Be The Change

The Journey Of A Biscuit To The Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:19:00 +0000

The World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed over 230 tons of High Energy Biscuits in the Philippines as part of its response to the recent typhoons. The video below shows how the biscuits travelled the 9,374 kilometres from the factory to the beneficiaries, and in particular, one little boy called Antonio (photo above).

These biscuits (HEBs) are ideal for the sort of relief operations that follow natural disasters because they’re easy to transport and they don’t require cooking. In addition, they are full of minerals, vitamins and energy so they can keep people going for several days if there's no other food available.

In the Philippines the biscuits have also been useful as a way of making sure mothers and children don't lose out on important nutrients as they deal with the floods and devastation left behind by a series of typhoons.

LightSail: New Project By Planetary Society

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:06:00 +0000

LightSail-1 Artists rendition of LightSail-1 by Rick Sternbach. Credit: Planetary Society

The Planetary Society, with its new project called LightSail, announced its plan to propel a spacecraft on sunlight alone by the end of 2010. Under this new programme, three separate spacecrafts will be launched over a period of several years.

LightSail-1 Prior to Sail Deployment Credit: Planetary Society

The project was unveiled on the 75th anniversary of astronomer Carl Sagan ’s birth and will start with LightSail-1, which will demonstrate that sunlight alone can propel a spacecraft into Earth orbit. It will use three Cubesat spacecraft, out of which one will form the central electronics and control module, while the other two will house the solar sail module. Cameras, additional sensors, and a control system will be added to the basic Cubesat electronics bus.

The solar sails are propelled by reflected light pressure and not solar wind. The LightSail-1 will launch with its four triangular Mylar sails packaged in a volume equal to about three quarts and unfurl to an area of more than 340 square feet, resembling a giant diamond-shaped kite. It will orbit at an altitude of nearly 500 miles and operate for just a few days to determine if it can be controlled, and to measure the orbital acceleration.

The LightSail-2 spacecraft is planned for higher altitude orbits, while the LightSail-3 is intended to be sent to the Sun-Earth Libration Point, L1, where solar sails could be permanently placed as solar weather stations, monitoring the geomagnetic storms from the sun that potentially endanger electrical grids and satellite systems around Earth.

Via: UniverseToday

TPRF: Food for People raises most funds in Causes Giving Challenge on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:51:00 +0000

Following my previous post about TPRF:Food For People participating in Cause's Giving Challenge on Facebook, I wanted to follow up to say that the Challenge ended yesterday and TPRF:Food For People raised the most money - $222,950! However, since the challenge was based on numbers of donations and not amount, they didn't win the first prize of $50,000, but won $25,000 which will be added to the amount of donations!

TPRF have said that, thanks to the tremendous effort and generosity of donors, they can now start planning the third Food For People facility. To see more about the Food For People programme go here.

To see the unofficial results of the Causes Challenge, take a look here.

Wind Turbine That Flaps Like A Bee

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Image: Green Wavelength

Inspired by the wing movements of bees, Green Wavelength have designed the XBee Wind Turbine, the prototype of which they recently showcased. Green Wavelength have said that they are “committed to finding ways of applying nature’s solutions to our man-made energy problems,” and the small, 19-foot wind turbine was designed with inspiration from the movement of bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies.

The wings are made of aluminium and carbon fiber and rotate to and fro (like bees, hummingbirds and dragonflies) to produce wind power suitable for homes and small businesses.

Portable Light Blanket Helping Africans With Info On HIV And TB

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:30:00 +0000

The iTEACH program and Project Masiluleke in South Africa are piloting a project with the Portable Light iTeach Blanket to tap the mobile device as a high-impact, low-cost way to broadcast healthcare information encouraging positive actions such as HIV testing, and connect patients to their care providers.

The project will bring together health care information dissemination via text-messages, clean solar energy with a renewable home lighting and cell phone charging system and a comprehensive home-based MDR TB treatment training program in KwaZulu-Natal.

Local women integrate flexible solar kits into a locally produced African cloth fastened to an emergency blanket, making a detachable solar textile lantern. By day, the patient uses the blanket to stay warm while exposed to the outdoors. Sunlight charges the unit in three hours, creating 6 watt-hours of energy stored in a rechargeable battery. At night, Portable Light powers a cell phone and provides ten hours of bright white light to facilitate the night time home care treatment established by the iTEACH Program.

The next day, the Portable Light blanket is recharged by the patient, who helps to power his or her own treatment, while providing renewable energy and light for family members.

TPRF: Food For People On America's Giving Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Many of you - especially those of you on Facebook - may already be aware of America's Giving Challenge. It is a 30-day national competition that encourages people to help win cash awards that will total $245,500 on behalf of their favourite nonprofit.

Participating causes in the Challenge are competing for daily and overall cash awards based on the number of donations generated for a cause, not dollars raised. Awards will be given to the nonprofit beneficiaries of the causes that garner the highest number of unique daily donations (the same person can donate every day and it's considered a unique donation each time) between 3:00 p.m. EDT October 7, 2009, and 2:59pm EST on November 6, 2009.

I have been supporting the cause TPRF: Food For People - "Helping to break the cycle of poverty through nutritious food and clean water... Because everyone deserves a life of dignity and hope." You can see a short video about their work here.

The cause with largest overall number of donations (not necessarily dollars raised) by November 6th will receive the $50.000 in addition to the donations given. TPRF: Food For People is currently lying 3rd and we are trying for a final push to get more unique donations ($10 minimum) and reach overall 1st place to get the $50.000 for the cause. There are also 3 awards of $1500 for those that get the most donations on particular days - TPRF: Food For People won that yesterday!

To find out more and help this cause, you can visit the page on Facebook here TPRF: Food For People Watch Matt Damon talk about America's Giving Challenge on this short video.

Being Free

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:49:00 +0000

Image: YPI

© The Prem Rawat Foundation

Reverse Trick-Or-Treating

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:41:00 +0000

Ten to twenty thousand groups of children will hand chocolate back to adults during their regular neighborhood trick-or-treating rounds this Halloween. The children will distribute Fair Trade certified chocolate attached to a card explaining the labor and environmental problems in the cocoa industry globally and how Fair Trade provides a solution.

The event, Reverse Trick-or-Treating, was launched three years ago to raise awareness of the pervasive problem of child labor, forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa fields, to empower consumers to press the chocolate industry for more fair cocoa sourcing policies, to shift the industry toward sourcing Fair Trade certified cocoa, and to inform consumers about Fair Trade companies that are leading the way to industry reform.

The Reverse-Trick-or-Treating program has joined nonprofit organizations, such as Global Exchange, with Fair Trade Certified chocolate companies such as Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, and Sweet Earth, and local schools, faith groups and youth organizations to raise public awareness about Fair Trade Certified chocolate.

"Kids have a well-developed sense of fairness. I regularly hear stories of US schoolchildren who are really outraged to learn that mainstream chocolate companies are making them complicit in the enslavement of their peers," said Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Director of Global Exchange's Fair Trade Campaign, "Kids are eager to show solidarity and make it possible for their peers to do go to school and go out and play. That is why so many kids are thrilled to participate in Reverse Trick-or-Treating and make a difference. Now, it's up to the chocolate companies to listen to their important message."

The Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign is an initiative of the human rights advocacy group Global Exchange.

Nearly a quarter million Fair Trade Chocolates and informational cards have been provided in the United States by Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, and Sweet Earth, and in Canada by La Siembra, under the leadership of Equal Exchange. Equal Exchange is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and healthy snacks. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting over 30 small farmer cooperatives in 16 countries around the world.

The national organizations with a lead role in Reverse Trick-or-Treating are Africa Action, Fair Trade Federation, Global Exchange, Green America, International Labor Rights Forum, Not for Sale, Oasis/Stop the Traffik, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and the United Methodist Church.

Turning Air Into Water

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Marc Parent and his company Eolewater, located in Sainte Tulle, France, have invented a fresh water wind turbine which makes water from ambient air and also generates electricity. This could be beneficial especially in dry, remote and arid regions that need both drinking water and electricity.

The wind turbine blade powers the generator, which in turn powers a cooling compressor that converts gaseous water in atmospheric air into liquid water. The largest eolewater wind turbine produces 4597 litres / 24 hr of water in desert conditions and 33,131 litres / 24 hr of water in coastal climates.

The wind turbine makes electricity and water with zero emissions and can provide sustainable drinking water to a huge number of communities. The three mobile versions of the turbine can be used in disaster relief situations to provide fresh water and electricity.

Via: Reuters

Flexible Paving Stones Create Energy From People Walking On Them

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:25:00 +0000

A paving stone on a busy street is stepped on by more than 50,000 pedestrians every day and Laurence Kemball-Cook of Pavegen Systems Ltd has designed a way to harness that pedestrian power. Every time the rubber Pavegen stone is stepped on, it flexes 5mm and the dynamo technology stores the kinetic energy produced.

The Pavegen System could power lights, computers, automatic doors and ticket machines at tube stations information displays, street lighting, shop frontages, train and bus timetables and wayfinding solutions.

The slab glows when stepped on indicating that energy has been generated to users. Five paving slabs distributed over a section of a pavement will provide sufficient power to illuminate a bus information panel overnight.

The top of the slab is made from recycled rubber car tyres, and recycled aluminum is used for the inner surface. The exterior housing is done with marine grade 316 stainless steel. Each slab generates 2.1 watts per hour when located in an area with high footfall. The system requires annual servicing and is designed to withstand 5 years of use equating to 20 million steps in interior and outdoor environments.

Trials will take place in several locations throughout the UK in early 2010 with local authorities, schools and airports.

Via: World Architecture News

Human Voices: a wake up call to climate change

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:29:00 +0000

Leading up to the international meeting in Copenhagen on Climate Change, Oxfam has created this video to demonstrate the human impact of climate change. Climate change is happening now, and is affecting the world's poor - wherever they are - first and worst.

Needy Argentines Receive Solar Stoves And Showers

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:45:00 +0000

The EcoAndina Foundation - a local NGO - has taken a green initiative and is installing solar showers and donating solar-fired stoves to the needy villagers in the llama-herding communities of Misa Rumi in Argentina. It will provide relief for the Andean communities who rely on forests for their energy requirements.

Since 1989, the EcoAndina Foundation has been distributing solar equipment ‘to improve people’s quality of life and reduce firewood consumption, which produces a lot of desertification in the region’. Silvia Rojo, the president of the EcoAndina states that other Latin American countries are also following the suit.

The solar stoves (see photo) have a built-in sundial which can set light to a piece of paper within seconds. They save villagers the work of gathering scarce firewood or buying expensive canisters of natural gas.

Elsewhere in Misa Rumi, the scorching Andean sun is used to heat a communal bakery and solar-powered water pumps that guarantees irrigation for the residents' vegetable patches.

This measure will bring down carbon emissions in the area and will help the local people with their needs without causing deforestation and soil erosion.

Via: Reuters

350 Islands For Change

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:02:00 +0000

In Auckland, Pacific Islanders wade out into the sea and hang up 350 T-shirts on a giant washing line, signifying that the Pacific Islands are being hung out to dry. Each shirt has the name of a different island printed on it.

The event is part of the 350 International Day of Climate Action, a global call to bring greenhouse gas pollution back down to a level that is safe for survival.

Finding Peace Within

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

I've previously posted about Prem Rawat and his message of peace and would like to add here that he doesn't just limit himself to words. He offers anyone who is sincerely interested a practical way to find the peace he talks about within themselves. He calls this Knowledge and I, myself have been able to feel this peace in my life for many years now and would encourage you to discover this possibility for yourselves.

Prem Rawat, widely known as Maharaji, has produced a series of videos - The Keys - designed to clarify key points of understanding about this possibility.

If you would like to watch a video online introducing the Keys, then please go here.

You may also visit the website Words Of Peace Global to find out more details about his message of peace and the humanitarian initiatives of The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF).

Other post about Prem Rawat:

Be In The Moment Called Now
International Day Of Peace - Words Of Peace
You Breathe. You're Conscious
Wish For Peace And Contentment
What Is Peace?
Prem Rawat Speaks In Sicily And Israel

Concrete Mushrooms: Albanian Deserted Bunkers To Be Converted Into Eco-Hostels

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:47:00 +0000

There are 750.000 abandoned concrete bunkers throughout Albania, serving as reminders of their recent dark history. Two Albanian graduate students of Politecneco di Milano, Elian Stefa and Gyler Mydyti, under the guidance of architect Stefano Boeri, came up with the idea to convert these deserted bunkers into appreciable tourist destinations.

The transformation will allow trekkers a shelter in the shape of these hostels, dubbed as Concrete Mushrooms. Other possible transformations include info points, kiosks, gift shops and cafes.While promoting eco-tourism, it will also let the dwellers have a look into the past of Albania.

Concrete Mushrooms Trailer - Albania's 750,000 inherited bunkers. from Concrete Mushrooms on Vimeo.

World Food Day Is No Food Day For 1 In 6 People

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:19:00 +0000

October 15 was World Food Day, but as World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran said - World Food Day is actually No Food Day for almost one out of every six people around the world this year. As the number of hungry people reaches record levels, the UN WFP called on the world to remember the more than one billion urgently hungry people with inadequate access to food.

In the video below Ms Sheeran says that our challenge is to turn No Food Day back into World Food Day for the hundreds of millions without food on their table tonight.

2010 Medals To Be Made By Recycling

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:28:00 +0000

The medals at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 will be made from recycled electronics. Vancouver company Teck Resources has joined forces with the Royal Canadian Mint to transform trash into medals for the athletes - by recycling old computer parts.

Electronic components will be shredded, separated and heated and then the byproducts will be combined with metals from other sources. The recycled metal that is blended with the byproducts is obtained from Teck’s operations in Royal Canadian Mint including places like British Columbia, Ontario, Newfoundland, Labrador, Alaska, Chile and Peru.

The 2010 Olympics medals are based on two artworks of an orca whale and raven by Corrine Hunt and will be the heaviest in the history of the Games.

Via: Walletpop

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danjc003/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

WaterAid Launch Global Strategy For 2009 - 15

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:55:00 +0000

This month, WaterAid launched their new global strategy for the years 2009 - 15. The 4 main aims are -

To promote and secure poor people's rights and access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation
To support governments and service providers in developing their capacity to deliver safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation
To advocate for the essential role of safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation in human development
To further develop as an effective global organisation recognised as a leader in our field and for living our values

You can see an interactive version of the strategy here and watch a short video about the importance and necessity of WaterAids work below.

Generator Powered By Kites

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:23:00 +0000

An Italian company, KiteGen Research, is using an innovative technique to develop a generator that is capable of harnessing the wind through kites. The prototype recently created flies 200-square-foot kites to altitudes of 2,600 feet. At such high altitudes, wind streams are four times as strong as they are near ground-based wind turbines, so a larger amount of power can be generated using the kite-powered generator.

This unique kite-powered generator works with the help of kites that fly into the air and unspools a cord that turns the turbine and generates electricity. When the kite reaches its peak altitude, it crumples and motors quickly reel it back in to restart the cycle. This new invention will generate up to 40 kilowatts of power. The company has started with a development of a new machine that will fly a 1,500-square-foot kite. The machine is expected to generate nearly three megawatts - enough to power 9,000 homes - and is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

Image: KiteGen Research

Fragile: The Human Condition

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:44:00 +0000

World Food Programme Ambassador Against Hunger, Howard G Buffett in his new book, called Fragile: The Human Condition, brings together personal stories and compelling images of people for whom the world is a fragile experience.

Compiled in 64 countries as part of a personal journey that started when the author was five years old, Fragile paints a vivid – and sometimes painful – picture of what happens when the world fails to meet the basic needs of its most vulnerable people.

“Please don’t forget me. Please don’t let the world forget us," an old man said to Buffett, when he was in Chad a few miles away from the Sudanese border. This book is honouring this request. With contributions from Bono and Shakira, Fragile aims to raise awareness about those who face poverty, hunger and desperation, in the hope that knowledge will lead to change.

As Bono said after reading the poignant portraits in the book: "These portraits are the reason why we must not rest in the comfort of our freedom."

Design Green Buildings With Google SketchUp

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:46:00 +0000

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory launched an updated version of their plug-in for SketchUp, Google’s open-source 3D building modeling tool. It has several new features, which will facilitate architects to develop more detailed simulations of their design’s energy efficiency. NREL aims to provide advanced green building design tools that are readily available at low or no cost.

The OpenStudio update is designed to work with version 4.0 of Energy Plus and compatible with Windows 7, Linux and Snow Leopard. It is integrated with Energy Plus, an energy modeling program that simulates building heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation and other energy flows. The OpenStudio plug-in will help architects in designing building with maximum energy performance.

Initially SketchUp’s integration with Google Earth helped users to visualize buildings in their real world setting by simply giving in the actual latitude and longitude information of their project site. The new updated version will enhance its capability to another level altogether.

OpenStudio has also been linked up with standards for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program.

Hunger Bytes Video Competition For Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Hunger Bytes is an international video competition hosted by the World Food Programme, in partnership with YouTube. Starting October 16, filmmakers around the world are invited to submit short videos about hunger.

WFP says - We need you to make the edgiest, most provocative videos about hunger. Whatever it takes to make people think, and to change attitudes. The videos with the most views will be judged by a celebrity jury and the winner will get to travel to a WFP project.

Submissions begin on October 16th – World Food Day.

The closing date for entries is midnight, December 31st 2009.
The nominated videos in will be made into a playlist on WFPs YouTube Channel, where the 5 videos which receive the most views in each category will go on for judging by our panel of celebrity judges.
Celebrity judging begins February 14th 2010.
The winners will be announced on March 1st

For more information about Hunger Bytes go here.

One Of Last Year's Top Videos

Add a Hunger Counter Widget to Your Site!

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0000

I previously posted about the World Food Programme's A Billion For A Billion here, trying to inspire the billion people online to help the billion people that are hungry in the world. Now, you can help by having one of these counters below on your site to help raise awareness. Just go here to grab them.

Emergency Blankets Made From Recycled Bottles

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:09:00 +0000

Volunteers at the Taiwanese recycling center of the Tzu Chi Foundation are transforming discarded plastic bottles into soft blue polyester blankets.

Recycling has evolved into a venerable practice in this part of the world. You could see people submitting willingly to some most rigorous recycling rules here. Just recently the mostly retired volunteers at Tzu Chi fabricated 60,000 blankets while disintegrating plastic into crumbs and later donating it to the survivors of Typhoon Morakot.

Via: The Guardian

Tck Tck Tck - The World Is Ready For Climate Action

noreply@blogger.com (symposio) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:14:00 +0000

Tck Tck Tck is a global alliance of civil society organizations, trade unions and individuals calling for a fair, ambitious and binding climate change agreement at the international meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The TckTckTck site uses the Open Campaign, where organizations or individuals can take the branding and toolset, for use in their campaigns to educate and encourage their supporters to demand action on a climate change agreement.

Partners of Tck Tck Tck range from some of the largest civil society organizations in the world, including the World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam, and Amnesty International, to individual, local, and national partners, like Presencia Ciudadana Mexicana. It brings together faith groups, like the World Council of Churches, anti-poverty groups, like the Global Campaign Against Poverty, and science organizations, like the Union of Concerned Scientists.