Donate $100 of Somebody Else’s Money to Green & Humanitarian Causes

It would be great if we could all afford to regularly give money to organizations that promote green causes. Unfortunately, many of us just aren’t able to donate much due to our own budgetary limitations. Luckily for us, sometimes those people who have plenty of cash to spare are willing to pony up for the rest of us in exchange for some non-monetary effort of our own. That’s what the Hinkle Charitable Foundation (HCF) is willing to donate $100 to the Solar Electric Light Fund for every person who reads three primers on energy usage and makes a commitment to change.

From TheHCF.org:

To encourage each reader to become an agent against global warming, we are again issuing a challenge. For each person who reads these three primers and commits to pursue them, we will make a $100 donation in his or her name to the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF). SELF is a truly worthy non-profit organization that simultaneously fights global poverty and climate change. SELF’s primary mission is to install local solar electric power generators in rural third-world areas. In many instances, SELF’s installations are directed to education, health and irrigation facilities and can include joint ventures, where local participants invest in a portion of the project. Providing solar electric power to remote, off-grid people frees them from the unpalatable alternatives of either using kerosene-generated power (which is both bodily and environmental dangerous) or living with no electricity, no lights, no irrigation possibilities, and no connection to the outside world.

As with last year’s challenge, to accept the challenge below, you only need to send us an email. Tell us you will commit yourself (on the honor system) to move forward toward more climate-friendly living and that you’ll try to complete the steps below. The $100 contributions to SELF will be limited to the first 1,000 responders.

The three primers are on compact fluorescent lights, tankless water heaters and reducing idling. It’s one of very few changes you’ll ever get to have that much money donated on your behalf without having to spend a dime of your own, so take it now!

Link [TheHCF.org] via [The Action Blog]

Help No Impact Man Fight Global Warming

Colin Beaven, also known as No Impact Man, aims to make an impact that will help the planet: he’s meeting with his representative to push a plan for an effective global warming mitigation policy and he needs your help. All you have to do is cut and paste the text he’s written into an email and send it to him so he can serve them all up to Representative Nadler. It will only take a minute of your time, and you might just win a copy of Morgan Spurlock’s ‘What Would Jesus Buy’ DVD.

Colin explains the policy he’s urging:

• Introduce, as soon as possible, a non-binding resolution to the House of Representatives asserting that we need a climate change mitigation policy with a goal of no more than 350 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide (read why here). Furthermore, the resolution should say that the United States must collaborate with the international community to achieve an effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol that will achieve the 350 goal or better (depending on how the science progresses).
• Pledge to support the 1sky.org policy platform that also includes creating five million green jobs (through, for example, weatherizing our buildings and manufacturing solar panels and windmills), and placing a moratorium on the building of new coal power plants.
• Pass on to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter addressed jointly to her and Representative Nadler, in his position as Assistant Whip, asking them both to push for the introduction of new and the strengthening of currently pending climate change legislation to reflect the crucial 350 goal. This means, at the very least, aiming for an 80% reduction in climate emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 and a 25% reduction by 2020.

Help him reach his goal of 3,500 emails! Visit No Impact Man for more information, and be sure to pass this post along to your friends to get them to send one, too.

Link [No Impact Man] via [Treehugger]

Sierra Club Seeking National Online Organizer to Fight Coal Industry

Down with the coal industry! The Sierra Club has posted a job announcement seeking someone who can take over the efforts to fight the coal industry and push clean renewable energy in the U.S. Let’s help them find a good candidate for this important job! Here are the details – spread it around and email it to anyone you know who might be interested.

The Sierra Club, the nation’s largest grassroots environmental group has launched a nationwide campaign to stop the construction of new coal plants and end destructive mining practices in Appalachia. The campaign is part of the overall strategy to move the United States beyond coal and slash global warming pollution. Organizers or campaigners of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply for this full-time, paid position.

From the Sierra Club:

The National Coal Campaign online organizer will work alongside our top campaigners to stop the coal rush by fighting individual power plants, stopping mountain-top removal, and speeding up the deployment of clean and renewable energy sources across the US.

To apply, email natalie.foster -at- sierraclub =d0t= org with “Coal Online Organizer application” in the subject line. This position is geo-flex, full-time, and includes a competitive salary and full benefits.

Key skills we’re looking for:

- An organizer at heart. You should be eager to empower and engage others in the democratic process and work well with all types of people.

- Passionate about protecting the planet by building grassroots power. Saving the world is your life, not just your job.

- Calm under fire. When the Kansas legislature reverses the veto of Governor Sebelius to stop a coal-fired power plant, you quickly, strategically and coolly swing into gear.

- Leadership experience. You start projects, rally people, inspire others.

- Excellent writing skills. Your writing should be sharp, personable, and hard-hitting.

- Strong self-starter, entrepreneurial. You don’t need someone to tell you what to do.

- Willing to do what it takes to make a project come off. Low ego, high focus on getting stuff done.

- Hard worker, can do flexible hours and manage your time independently. You know that changing the country doesn’t always happen between 9 and 5.

- At ease with technology. You don’t have to know HTML, but you should know what HTML is.

Link [Sierra Club]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Carrotmob: Harnessing People’s Dollars To Drive Businesses Green

The Carrotmob is one of the coolest green ideas I’ve heard in a long time. Founder Brent Schulkin has pulled together an amazing concept- organized groups of people channeling their spending power on one specific day to give incentive to companies to green up their operations. The first campaign they are doing is a buyout of K&D Market, a liquor store in San Francisco. All the Carrotmobbers will be showing up on Saturday, March 29th to spend a lot of money on booze. The store won a bidding war by pledging to kick 22% of the revenue generated by the Carrotmob towards greening up their operation, specifically energy saving measures recommended by SF Energy Watch.

If you’re in the Bay Area this weekend you can take part by swinging over to K&D Market to buy a bottle or three. Bring cash.

We’ll be watching Brent and his Carrotmob; it’s a great concept that could take off everywhere. Definitely Pure Awesome.

Link [Carrotmob] via [Boing Boing]