“The current race is to see who will control renewable energy technologies, and we are in the race,” Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil told reporters. “We have the human and financial resources, and we have the will.”
Minister Khelil’s statement was made in the recent announcement that Algeria is undertaking a massive initiative to generate enough solar power across its Saharan geography that it will not only be generating energy for itself as early as 2010, but be exporting power to Europe by 2020. (See the full story in Aidan Lewis’s MSNBC piece.) The critical part of that statement: “we have the will.”
While most of the attention I’ve seen on Al Gore’s historic speech on climate change last week has been focused on the economic, technological, and scale challenges of reaching 100% energy through renewable sources in the US, the most important of all the challenges I believe he focuses on (as he has said in other speeches like his keynote at TED) is political will.
That Algeria has the will but the United States (currently) does not is tragic. Let’s be real, and just enough ideal… and let’s get on that!
Why and how have banks made half-million dollar loans to people without jobs or income?
In keeping with the recent Realist Idealist theme of sharing information that has been incredibly useful in my understanding of the world, its history, its processes, and how things have unfolded (so that we can do something about it if/when it’s appropriate), I hope you’ll take the time to listen to This American Life’s recent podcast “The Giant Pool of Money.” It explains the above question, as well as others you wouldn’t even know to ask.
The 1 hour radio show is incredibly engaging (as the show always is, but this one in particular), and both explains more succinctly and fully in 58 minutes the current credit crisis (not housing crisis, mind you), than a year of reading the business sections of major newspaper.
I just finished Walter Isaacson’s biography of Benjamin Franklin this weekend, and without knowing exactly how to say this, I’ll simply say that I was completely inspired. “Inspired” is quite an understatement actually. I found myself at times with chills running through my body as Isaacson described the various successes and challenges Franklin faced throughout his astonishing career - from personal to business to political to the most astonishing scientific and diplomatic feats of his era. It was a career that quite literally shaped the course of history. It is virtually impossible to describe the impact that this man had on all our (American) lives, and I feel confident in saying there is nothing hyperbolic about that statement.
Benjamin Franklin was the ultimate social entrepreneur and realist-idealist.
When you’re done, be sure to go back and find your favorite passages using Google Books. It’s been an extraordinarily useful tool to find the most poignant quotes and anecdotes.
This six part series by Richard Behar of Fast Company entitled “China in Africa” is the single best piece of investigative journalism I’ve read in months. Maybe years. Maybe ever.
Behar breaks down and brilliantly weaves the geo-political, business, governmental, community, historical, and personality issues that plague a handful of resource-rich countries across the sub-Saharan region of the continent, including Mozambique, Zambia, Congo, and Equatorial Guineau. I sat in my chair for a while after finishing the article and just stared off into the coffee-shop ether. It’s simply that good.
This is a brief synopsis.
“…the sub-Sahara represents nearly one-fifth of the earth’s landmass. Yet its total economy is tinier than Florida’s. Here, 300 million people get by on less than a dollar a day. Until they don’t. It is the planet’s biggest tomb…a bottomless badland where $500 billion of Western aid since World War II (more than four Marshall Plans) has barely made a dent in the poverty; a region whose market share of world trade is shrinking by the hour… a place so desperate for everything - cash trade, investment and infrastructure - and so powerless to negotiate strategically, that it’s pretty much up for sale to the highest bidder.
The region is now the scene of one of the most sweeping, bare-knuckled, and ingenious resource grabs the world has ever seen.”
Bravo, Fast Company, for supporting this piece and for having the balls to print the longest piece in your history.
One of the things that I used to say to college student leaders during trainings for Break Away was the number one rule of anything you do - be it schedule volunteer work, manage a meeting, or fund raise - is “follow up.” The second rule: “follow up.”
When it comes to making good things happen, there is simply no better way to demonstrate that you are a person others can count on and invest their time, energy, or money in than following up and getting back to people. There’s also no better way to show that you simply care… which in “doing good” is really the most important thing there is.
In the process of making good things happen it’s also important to acknowledge and support those around you. Your “teammates” if you will.
Along those lines, Sam Davidson over at CoolPeopleCare had this 5 minute tip for all of us
Do you remember a few weeks ago when your friend shared with you that her mom was sick? Or can you recall how last month your coworker shared that his family was going through a rough patch? Think back to when someone close to you shared a concern and follow up with them today. It’s easy to remember someone when tragedy or sorrow is fresh. Take an extra and meaningful step today to let someone know you care about them as they carry on in the midst of hardship or loss. Your smile and question makes a big difference.
I first heard Van Jones speak in 2005 in Berkeley. I still get chills recalling his call for a “new politics” a “new religion” and truly a new way of operating in society.
I’ve followed Van since then through his work with the Ella Baker Center and just saw him here today at the 2008 Personal Democracy Forum. Once again, I wanted to jump out of my chair and go make something happen.
But make what happen?
A green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty across our country with Green For All. http://www.greenforall.org/
Back in May, Tom Brokaw was quoted as saying Jon Stewart’s “role is important” in the media, and if for no other reason than more young people get their “news” through the Daily Show than any other source, he’d be right. The funny thing (no pun intended) is just how much news they actually get, and how critically young people are taught to think about the mainstream news in watching the show. My favorite segments are often the ones where the Daily Show lines up back to back identical quotes from the leading cable and network news shows, demonstrating that they are all pretty much reading off the same talking points or press releases and not giving any kind of objective perspective about what’s really going on.
Last night was one of the best Daily Show’s I’ve ever seen (though of course I didn’t see the clip till this morning on my computer). Yes it was funny and provided entertainment, but it also exposed viewers to the perspective of someone I really admire, Lara Logan - who is CBS chief foreign correspondent and has spent the last 5 years on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Yes, I’m aware that she’s extraordinarily beautiful, but I promise the admiration isn’t skin deep.) This 7 minute clip is very much worth watching as she slams American media for their pitiful coverage of the war(s)
The buying power of the casual consumer can be harnessed to impact the environmental actions of business. We can get companies to make choices that are sustainable and transformative. And we can do it with the carrot …not the stick.
Watch this video (highly recommend the longer version) to see exactly how it works.
I recall very well in college how a relatively small (though seemingly ubiquitous) cohort of do-gooders on campus made a lot of the best things happen. At least things that I thought were “best.” Organizations like Alternative Spring Break, Habitat for Humanity, Manna Project and others that were making incredible things happen, were all run by students - and as on most campuses, those students tended to be many of the same people who were all involved in many things.
While there are countless extraordinary things to say about this group of student activists, entrepreneurs and to be sure, realist idealists, one of the criticisms I’ve had in looking back is how most people in that little world used to brag about how little sleep they’d gotten. Including me. It was bizarrely like a badge of honor. Going to sleep felt like giving up.
Gas prices won’t be going down for a while. But at least we as consumers can ease the pain by voting with our consumer dollars, and patronizing oil companies that are devoting at least a small share of their revenue to sustainable practices.
HIP Investor has rigorously evaluated and rated the top ten oil companies (HIP Investor Analyzes Big Oil) on their human impact including factors such as amount invested in renewable energy development programs, the inclusion of ethnic and women employees, and safety records for contractors and employees.
According to the HIP Scorecard the “best” oil companies are:
1) BP (also Amoco, Arco, and Sohio) is the third largest solar power player in the world and the solar leader in the oil industry, and its record on hiring women and minorities for top spots in the company is impressive
2) Shell’s progressive management practices—notably including the cost of greenhouse-gas emissions in its accounting—are exemplary.
3) Chevron (also Texaco) is a solid player with significant health and safety commitments and it has enhanced its environmental tracking and continued to expand into both geothermal energy (generated by the heat stored beneath the earth’s surface) and gasoline additives.
The least socially responsible oil companies include:
1) Valero (also Beacon, Diamond Shamrock, and Shamrock) stopped releasing greenhouse gas data in 2004 and is the only one of the top 10 oil firms that does not participate in the industry group American Petroleum Institute’s sourcing transparency initiative.
2) ExxonMobil (also Esso) avoids any risky alternative energy investments and technologies and has doubled it’s investment in lobbying over the last few years; they are the only energy company to receive a “0″ rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
Jake Brewer is an entrepreneur, activist, and translator who works to connect ideas and strategies in business, politics, nonprofits,
and social media so that good intentions can more effectively and responsibly become reality.
