I don’t have too many unused electronics kicking around but I definitely have a few, like my “old” cell phone. It’s actually less than 4 years old but has become obsolete – doesn’t hold a charge and the company no longer makes replacement batteries for this oh-so-outdated model. The sales rep who sold me my new phone suggested I place the old one in their collection bin to be donated to women who are escaping domestic abuse situations. My thought on that was what good is giving a phone that doesn’t work to someone in a dangerous situation? So the phone is sitting in a bag with all its outdated, unusable parts. There are several reputable e-waste recycling programs popping up making it easier to get electronics... [Read more]

Tom over at The 501(c) Files sent over a meme about the upcoming federal rebates with a couple of interesting questions: If you could do whatever you wanted, how would YOU spend your $600? Is that the same or different from how you actually plan spend it? If I could do anything I wanted to do with an extra $600, there are two places I would put it. First, I’d give to at least a portion of it to Green For All. This is one of the most important initiatives in the US right now with its mission to help build a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Donations to Green For All are matched dollar for dollar by an extraordinary $1 million Challenge Grant so every dollar donated goes twice as far towards the Green For All... [Read more]

Ecotourism is big business but one that is not always as green as it may seem. Real ecotourism isn’t just about visiting beautiful natural places – it is much more complex and affects ecology, economy and cultural aspects of the tourist destinations. One of the pioneers of responsible tourism has just been recognized by the Municipality of Puerto Ayora (the biggest town in the Galapagos Islands) for commitment to the preservation and conservation of the Galapagos archipelago and commitment to the welfare of the Galapagos community. Sven Lindblad, of Lindblad Expeditions, received the conservation award this week and announced a new initiative to further the sustainable commitment of his ecotourism business. Linblad Expeditions has... [Read more]

If you are thinking about law school, Harvard has just announced an incentive that might make it more feasible. The Harvard Law School will waive tuition for third year students who work in the public-interest for nonprofits or the government for five years, according to the New York Times. The initiative is meant to encourage students to pursue work that isn’t just about making the money to pay back big student loans. The Times reported that, in recent years, only about 10-12% of Harvard Law graduates in recent years went to work for a nonprofit or the government, opting instead to join law firms where income was in the six figures – understandable considering that law students can leave Harvard with student debt also in the six... [Read more]

An article in GreenBiz news today warns that the Bear Stearns Crisis Could Curb Clean Tech Growth, an industry sector that has been experiencing an investment boom and been on a steady, fast increase. Near the end of 2007, clean tech venture investment hit $2.6 billion up from $590 million in 2000 and with an increase of individual deals from 63 in 2000 to over 160 in 2007. The ever-expanding credit crisis in the US is rippling through the global economy and GreenBiz reported that “As share prices around the world continued to fall sharply in the wake of the weekend collapse of U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns, experts on Monday warned that clean tech projects could soon find it significantly harder to raise project financing as a result.” However,... [Read more]