Rock the Vote!
November 18th, 2007
Last Friday night my husband and I hosted a fund raising event for Senator John Edwards at our home here in Los Gatos.
The Senator did such an amazing job that quite a few of my Republican friends — including my Republican husband! — have asked me about switching their party affiliations so they can vote for him! (Note the plethora of exclamation points there. This is no small thing, my friends!)
If you feel like now might be the time to switch your party affiliation or you just want to register to vote, check out the League of Women Voters’ Voter Registration Page.
With a quick and easy online tool, you can answer a few simple questions, print out the voter registration form and mail it in to your county registrar. It’s that simple.
Democracy is a big responsibility — make sure your voice gets counted!
UN Report on Climate Change
November 17th, 2007
Just in case you were unconvinced, the NY Times reports that the UN today released the final report of its panel on climate change.
According to the article,
Members of the panel said their review of the data led them to conclude as a group and individually that reductions in greenhouse gases had to start immediately to avert a global climate disaster, which could leave island states submerged and abandoned, African crop yields down by 50 percent, and cause a 5 percent decrease in global gross domestic product.
The panel, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month, said the world would have to reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 to avert those problems and others.
Time to start washing those clothes in cold water!
Beat The Heat and Wash In Cold
November 17th, 2007
Climate scientists estimate the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming. To reach that lofty milestone, each of us will need to focus on the opportunities within our reach today!
The national climate campaign known as C3 (Carbon Conscious Consumers) is challenging each of us to wash 80% of our laundry loads this year — 4 out of 5 loads — in cold water. By doing the majority of your laundry in cold water you’ll cut 72 pounds of CO2 emissions this month alone!
According to their website,
U.S. energy consumption is a major cause of climate change and, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, water heating accounts for approximately 19 percent of total home energy use. Today’s more efficient clothes washers and laundry detergents make it possible to get both white and colored clothes clean in cold water. Unless you are dealing with extradordinarily tough stains, washing in hot water is more likely to clean out your wallet than your apparel.
If you’re willing to take the pledge and tell your friends, register here today. Not only are you helping to save the planet, keep the pledge up for a year and you’ll save more than $60 in energy costs too!
DonorsChoose.org
November 14th, 2007
As a thank you for purchasing some furniture, Crate and Barrel recently sent me a gift certificate for $25 to a group called DonorsChoose.org. Not knowing anything about them, I got online to check them out and was so impressed! Thank you Crate and Barrel!
With a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, DonorsChoose.org provides students in need with resources that public schools often lack.
Here’s how it works: Teachers from schools all over the country can submit project proposals for materials or experiences needed to help their students learn. Concerned individuals, who they call “Citizen Philanthropists,” can choose projects to fund, and once again we are reminded why we thought the Internet was a good idea in the first place.
From their website,
Proposals range from “Magical Math Centers” ($200) to “Big Book Bonanza” ($320), to “Cooking Across the Curriculum” ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.
Whether you fund a whole project or just contribute your small part, whether you choose a school in your own community or reach out across the country to a community far from home, you can make an impact in the educational life of a child.
For more ideas on how to help bring resources to students in struggling classrooms, read more!
One Laptop Per Child: Give One, Get One
October 31st, 2007
If you saw my earlier post on One Laptop Per Child, or have seen any of the hundreds of recent media reports, you know a little about what they do. If not, you can check out this glowing review by David Pogue of the New York Times for a full report:
What began as the “$100 Laptop” has edged up almost 2x in cost, but the idea is basically the same: design an ultra-cheap laptop that uses minimal power with maximum wifi range and put it in the hands of kids around the world.
In connection with the company’s “Give One, Get One” promotion which begins on November 12th, I was privileged several weeks ago to be able to meet with Walter Bender, OLPC’s Chief Operating Officer, to take my own test drive of the tiny laptop with the Apple-esque design.
Here is my take: