New Direction...

Ok so maybe that last entry wasn't so positive. I'd like this blog to be like an after dinner mint...
You read/see/hear the news and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, so you turn to the Posi Posse for a little refreshment...


Let that bad news motivate you, then take on what bothers you with minty fresh breath. I mean -hope. Right, hope... let's stop with the analogies now.


MICHAEL POLLAN recently received a place on Times' 100 Most Influential people (we'll ignore the fact that Sarah Palin, Lady Gaga, and Glenn f'ing Beck are also on there... then again they have influenced me by making my blood boil on many occasion). You know what - forget it, this list is a bunch of garbage. Anything that Glenn Beck touches turns to shit.


I'm having a tough time being positive today, but here we go...



So as most people probably know, many parts of the world are without electricity. It's true, there was once a time when no one had it and life went on... probably quite well, but it is 2010 and there are businesses where there once were none, schools where there once were none (and giving out homework), and so forth and so on... electricity would mean businesses could stay open later, light after the sun goes down means children could study. Electricity is convenient.
Wouldn't it be nice if developing nations had a sustainable, renewable source of energy?
Well it's not just a nice thought, it's a reality through solar energy -


from http://joshweinstein.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/solar-energy-in-the-developing-world/

"Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) is in the process of rolling out a pilot program to distribute solar lanterns to its clients. The purchase is funded through an asset acquisition loan. It costs about $70 USD and the loan cycle is either one or two years. How do solar lanterns serve the triple bottom line? I’m glad you asked.

SunTransfer solar lantern.

When a rural community has no electricity, it does not mean that nighttime means total darkness. Traditional lanterns run on kerosene, which needs to be purchased in large amounts to light a community. In contrast, solar lanterns use the free energy offered by the sun, eliminating the need to purchase kerosene. This saves the user big dollars in the long-run, particularly when the battery for a solar lantern lasts up to 3-4 years. The lanterns distributed by NWTF have three settings: high (2 hours), medium (8 hours), and low (200 hours). Reducing kerosene expenses means lights can be kept on longer. This means the store can stay open longer, the kids can study at night, and businesses are more profitable. The impact on a household and the community at-large is dramatic."

Much of the Philippines - the areas in red - is less than 75% electrified.

as of April 23, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation has begun posting loans for renewable energy products on Kiva (www.kiva.org) who I've mentioned in an earlier post.