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Give a Loan for Christmas

December 2, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

  Kiva
Kiva.org is a micro-lending website that enables ordinary people to make small loans to poor people around the world who are trying to develop a sustainable business and break out of poverty.  I love Kiva because it proves you don’t need millions of dollars to make a difference.  I joined Kiva 3 years ago with $25 bucks in my account.  That $25 bucks, along with money from about 20 other Kiva lenders, financed a $600 loan for material to Mutluba Azizova, a seamstress in Gafurov, Tajikistan. 
 
Kiva is a person-to-person micro-lending website; you log on to kiva.org, read the profiles of thousands of budding entrepreneurs throughout the world, and pick the exact person and business you would like to support.  Lenders (you and me) then receive email updates and notice when the loan is repaid. 
 
Most of Kiva’s entrepreneurs are women working to support their families and make a better life.  To date Kiva lenders have loaned nearly 50 million dollars in 42 countries around the world and boasts an astounding 98% loan repayment rate!  Kiva.org also features microfinance information, lending teams, and even maps (that’s how I know Tajikistan is North of Afghanistan).   Check out Kiva.org and read the stories of amazing women who are changing the world.  Women we can help. 
 
Kiva is offering gift certificates to “give someone the power to change lives”.  Green in so many ways, this is a gift that really does keep on giving! 
  
Tuesday’s Oprah show included information about microloans, and other ways to help millions of girls and women around the world.  Check out the amazing “The Girl Effect” video.
 
And here’s the article that lead me to Kiva after hearing an npr report on microlending.
 
 

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The Plastiki: Sailing the Green Seas

November 18, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

plastikiYesterday my husband casually mentioned reading an article about a boat made of recycled plastic.  It was very nonchalant and he continued on talking about his day.  Hello, stop right there, I said!  Someone has paired sailing with a green experiment?  If you know me, you know I am sailing on cloud nine right now!  For those of you that don’t know me, let me just break it down for you:  I love being on the water and dream to have my own sailboat someday!  Ok, back to the article at hand.

David de Rothschild, a 31-year-old eco-celebrity, plans to set sail on a recycled sailboat next month.  The 60-foot catamaran boasts such eco-savers as energy bikes, solar panels and a hydroponic garden.  David and his crew will embark on their 11,000 mile eco-voyage starting at the Golden Gate Bridge and finishing at Sydney Harbour in Australia.

Why all this hub-bub?  To raise awareness about the usage of plastic and our environment.  According to theplastiki.com there are 2 million plastic bottles used every 5 minutes.  Our total waste in the U.S. is about 230 million tons and less than one-quarter of that is recycled.  Makes me want to build my own sailboat!

The verdict:  I think I have an eco-crush.  ;)

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Nye Knows Cows With No Teeth

November 13, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

billne2My latest geeky green fav?  “Stuff Happens” with Bill Nye on Planet Green, a Discovery channel.  Yes, that Bill Nye, the Science Guy from our childhood.  He’s still a science guy, but it’s green science now.

His show, “Stuff Happens” features the tag line, “Unlock the secret lives of everyday things before and after we consume them.”  He covers really complicated, intricate processes but breaks them down in terms a kid (or in my case, a 32 year-old) can easily understand.  Whereas it’s easy to assume products appear and disappear by magic, Nye shows you step by environmental step where it came from, where it’s going, and the effect it’s having on our world.  Nye also offers great green alternatives with snazzy graphics to boot!

It’s an absolutely fascinating TV show and Nye still has that borderline crazy, manic manner that makes watching him so entertaining.  I love this show, my favorite episode links aluminum foil to the toothless grins of cattle.  Intriguing, yes?

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Green U Review

September 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Little Green Bits checks out Green U!

Green U collage

Despite the wet weather, crowds still turned out for Green U, “a festival for the environment”, held at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Saturday, September 26th.  The event featured kids activities, tons of displays and info booths, demonstrations, and a talk by Gorgeously Green author Sofia Uliano.  Little Green Bits was on hand, and yes we were drenched, but it was worth it!  Read on to hear the highlights and our favorite discoveries. 
Read more…

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