOLOGIST LOOKING BACK AT LATE 20TH CENTURY CANADA WILL MARVEL AT WHAT A WASTEFUL SOCIETY WE WERE. DIGGING AROUND IN OUR LANDFILL SITES, SHE WILL CORRECTLY ESTIMATE THAT IN THE 1990S, EACH CANADIAN THREW AWAY ABOUT ONE TONNE OF WASTE MATERIALS EVERY YEAR!
THINK BACK THROUGH YOUR DAY: THE EMPTY TOOTHPASTE TUBE, THE CEREAL BOX, THE POP CAN IN YOU LUNCH, YOUR GUM WRAPPER, THE FOOD YOU LEFT ON YOUR PLATE AT DINNER. NATURAL RESOURCES SUCH AS WATER, WOOD AND FOSSIL FUELS GO INTO THE PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORTATION OF ALL THESE THINGS. WHEN WE THROW THEM AWAY, WE ARE THROWING AWAY OUR VALUABLE RESOURCES. NO WONDER THE ARCHAEOLOGIST OF THE FUTURE FINDS US WASTEFUL!
Did you know?
About 1/3 of our waste is paper and paperboard. Another third is yard and kitchen waste. The rest is divided among glass, metals, plastics, textiles, wood and other materials.
Reduce, reduce reduce!
There are many things you can do to reduce the amount of waste you produce.
Avoid food packaged in individual servings. Buy in bulk. It saves money and the environment.
Buy multi-use items rather than single-use when possible.
Use your own cloths bags for shopping.
Donate your old clothes to charity.
Buy beverages in refillable containers.
Use rechargeable batteries.
Share your newspaper, magazines and books with a friend.
Wrap presents in reusable cloth bags or reused wrapping paper.
Rent items you use infrequently.
Compost!
Pack your lunch in reusable containers.
Support your community’s recycling programs.
Buy products that contain recycled materials.
Use both sides of every sheet of paper.
Use a durable refillable mug or glass at school or work.
Encourage your friends and family to follow your good example.
Fact: If we all work at reducing our own wastes, together we will make a BIG difference.
Be creative. There are many more ways we can reduce the wastes we produce.
Fron National Research Council
Atlantic Region
The 4 R’s - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover
Garbage gone but not forgotten!
Most of our garbage is sent to landfills, dumps or municipal incinerators. But with more and more people producing more and more waste, landfills are filling up faster than we can find new sites for them. And landfills create new types of waste. As garbage decomposes, moisture filters through it producing a toxic liquid known as leachate. Modern landfills are designed to reduce the amount of moisture that reaches the garbage, and many have a system to collect and treat the leachate.
Decomposing garbage also produces two greenhouses gases: carbon dioxide and methane, an invisible, odorless, and highly flammable gas. At some big landfill sites in Canada, methane is now being collected and burned to produce energy.
Water and oxygen are required to break down garbage. But water and oxygen are in short supply deep in a landfill, so decomposition takes place very slowly. In fact, when researchers cored down into a landfill in the United States, they discovered newspapers over 30 years old still in readable condition!
Incinerations are sometimes used to burn solid waste under controlled condition. They reduce the stress on landfills, but they create other environmental problems. The ashes must be disposed of, either at a landfill, or, if they are toxic, at a hazardous waste facility. Burning garbage also produces acid gases, carbon dioxide and toxic chemicals that must be treated with expensive air pollution control equipment to avoid contributing to acid rain, ozone depletion and air pollution.
Recycling is just one way to reduce wastes. To be really effective, we have to incorporate the 4Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover into our daily routine.
Reducing the amount of waste we produce is by far the most effective way to battle the flow of garbage into the landfill. Packaging makes up about half our garbage by volume, one-third by weight.
when you shop, try to find products that have little or no packaging.
What we cannot Reduce we should try to Reuse.
repair you old radio rather than buying a new one.
use jars, tins, and plastic containers to store leftovers, bulk foods and household items.
buy durable, good quality products that will last.
Materials and packaging that cannot be reused should be recycled at home, work and school. You can contribute to recycling by purchasing recycled and recyclable products.
at the store, ask yourself these questions: can this product or its packaging be reused or recycled? Was it produced form recycled materials? Whenever possible, choose products that meet these criteria.
Finally, Recover energy from wastes that cannot be used for something else. This fourth R is difficult to put into practice by individuals, and is geared more toward industry.
Did you know?
Landfill sites account for about 38% of Canada’s total methane emissions. Methane is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas that carbon dioxide.
Did you know?
17 million Canadians (nearly 2/3 of us) have access to recycling.
The language of the Rs
The mobius loop, an international recycling symbol, can be found on many products.
A mobius loop in a light background means that the packaging or product can be recycled where facilities exist.
A light mobius loop on a dark background advises consumers that the product contains recycled materials.
Along with the mobius loop, there will be figures indicating what percent of the recycled content is post- consumer and what percent is post-industrial. Post-industrial recycled products contain materials left over from the manufacturing process. This material has not been used by consumers yet. Products with post- consumer recycled materials are preferred as they have already been used by consumers at least once. In this way, they are “more recycled” than post-industrial products. But beware! Products displaying the mobius loop may not be recycled where you live. For example, many local recycling programs do not collect and recycle cardboard. By learning what you can recycle in your area, you can make wise decisions while shopping.
Fact:
In 1990, about 459,000 tones of materials were recycled in Canada.
SOME TIME IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, AN ARCHAEOLOGIST LOOKING BACK AT LATE 20TH CENTURY CANADA WILL MARVEL AT WHAT A WASTEFUL SOCIETY WE WERE. DIGGING AROUND IN OUR LANDFILL SITES, SHE WILL CORRECTLY ESTIMATE THAT IN THE 1990S, EACH CANADIAN THREW AWAY ABOUT ONE TONNE OF WASTE MATERIALS EVERY YEAR!
THINK BACK THROUGH YOUR DAY: THE EMPTY TOOTHPASTE TUBE, THE CEREAL BOX, THE POP CAN IN YOU LUNCH, YOUR GUM WRAPPER, THE FOOD YOU LEFT ON YOUR PLATE AT DINNER. NATURAL RESOURCES SUCH AS WATER, WOOD AND FOSSIL FUELS GO INTO THE PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORTATION OF ALL THESE THINGS. WHEN WE THROW THEM AWAY, WE ARE THROWING AWAY OUR VALUABLE RESOURCES. NO WONDER THE ARCHAEOLOGIST OF THE FUTURE FINDS US WASTEFUL!
Did you know?
About 1/3 of our waste is paper and paperboard. Another third is yard and kitchen waste. The rest is divided among glass, metals, plastics, textiles, wood and other materials.
Reduce, reduce reduce!
There are many things you can do to reduce the amount of waste you produce.
Avoid food packaged in individual servings. Buy in bulk. It saves money and the environment.
Buy multi-use items rather than single-use when possible.
Use your own cloths bags for shopping.
Donate your old clothes to charity.
Buy beverages in refillable containers.
Use rechargeable batteries.
Share your newspaper, magazines and books with a friend.
Wrap presents in reusable cloth bags or reused wrapping paper.
Rent items you use infrequently.
Compost!
Pack your lunch in reusable containers.
Support your community’s recycling programs.
Buy products that contain recycled materials.
Use both sides of every sheet of paper.
Use a durable refillable mug or glass at school or work.
Encourage your friends and family to follow your good example.
Fact: If we all work at reducing our own wastes, together we will make a BIG difference.
Be creative. There are many more ways we can reduce the wastes we produce.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Small Steps 3
Saturday, September 23rd, 2006
How can the choice of your family activities impact the environment? I am refering to the social stuff of our lives - how we spend time ‘playing’ with others. I would start by saying that we should always play nice, as my mom always told me.
I don’t know the kinds of things that you do with your kids, spouse, sibs, friends but would suggest that the further they are removed from technology, the more environmentally sensitive they likely to be. Choose to be outdoors over in, choose to be active rather than sedinatary, choose self propelled activities rather that motorized. Play board games rather than video/computer, go on a picnic, play catch, kick a ball, go for a walk, visit a park, smell the flowers, make a snowman… you get the idea.
Inside our homes we have a great opportunity to positively impact our environment and save $. The little things will make a difference. Shut off lights, computers, tvs when you are leaving the room ( make sure that there isn’t someone still in the room first), turn the heat down 2 degrees and put on a sweater, shut the tap off when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. Rethink your morning routine and I bet you can find numerous ways to reduce your use and sabe cash. We will discuss other ways to inve$t in savings in the Reduce blog, next week.
If you have followed the blog or series you will recall that your choice of employment can have a dramatic impact on the environment. I am not taliking about us all becoming tree-hugging greenpeacers (that’s what one of my kids calls me) but thinking about the place and activities that dominate about 50% of our waking hours. I am not going to expound on this idea but if you have suggestions - send them to podcast@everydayaction.ca or post a comment here. I have one more $10 Starbucks card(their prices are going up) for a randomreader who submits an idea.
How can the choice of your family activities impact the environment? I am refering to the social stuff of our lives - how we spend time ‘playing’ with others. I would start by saying that we should always play nice, as my mom always told me.
I don’t know the kinds of things that you do with your kids, spouse, sibs, friends but would suggest that the further they are removed from technology, the more environmentally sensitive they likely to be. Choose to be outdoors over in, choose to be active rather than sedinatary, choose self propelled activities rather that motorized. Play board games rather than video/computer, go on a picnic, play catch, kick a ball, go for a walk, visit a park, smell the flowers, make a snowman… you get the idea.
Inside our homes we have a great opportunity to positively impact our environment and save $. The little things will make a difference. Shut off lights, computers, tvs when you are leaving the room ( make sure that there isn’t someone still in the room first), turn the heat down 2 degrees and put on a sweater, shut the tap off when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. Rethink your morning routine and I bet you can find numerous ways to reduce your use and sabe cash. We will discuss other ways to inve$t in savings in the Reduce blog, next week.
If you have followed the blog or series you will recall that your choice of employment can have a dramatic impact on the environment. I am not taliking about us all becoming tree-hugging greenpeacers (that’s what one of my kids calls me) but thinking about the place and activities that dominate about 50% of our waking hours. I am not going to expound on this idea but if you have suggestions - send them to podcast@everydayaction.ca or post a comment here. I have one more $10 Starbucks card(their prices are going up) for a randomreader who submits an idea.
Small Steps 2
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
As you would expect, the small steps we will explore will require you to take some type of action. The steps might be small (and do able) but they will require some of you to adjust your behaviour, habits and/or thinking. It won’t be easy but most valuable impact doesn’t come without effort.
The easiest approch would be to use the 4 R’s approach and we will focus next week on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover but this week’s two posts I would like to focus on a fifth R; Rethink. The impact of some of our other actions will be compounded if we begin with a ‘rethink’ attitude. For example; we wouldn’t need to recycle as much plastic from our homes if we purchased products that came with less packaging or non-plastic packages (I know this will be inconvenient). I was looking at new earbud headphones for my iPod last week and the blister pack could have held 100 pairs rather than one. Besides making it exceedingly difficult to get the package open, it also wastes feedstocks to make the pack (that I pay for), fills up my recycle bin or eventually fills up our landfills with virtually indestructible material (which my grandkids will pay for). I took a moment and ‘rethought’ and then asked the guy at Source if they had another set of buds without the packaging. He reached under the counter and took out a miniscule hard plastic box with one set inside. I saved $3 and have a box to store the buds in (or other small stuff) when I’m not using them.
What other areas can we rethink? Transportation? food selection? family activities? home heating/lighting? employment? I realize that the further this idea gets pushed the more inconvenient and difficult it might become but if you push your limit until you are just feeling uncomfortable, you will have created a ripple.
Today - transportation and food selection.
Transportation
How do you get to work? Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV), public transit, walk, cycle, car pool? Could you use a more friendly mode once a week? Would it save you cash? improve your fitness?
How often do you go shopping?( with your vehicle) monthly, weekly, daily? How many trips could be consolidated? How much fuel coulf you save with fewer trips($)? Where are you travelling to shop? Is there a location closer? Are you really saving $ by driving further?
Food Choices
Do you buy locally produced fruits and vegetables? Do you support the local economy and reduce transportation of goods? Is your food fresh or processed? Can you buy local ingedients and treat yourself to a home cooked meal instead of a fast food prepackaged one?
Local merchants have a greater stake in the local economy and should be supporters of social and environmental causes in your neighbourhood. They are likely more responsive than a box store to your concerns about Genetically Modified plants, packaging, selection. They can also advice you on local alternatives to the expensive California casaba melons or New Zealand kiwis( or any other product that needs to be shipped from afar). Check labels to see where your meat, cheese, milk, cereal, canned goods are produced and do the best job you can of selecting products from your region.
These actions may seem small but they can all add up and in lots of cases save you money.
As you would expect, the small steps we will explore will require you to take some type of action. The steps might be small (and do able) but they will require some of you to adjust your behaviour, habits and/or thinking. It won’t be easy but most valuable impact doesn’t come without effort.
The easiest approch would be to use the 4 R’s approach and we will focus next week on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover but this week’s two posts I would like to focus on a fifth R; Rethink. The impact of some of our other actions will be compounded if we begin with a ‘rethink’ attitude. For example; we wouldn’t need to recycle as much plastic from our homes if we purchased products that came with less packaging or non-plastic packages (I know this will be inconvenient). I was looking at new earbud headphones for my iPod last week and the blister pack could have held 100 pairs rather than one. Besides making it exceedingly difficult to get the package open, it also wastes feedstocks to make the pack (that I pay for), fills up my recycle bin or eventually fills up our landfills with virtually indestructible material (which my grandkids will pay for). I took a moment and ‘rethought’ and then asked the guy at Source if they had another set of buds without the packaging. He reached under the counter and took out a miniscule hard plastic box with one set inside. I saved $3 and have a box to store the buds in (or other small stuff) when I’m not using them.
What other areas can we rethink? Transportation? food selection? family activities? home heating/lighting? employment? I realize that the further this idea gets pushed the more inconvenient and difficult it might become but if you push your limit until you are just feeling uncomfortable, you will have created a ripple.
Today - transportation and food selection.
Transportation
How do you get to work? Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV), public transit, walk, cycle, car pool? Could you use a more friendly mode once a week? Would it save you cash? improve your fitness?
How often do you go shopping?( with your vehicle) monthly, weekly, daily? How many trips could be consolidated? How much fuel coulf you save with fewer trips($)? Where are you travelling to shop? Is there a location closer? Are you really saving $ by driving further?
Food Choices
Do you buy locally produced fruits and vegetables? Do you support the local economy and reduce transportation of goods? Is your food fresh or processed? Can you buy local ingedients and treat yourself to a home cooked meal instead of a fast food prepackaged one?
Local merchants have a greater stake in the local economy and should be supporters of social and environmental causes in your neighbourhood. They are likely more responsive than a box store to your concerns about Genetically Modified plants, packaging, selection. They can also advice you on local alternatives to the expensive California casaba melons or New Zealand kiwis( or any other product that needs to be shipped from afar). Check labels to see where your meat, cheese, milk, cereal, canned goods are produced and do the best job you can of selecting products from your region.
These actions may seem small but they can all add up and in lots of cases save you money.
Taking small steps today!
The series over the next two weeks is going to focus on immedaite, relevant and concrete action that you can take to improve your environment; personal, local, national and global. The environment movement has done a good job of creating/describing/suggesting small steps that you can take that when joined with others has a great impact.
As an introduction, I would advise you that I am not a scientist and the big questions about ‘global warming’ and CO2 emmisions will not be part of the discussion. If you are so inclined, the following sites seem to offer a balanced overview.
Pew Climate
Global warming
I am basing my assertions on personal experience and from watching the world. My conclusion is that we are experiencing a period of climate change and that our actions, as a society, have an impact on the scale and scope of the changes. If you are looking for the ‘big’ solution, I am not sure you will find it. I try to be conscious of my personal impact but I believe that the latest round of global negotiations and resulting instruments (Kyoto Protocol) are so severly flawed as to actually have a negative effect on the environment. I applaud the initiative and flame the results. From a policy standpoint, the issue being addressed can not be solved using the chosen instuments and implimentation ( this was not unknown to signators and crafters) and could have a significant economic impact but a very limited environmental.
So where does that leave us. The same place where most issues end up, on the hearts and backs of individuals and small groups. Over the next 5 blogs, we will search for and discover some low-hanging fruit that we can turn into significant action.
As an introduction, I would advise you that I am not a scientist and the big questions about ‘global warming’ and CO2 emmisions will not be part of the discussion. If you are so inclined, the following sites seem to offer a balanced overview.
Pew Climate
Global warming
I am basing my assertions on personal experience and from watching the world. My conclusion is that we are experiencing a period of climate change and that our actions, as a society, have an impact on the scale and scope of the changes. If you are looking for the ‘big’ solution, I am not sure you will find it. I try to be conscious of my personal impact but I believe that the latest round of global negotiations and resulting instruments (Kyoto Protocol) are so severly flawed as to actually have a negative effect on the environment. I applaud the initiative and flame the results. From a policy standpoint, the issue being addressed can not be solved using the chosen instuments and implimentation ( this was not unknown to signators and crafters) and could have a significant economic impact but a very limited environmental.
So where does that leave us. The same place where most issues end up, on the hearts and backs of individuals and small groups. Over the next 5 blogs, we will search for and discover some low-hanging fruit that we can turn into significant action.
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
The following was sent to me by a reader.
Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: September 14, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 — The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.
Google’s Charity
Will Google.org’s new form of philanthropy change the way traditional nonprofit charities work?
But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.
One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.
The philanthropy is consulting with hybrid-engine scientists and automakers, and has arranged for the purchase of a small fleet of cars with plans to convert the engines so that their gas mileage exceeds 100 miles per gallon. The goal of the project is to reduce dependence on oil while alleviating the effects of global warming.
Google.org is drawing skeptics for both its structure and its ambitions. It is a slingshot compared with the artillery of charities established by older captains of industry. Its financing pales next to the tens of billions that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will have at its disposal, especially with the coming infusion of some $3 billion a year from Warren E. Buffett, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway.
The following was sent to me by a reader.
Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: September 14, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 — The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.
Google’s Charity
Will Google.org’s new form of philanthropy change the way traditional nonprofit charities work?
But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.
One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.
The philanthropy is consulting with hybrid-engine scientists and automakers, and has arranged for the purchase of a small fleet of cars with plans to convert the engines so that their gas mileage exceeds 100 miles per gallon. The goal of the project is to reduce dependence on oil while alleviating the effects of global warming.
Google.org is drawing skeptics for both its structure and its ambitions. It is a slingshot compared with the artillery of charities established by older captains of industry. Its financing pales next to the tens of billions that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will have at its disposal, especially with the coming infusion of some $3 billion a year from Warren E. Buffett, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway.
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