Jeremy’s Little Corner Of The Web…

Tonight I finally took the plunge and contributed to some Kiva loans. I inherited some money from my late grandmother, but was at a loss of how to put that money to good use…

I saw Mike's Kiva Challenge, and figured now was as good a time as any to do something with the money. So, I invested A$650 tonight on 6 people across Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Kenya and Samoa. (Kiva Portfolio) If all goes well I'll put more into Kiva over the next few months.

So, who's next? A loan as small as US$25 to one of these entrepreneurs will make a huge impact on their lives… all it takes is a few minutes and a credit card.

Gabi mentioned a quote last week that resonates with me. It was said by Chief Seattle more than 150 years ago, but is still incredibly poignant today:

"Teach your children what we have taught ours, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."

(Source)

Definitely something everyone should consider in their actions these days.

I read a very intersting speech by Suketu Mehta given at the Acumen Fund Investor Gathering last year. He speaks about Bombay and how the people reach out to others, irrespective of race, religion or caste (it's a long quote, but a goodie):

If you are late for work in the morning in Bombay, and you reach the station just as the train is leaving the platform, you can run up to the packed compartments and you will find many hands stretching out to grab you on board, unfolding outwards from the train like petals. As you run alongside the train, you will be picked up and some tiny space will be made for your feet on the edge of the compartment. The rest is up to you; you will probably have to hang on with your fingertips on the door frame, being careful not to lean out too far lest you get decapitated by a pole placed too close to the tracks. But consider what has happened: your fellow-passengers, already packed tighter than cattle are legally allowed to be, their shirts already drenched in sweat in the badly ventilated compartment, having stood like this for hours, retain an empathy for you, know that your boss might yell at you or cut your pay if you miss this train, and will make space where none exists to take one more person with them. And at the moment of contact, they do not know if the hand that is reaching for theirs belongs to a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Brahmin or untouchable, or whether you were born in this city or arrived only this morning, or whether you live in Malabar Hill or Jogeshwari, whether you’re from Bombay or Mumbai or New York. All they know is that you’re trying to get to work in the city of gold, and that’s enough. Come on board, they say. We’ll adjust.

Thought I spent only a week in Mumbai, something in that resonated with me.

Suketu Mehta then drew parallels between the people on the trains and the work the Acumen Fund is doing by reaching out and giving a helping hand to the poor through its social entrepreneurship initiatives. It's great, inspiring stuff.

(Read the full speech here.)

My good friend Rob left on Saturday to work in Singapore for two years. We're going to miss you!!!

However, much to my surprise, on his third night in Singapore he's eating cheese on toast!!!

(Georgia voice) Robert! Get out and take advantage of the great food out there!

I read an interesting article on the SMH Science Blog today, discussing the additional cost of using GreenPower in Australia (renewable energy):

To specify 100 per cent Greenpower adds on average $300 a year to your household bill. It's only a relatively small additional cost (and, I reckon, well worth paying) but the important thing is the principle.

Why should people who want to do the right thing have to pay more? Why shouldn't those who buy coal-fired electricity not have to pay a premium?

Or to put it another way, I can save myself $6 a week simply by opting to trash the planet.

As I said … surreal.

Have you opted for Greenpower? Do you object to paying more for doing the right thing?

(Source)

The author, Nick Galvin, raises an interesting point. Why should a consumer acting responsibly have to pay more for renewable energy? I'm sure generating renewable energy costs more… if you only consider the financial costs. What about the social and environmental costs of generating the energy?

Here's a thought. Why don't we have a carbon emissions trading system for energy production? If energy is produced from greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels, the energy producers would pay for the amount of greenhouse gases produced. (A tax, essentially.) This cost is then passed onto the consumer, which would result in the cost of fossil fuel energy increasing. Of course, energy from renewable resources would be a lot "cheaper", reflecting the real cost of generating the energy in financial and environmental terms.

Consumers and energy companies would hate it in the short-term. In time, people will shift over to renewable energies, providing greater revenue and incentives for the energy companies to invest in renewable technologies (driving the cost down further).

Unfortunately, I lack faith in the current federal and state governments to take such a drastic move and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, our politicians prefer to just talk about it and quibble with each other. Is there room for an NGO to come in here and change the situation?

(FYI, I don't have 100% GreenPower at the moment, but will be switching over soon.)