The [Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica], located due south of the tip of South America, is currently hanging on by a rapidly diminishing 25-mile wide strip of ice which has narrowed to 1,640 feet at its narrowest point.
Another victim of climate change, the shelf was more than 62 miles wide as recently as 1950 and covered 6,000 square miles, or slightly larger than the U.S. state of Connecticut. As it breaks up, and pieces break free, the sea around the Shelf is fraught with icebergs as big as football fields.
In its demise, Wilkins follows in the footsteps of nine other shelves which have gone the same route in the past half-century; the three sections of Filchner (1986), the Larsen A (1995), several portions of the Ross A (2000), the Larsen B (2002), the Ayles (2005), and the Markham (2008). In total, Antarctic ice loss since 1950 exceeds 9,652 square miles, an area the size of Vermont, changing the face of a continent which has endured, intact (prior to the advent of the Industrial Revolution) for at least 10,000 years.
From Iqbal Quadir’s opinion piece in the WSJ: Foreign Aid and Bad Government
Barack Obama has talked a lot about changing the way America relates to the world, and few areas are as ripe for reform as our policies on foreign aid. They have contributed to economic stagnation in poor countries and deprived America of large export markets. Entrepreneurship, not aid, is essential to rejuvenate markets in the developing world and, in turn, help America prosper.
During the Cold War, the U.S. instituted a policy of sending money to governments in poor countries to buy their political loyalty. While studies show that sending aid to foreign governments creates allegiance, it does not lead to economic progress. Instead, it makes governments in poor countries dependent on the U.S. rather than their citizens’ taxes.
Extended Call for Applications: AIDG is Sponsoring a Business Plan Competition to Promote Biogas Development in Northern Haiti
US$50,000 in grants and early-stage financing is available for the winning proposal.
Boston, 12/30/08 – The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG), a technology R&D and small business development non-profit, is calling for innovative and dynamic ideas for its 1st business plan competition in Northern Haiti, KonKou Biznis Ayiti. The purpose of the competition is to help smart and passionate Haitian entrepreneurs solve some of the most pressing issues facing Haiti today.
This year’s contest focuses on biogas, a form of renewable energy that can hold an important place in the sustainable development of Haiti. This methane-rich carbon neutral biofuel can be substituted for charcoal, propane, kerosene and other combustible fuels for the purposes of cooking, heating or even electricity generation. The by-product of its production is a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer that can significantly increase yields of certain crops.
The team with the most promising idea for commercializing biogas in Northern Haiti will receive US$50,000 in grants and early-stage business financing for implementation over 2 years. In addition to the cash awards, the winning team with receive technical training on a number of biogas systems as well as training on the best practices of enterprise management.
Applications are accepted until March 6th. Five finalists will be announced March 16th and will compete in Cap Haitien for the grand prize March 29 - April 4.
To learn more about the business plan competition or to apply, visit http://konkoubiznisayiti.com/
Key Contest Dates
* March 6, 2009: Deadline for submission of all business plans (5PM EST).
* March 16, 2009: 5 Finalists announced.
* March 29 - April 4, 2009: Finalists compete in Cap Haitien, Haiti for the grand prize.
* April 14, 2009: Winner/winning team announced.
As the global economy has cratered, and prices for a vast array of commodities have suddenly gone from boom to bust, so too has the global market for recycled paper and plastic retreated with astonishing haste. This is in large part due to China’s drastically diminished appetite for waste materials that can be reprocessed into packaging materials for its massive export machine. A collapse in exports translates into reduced demand for packaging which suddenly means no more hunger for shredded water bottles.
AIDG biogas intern, James Duncan recently wrote up a great guide on how to start up small-scale biodigesters. The guide includes information on how to start up and idle your simple biodigester, the effects of temperature, the role of nutrients and a few basic troubleshooting tips.
In the rush to build the next generation of hybrid or electric cars, a sobering fact confronts both automakers and governments seeking to lower their reliance on foreign oil: almost half of the world’s lithium, the mineral needed to power the vehicles, is found here in Bolivia — a country that may not be willing to surrender it so easily.
This is a very interesting problem, especially for people concerned about indigenous rights:
For now, the government talks of closely controlling the lithium and keeping foreigners at bay. Adding to the pressure, indigenous groups here in the remote salt desert where the mineral lies are pushing for a share in the eventual bounty.
“We know that Bolivia can become the Saudi Arabia of lithium,” said Francisco Quisbert, 64, the leader of Frutcas, a group of salt gatherers and quinoa farmers on the edge of Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. “We are poor, but we are not stupid peasants. The lithium may be Bolivia’s, but it is also our property.”
It’s times like these when I wonder when landfill mining will become en vogue.
I was walking down the street in NYC when I came across a sign like this one from Ready.gov saying that “At least one in four businesses never reopen [sic] after a natural disaster”.
This got me thinking not only about business closures due to natural disasters in developing countries, but also about businesses that never get opened in the first place. With this on my mind, I was very disappointed to learn to Google.org is “putting [its] SME initiative on the backburner” in 2009.
We still strongly believe that growing small businesses will help the poor, but one of Google’s ten organizing principles is, “it’s best to do one thing really, really well.” As we evaluated our efforts this past year, it became clear that given Google.org’s unique strengths - including the ability to tap Google engineers to build and link better pathways to information - we could have a greater impact on the lives of the poor by focusing our efforts on Inform and Empower. As a result, we’re putting our SME initiative on the back burner. We’ll continue to support the grants and investments that we’ve already committed under the initiative. We have observed and learned from many others addressing the challenges of financing SMEs — many of whom are seeing significant strong results — and we hope they continue with great success. At this time, however, we will not fund new efforts in the SME space.
Sigh. Well, from the sound of it, at least they will continue to support Believe, Begin, Become.
Snarky note: I find it ironic to hear that one of the Goog’s governing principles is to do one thing and do it well. Hasn’t the search giant just gotten into the cell-phone, cloud computing, and browser business? I’m just saying.
Currently, AIDG is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to apply for a grant writing internship. This position will take place in our international office in Guatemala, but will include working closely with staff and projects in Boston, Guatemala, and Haiti.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP. INTERNS RECEIVE A MONTHLY ROOM AND BOARD STIPEND IN GUATEMALA.
For more information on the offerings of the AIDG Guatemala Intern Program (such as work expectations, life in Guatemala, housing, etc.) visit http://www.aidg.org/education/internships.htm.
Organization: Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG) Title: Grant-writing intern Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Internship Duration: 6-12 months Hours: Approximately 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday with some flexibility Salary: Unpaid, room and board stipend in Guatemala Reports to: Deputy and Executive Director
Internship Description
:
The successful candidate will be required to:
Work remotely with AIDG-Boston staff to formulate grant proposals and collect necessary documents
Work independently in Guatemala on research and writing reports
Act as the grant liason within AIDG staff, as well as some funding agencies and organizations
Develop proposals and supporting documents necessary for current grants as well as new solicitations
Implement and maintain a funding calendar to organize timely research, writing, and submission of proposals, as well as document the organizational or staff requirements needed to fulfill conditions of current and new grants
Support AIDG-Boston in coordinating documents, data, and meetings necessary to maintain current funder relationships and solicit new funding opportunities
This is a full-time position with a minimum commitment of 6 months, with preference given to candidates available for at least 12 months. The position will generally require the applicant to work from 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday (flexibly).
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants interested in this internship should possess the following skills:
Prior experience with grant writing, grant administration and/or fund raising
Exceptional computer skills that include: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.), and database applications.
A technical background or at least a basic understanding of sustainable, appropriate technologies
Spanish or French language skills are desirable, but not required
Prior international experience, particularly in developing countries
Adept research and organizational skills
All candidates should possess strong communication skills, be self-motivated, and willing to work hands-on. AIDG seeks versatile, mature, friendly, independent, and dedicated individuals, who also possess a good sense of humor.
Application Instructions
Qualified applicants should send their cover letter and resume or CV, as well as a writing sample, to internships {at] aidg [dot} org . Please include your potential arrival dates and duration availability.
TED has just announced its 2009 Fellows Program, a new international program designed to foster the spread of great ideas.
Initially 50 individuals, selected for the world-changing potential of their work, will be invited to participate in the TED community each year. At the end of the year, 20 of
these 50 will be selected to be TED Senior Fellows, participating in an extended three-year program which will bring them to six consecutive conferences, along with additional benefits. The principal goal of the program is to empower the Fellows to effectively communicate their work to the TED community and to the world.
The TED Fellows program will focus on attracting applicants living or working in five parts of the globe: the Asia/Pacific region, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East — with consideration given to applicants from the rest of the world. TED will seek remarkable thinkers and doers that have shown unusual accomplishment, exceptional courage, moral imagination and the potential to increase positive change in their respective fields. The program focuses on innovators in technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and the NGO community, among other pursuits.
![Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to Del.icio.us](http://www.aidg.org/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/social_bookmarks/delicious.png "Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to Del.icio.us")
![Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to digg](http://www.aidg.org/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/social_bookmarks/digg.png "Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to digg")
![Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to FURL](http://www.aidg.org/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/social_bookmarks/furl.png "Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to FURL")
![Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to reddit](http://www.aidg.org/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/social_bookmarks/reddit.png "Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to reddit")
![Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to Stumble Upon](http://www.aidg.org/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/social_bookmarks/stumbleupon.png "Add 'Today in We’re Doomed: Wilkins Ice Shelf Hanging on by a Thread [Sky News]' to Stumble Upon")
