By Megan McWilliams •
August 18, 2008
If a woman hauls water for 4 hours a day, her chances of escaping poverty are low.
The cost of change: 15 cents. According to E+Co website
This is an image of Wind Water for Life program, helping to revitalize abanonded wind turbines for water pumps in Senegal to serve over 50 communities, improving water supply and quality to almost 30,000 people. This and projects like it throughout the developing countries of the world, are supported in part by E+Co, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering local groups to create safe, clean energy sources for their communities.
I’ve had the joy of meeting the powerhouse founder and CEO of E+Co, Phil LaRocco. Formerly Director of World Trade and Economic Development for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he oversaw the NY World Trade Center and a network of international offices, Mr. LaRocco has used his background to pioneer an enterprise-centered model for clean energy implementation. He has made over ninety investments in energy enterprises in over thirty developing countries.
By Zachary Shahan •
July 6, 2008
It is one of the least discussed issues when we discuss solutions to the environmental crisis. It is not whether or not the food is organic or sprayed with synthetic chemicals, or whether or not it is grown locally. The underdiscussed issue is the importance of a vegetarian diet for addressing critical environmental issues.
As Albert Einstein said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
The big issue today is global climate change. It is likely to dwarf any environmental issues we faced in the past. As reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization:
[T]he livestock sector is a major stressor on many ecosystems and on the planet as a whole. Globally it is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases…. It currently amounts to about 18 percent of the global warming effect — an even larger contribution than the transportation sector worldwide.
This is a critical issue. This is more critical than our power plants, our industries, the energy efficiency of our homes and appliances, or even transportation.
