Earn Reward Points by Recycling!
27 April 2008 11:50 AM Filed in: Green Living
By Kat Vaughan
Thanks to RecycleBank, you can now do good by reducing your eco-footprint and leave some cash in your pocket. RecycleBank provides homes with a free container to dispose of recyclables. The containers have an RFID chip (radio frequency identification chip) and when picked up, the RFID chip is read, the information sent back to RecycleBank, and then converted to reward points. These points are accrued and then redeemable at Whole Foods, Starbucks and hundreds of other stores. You can keep track of your points on RecycleBank's website.
The service is free for all homeowners; the company generates its revenues by receiving a percentage of money cities save by producing less landfill waste. This enterprising business idea is currently operating in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and will eventually be taken nationally and internationally.
Thanks to RecycleBank, you can now do good by reducing your eco-footprint and leave some cash in your pocket. RecycleBank provides homes with a free container to dispose of recyclables. The containers have an RFID chip (radio frequency identification chip) and when picked up, the RFID chip is read, the information sent back to RecycleBank, and then converted to reward points. These points are accrued and then redeemable at Whole Foods, Starbucks and hundreds of other stores. You can keep track of your points on RecycleBank's website.
The service is free for all homeowners; the company generates its revenues by receiving a percentage of money cities save by producing less landfill waste. This enterprising business idea is currently operating in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and will eventually be taken nationally and internationally.
What are your thoughts about this? I really like reducing the landfill but I am not crazy about the RFID chip. Nothing is private anymore.
|
Waste Recycled for Energy
24 April 2008 05:48 PM Filed in: Alternative Energy
By Kat Vaughan
Where poverty exists one can usually find water contamination and diseases attributed to refuse and extended use of open fire stoves. Now, through biogas, the simple process of anaerobic digestion (without oxygen), energy is created through human waste, animal waste, and/or kitchen garbage. Just think about it - your waste can be used for energy! In the developing world, this is really novel; clean the communities of its refuse while extending life and giving energy!
AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group) is currently designing a small-scale biodigester in Guatemala. They are processing pig waste into fuel that can be used like natural gas, propane or fertilizer. This type of processing helps to keep animal waste out of water for drinking and provides an alternative to wood burning.
Around the world, this new form of energy creation is being used for the poor. Environmentally and cost effective, biogas also decreases respiratory and eye illnesses, often the result of using open wood fires year after year.
Now, why can't we fund this type of development instead of senseless wars, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund?
Where poverty exists one can usually find water contamination and diseases attributed to refuse and extended use of open fire stoves. Now, through biogas, the simple process of anaerobic digestion (without oxygen), energy is created through human waste, animal waste, and/or kitchen garbage. Just think about it - your waste can be used for energy! In the developing world, this is really novel; clean the communities of its refuse while extending life and giving energy!
AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group) is currently designing a small-scale biodigester in Guatemala. They are processing pig waste into fuel that can be used like natural gas, propane or fertilizer. This type of processing helps to keep animal waste out of water for drinking and provides an alternative to wood burning.
Around the world, this new form of energy creation is being used for the poor. Environmentally and cost effective, biogas also decreases respiratory and eye illnesses, often the result of using open wood fires year after year.
Now, why can't we fund this type of development instead of senseless wars, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund?
Love Makes Life Better for All
13 April 2008 07:47 AM Filed in: Love
By Kat Vaughan
In an ideal world, there would be no poverty, hatred, mean-spiritedness, diseases, wars, sickness, murder, abuse, and other challenges. But we live in a fallen world, an imperfect world, beginning in heart of natural man. When I think of changing the world, one life at a time, I know it begins with love. God is love. Love manifested meets needs, one person at a time. If all of humanity had the love of God residing in their hearts, what a difference our world would be. We are created for good works and to achieve this end, He has set boundaries for us. Whether we choose to abide in His love or not, our actions always have a ripple effect, impacting our own lives and those around us.
It is the callousness of the heart, a rejection of love, that leads to all sorts of evil deeds, including greed, wars, division, slander, and all that is in opposition to God. Evil is not "out there"; it begins with our own hearts. We need the love of God to transform and renew us; only then can we make life better for all.
Let's make the world better through love, by serving, giving and laying down our lives for others. There is no greater love than one who lays down his life for his friend. Indeed, we love because He first loved us.
In an ideal world, there would be no poverty, hatred, mean-spiritedness, diseases, wars, sickness, murder, abuse, and other challenges. But we live in a fallen world, an imperfect world, beginning in heart of natural man. When I think of changing the world, one life at a time, I know it begins with love. God is love. Love manifested meets needs, one person at a time. If all of humanity had the love of God residing in their hearts, what a difference our world would be. We are created for good works and to achieve this end, He has set boundaries for us. Whether we choose to abide in His love or not, our actions always have a ripple effect, impacting our own lives and those around us.
It is the callousness of the heart, a rejection of love, that leads to all sorts of evil deeds, including greed, wars, division, slander, and all that is in opposition to God. Evil is not "out there"; it begins with our own hearts. We need the love of God to transform and renew us; only then can we make life better for all.
Let's make the world better through love, by serving, giving and laying down our lives for others. There is no greater love than one who lays down his life for his friend. Indeed, we love because He first loved us.