1 CommentThe Decline of Violence
It’s great to see a hardcore optimist using hard data to prove that humanity is entering decreasingly violent times.
$100 in Kiva Gift Certificates Up For Grabs
Sorry for the delay in posting - work has been quite busy. To make it up to you I’m giving out four $25 Kiva gift certificates to the first four people to claim them in a comment on this post. It’s basically $25 you can do what you want with, but I hope you will lend them out at least once before you choose to withdraw the money for yourself.
For those of you unfamiliar with Kiva, it’s a way to invest in an entrepreneur in a developing country. There’s a 97% likelihood they’ll pay you back, which is really great. When the entrepreneur pays you back, you can withdraw your money or re-lend it to another entrepreneur - whatever you want! Here’s a quick clip on Kiva for those interested:
A Blip in the Stream of Introspection
I could watch these talks on my last day to live & consider it time well spent - two more brilliant TED presentations:
1) UK astronomer, Sir Martin Rees - takes us from the big bang through 600 million years in the future of evolutionary life on Earth with creatures that are as different from us as we are from bacteria.
2) Robert Wright - on the acceleration of technological evolution as launched on the same trajectory as human evolution - discussed in the context of world peace & moral introspection.
Cheaper Space Flight and Curing Cancer
Entrepreneurial idea that hit me like a rock during this morning’s meditation. Recorded in under 5 minutes, seems like a solid way to motivate advancements in science, medicine, and technology. Feedback & critique appreciated!
My Speech as President (Preliminary)
This podcast shares an entrepreneurial idea that will revolutionize the world of politics by exposing the world’s most brilliant speakers on any given topic and empowering everyone to contribute meaningfully in a truly democratic system.
The podcast itself is preliminary and not intended for public adoption. I go deeper into theory than the general public would care to hear, and plan to release a video-cast in the future with the objective of inciting massive public demand.
First few minutes are informative and background - the meat of the idea comes middle to end. Feedback & critique appreciated!
Becoming a Sustainable Global Citizen - Part III
I hadn’t planned on a 3rd part to this series, but a team of U.N. researchers revealed an option within anyone’s power that has a bigger impact than switching to a hybrid Toyota Prius. Here are the highlights:
- the emissions generated by feeding, transporting, & slaughtering livestock exceeds that of all the world’s transportation combined
- animal agriculture takes up 70% of all agricultural land, 30% of the total land surface of the planet
- animal agriculture accounts for 37% of our methane emissions and a whopping 65% of our nitrous oxide, with 23 and 296 times more warming power than carbon dioxide, respectively
I quit red meat long ago, but with this I’m going the rest of the way. Thanks, Ted, for the article.
Becoming a Sustainable Global Citizen - Part II
Last month I committed to adopting a 1:1 sustainable lifestyle after learning it would take 2.3 planets to survive if everyone lived like me. I dug around for a while and am ready to share some findings with you.
I started with a book called “Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century“. Turns out this is one of those phenomenal books you wish everyone you know has read. (more on this in an upcoming post!)
Long story short, tracking your ecological footprint is harder than I expected, but I’ve come up with a few things that I’m pretty sure will put me at or below at 1:1 sustainability ratio.
First up, now that I’ve graduated it’s time to think about where to make a living. I used to think urban areas were rough on the environment, but it turns out their large infrastructures are way more efficient than suburbs on a per-person basis. Combine this with my fate to work at Google and my primary choices are San Francisco, Ann Arbor, and perhaps Dubai at some point in the future.
Second, living in an urban environment is possible without a car. In Ann Arbor it was natural to drive less than 10 minutes per week (only to shop at Trader Joe’s). I could walk anywhere. Back in the suburbs of Oakland County with my parents for a couple weeks, I drive at least 2-3 hours/week just from day-to-day activity, and I actually do less. Places are simply much farther apart. Put 2 and 2 together, & I’d like to live in a city where I can live without a car.
Third, I used to always gravitate towards the most foreign\exotic foods whenever I’d get groceries or eat out. If a fish was caught in Alaska, or a pomegranate imported from Europe, the sheer novelty of global commodities made them more desirable than local stuff. I never considered the energy required to ship that fruit overseas so I could eat it. Now, I choose local options whenever the opportunity presents itself.
It’d be fun to cut down on some massive need-more-stuff-mindset purchasing craze that I have, but I already buy pretty much nothing and am content with just my go board, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, a fat cat, and some internet access… Not much else to cut out.
Becoming a Sustainable Global Citizen
If everyone lived like me, we would need 2.3 planets. This is according to myfootprint.org, a site that estimates the sustainability of your lifestyle. Requiring 10 acres of biologically productive land to sustain my lifestyle, I come in under the U.S. average of 24. Worldwide, however, there are only 4.5 acres of biologically productive land available per person.
Whenever I discover vital information I wish the whole world would know I post it on my blog. As individuals we have two primary ways to make a difference 1) through our own actions 2) through empowering others with information we’ve acquired. I don’t know about you, but I find this knowledge difficult to ignore. I’ve committed to reducing my footprint to a 1:1 sustainable ratio by the end of the year. I haven’t yet figured out the details, but I will be sure to share what I learn. I hope someone will join me. For those interested, I’ve found a promising place to start…
Charity 2.0 - The Smart Way to Give
I’ve never been big on donating to charities. In part because paying my own tuition and rent hasn’t left me with much, but primarily because I was skeptical my money would go where it needed to and be spent in the best possible way. Give me full assurance that 100% of it goes to where it’s needed, throw in a 97% chance I’ll get my money back in the future, and now you’ve got my attention.
Welcome to Charity 2.0 - codenamed Kiva. It’s a non-profit website that connects you with entrepreneurs seeking loans in developing countries. Lending as little as $25, you and other lenders join forces to make possible some great small businesses. As a college student (for one more month) I’m not exactly swimming in money. Regardless, in less than 10 minutes I helped buy an ultrasound machine for a medical clinic in Kenya and helped found a family clothing company in Uganda. Not bragging, just trying to give you a taste of the kind of great options at your fingertips as you read this.
Kiva combines the microfinance charity model with a network of prescreening partners, making the likelihood of your full repayment around 97%. Consider the flaws of previous donations to charity. Now consider 100% of your money going directly to those in need and a 97% chance you’ll get your money back. Kiva revolutionizes the notion of charity in no small way.
I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to hearing about the success of these investments, getting my money back, and re-lending it to more interesting projects in the future. If you think you could survive with $25 less to make a gift you can keep on giving, you might consider doing the same. It couldn’t hurt to at least check out the options.
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