Just wow: the Green Schools National Conference

Dear Friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Nov 18th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered about the Green Schools National conference and Youth Summit in Minnesota.
~Apoorva

Disclaimer: The following description cannot possibly do justice to the incredible experience that I experienced. If you have any specific questions on an activity, comment and I’ll respond to the best of my ability.

Adarsha Shivakumar

Will Steger speaking at the conference

Continuing where I left off (or close enough)-I was the last person to arrive at the hotel where everyone was grouped. When I first saw Ethan and company, I was surprised to see high school students who were also seniors.

We knew the days ahead of us would be hectic and hard. We’re talking about meeting up with around a hundred students and teachers from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, and seeking to not just inspire them, but to help them create concrete plans to act upon in the near future.

Our planning went well into the early hours of the morning, and jetlag didn’t really help me get more than 4 hours of sleep. At around 8AM Minnesota time, we went to the local church, which had graciously agreed to host the conference, and set up.

Around 9AM, the conference started. But we didn’t start off like how most conferences start off-with a speech or introduction that either bores or depresses (or some lethal combination of the two) the entire audience, speaker included. Instead, Ethan had planned out an ingenious way to energize everyone-an introduction based off of Awakening the Dreamer.

We started off by using just our feet and hands to create a rainstorm-and it was surprising how loud and realistic the effect was. One hundred people acting in unison can generate a lot of noise.

Continuing onwards, the National Youth Leaders, me included, sang Wavin’ Flag by K’naan, with Ethan on the guitar providing a beat. As we all started to wake up a bit more, Ethan introduced the next activities, which involved everyone in the room moving around and trying to empathize with random strangers.

Ethan then showed a video that really told us what issues, even just environmentally, we-my generation-face. And to be honest, after we watched it, the atmosphere was one of disappointment and resignation. But that was supposed to happen, in a sense. We had to understand the sheer magnitude of the problems that we’re facing-we can’t just tell ourselves that everything is fine, and that the problems are small and easy to overcome.

The truth is that we’re facing the biggest problems humanity has faced so far. But it’s not hopeless. It’s never hopeless. And what we’d do in this conference is show that not only do we have hope, but we also have the willpower to act on that hope. Two great people and great speakers-Phillippe Cousteau and Will Steger-came and spoke to us. They made sure to remind us that the youth held the power to change the world.

After they left, the entire group broke up and focused on different aspects of sustainability and the environment. The students and teachers split among the tables, and all of us went to several tables. After that, everyone rejoined and split up once more, this time into three groups. We were now focused on taking that hope that was starting to build in us and making it into reality.

The groups were led by adult mentors, and focused on three things-how to be an effective leader, how to conduct an effective campaign, and how to fundraise. Each was impressive, with the adult leaders using the projects that students were interested in starting up as examples and models.

But with the combined knowledge of all the lectures, we-the youth-felt more and more confident in creating and working on the projects that had been in our heads.

And so came the culmination of the conference: where each school that had visited, and any individuals, would write up an action plan. A plan that detailed what project they were going to do, a timeline, and the resources they think they’d need. Before this conference, I would’ve guessed that maybe 25% of the people could make an action plan, and fewer still would act on them.

By the end of the conference, every single group had an action plan, and I have no doubts that they will follow through with them. Because at the end of the conference, we all realized the purpose wasn’t really to tell us that we need to change the world, or even to just show us that the youth can change the world.

The purpose of the conference was to give us the foundation and the tools to change the world. It was made possible because people like Ethan and Phillipe Cousteau and Will Steger all believe that the youth will make a difference, and that they can help us accomplish our goals.

Based on any of those criterion, the conference was a tremendous success-and I’m ever thankful to ACE for sending me there.

Clean, cheap transportation – why Minneapolis has it right

Dear Friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Nov 9th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered about his trip to Minnesota conference. Adarsha established new contacts which will help us in future. His next post will be about the conference itself.
~Apoorva

Minneapolis Light Rail

Last Sunday through Tuesday, I represented ACE and attended the 1st Annual Green Schools National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Upon arriving at Minneapolis, the first thing that struck me was the rail system. I live in California, and specifically, the Bay Area. BART is the public transit system, but many people have legitimate gripes with it-it’s rather costly (going from the San Francisco airport to the general area of SF can cost $8), not aesthetically pleasing and often delayed. Perhaps that’s why I found the Minneapolis public transit system to be nothing short of impressive.

The trams themselves are well-designed, with specific vertical racks for bikes that are convenient, and a general openness that makes them more pleasing to ride on. The trams came on time and frequently, which would help explain the large number of people riding them. Stops were placed throughout the city and clearly marked off- I also noted that by putting them literally in the middle of the streets, they were the center of attention, rather than an afterthought.

The most stunning aspect of the Minneapolis public transit system is how cheap it is comparatively. To take me and Emily from the airport to a mere 10 blocks from our hotel cost a grand total of $3.50. This is by far the cheapest fare I’ve payed for traveling the distance we did.

By making mass transit so accessible, so cheap, and rather attractive, Minneapolis is setting a good example of how public transit should be done in this country.

Another example of how Minneapolis is really quite admirable is their system of bikes around the entire city. There are dozens of stations where green bikes (literally green!) are located. You can pay a small rental fee and take the bikes wherever you want in the city and drop them off at any other station. If I remember correctly, the fee was around $5 per month, and $50 per year-a very small amount, especially if a person bikes frequently in the city (and Minneapolis is a bike-friendly city it seems).

The stations are located in convenient locales, like near libraries, gyms, and large buildings. Biking in Minneapolis is also really enjoyable due to the nice weather (which I unfortunately did not experience much of), and the accessibility of bikes definitely results in more of the population taking cleaner forms of transportation.

All in all, even before the actual conference, I was very impressed by Minneapolis. It’s really a city that’s trying, and so far succeeding, in becoming more green, and more energy efficient. Not only that, but the streets are far less congested because of the use of mass transit and bikes. It seems to me that in terms of transportation, Minneapolis is a model city.

More to come on the conference itself…

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Charity vs sustainable development issues in Haiti

Hello readers of the Project Jatropha blog,
My name is Michelle Lacourciere and I am the director of the Sirona Cares Foundation. The SCF uses Jatropha as a tool to empower Haitian farmers giving them the ability to create, use and market Jatropha oil in Haiti. SCF and Project Jatropha’s work share many commonalities, and we are proud of our partnership with them and honored to post on this blog.

Recently a reader here posed questions about Haiti, specifically about the role of NPOs there and the charity vs. sustainable development issue. I’m happy to respond with regard to the SCF role in Haiti. Our primary reason for being in Haiti, and eventually in other countries, is to bring true sustainable development to the poorest people there, the peasant farmers. We are creating an industry with many jobs, and all of the profits from this work will be eventually be controlled by a Haitian for-profit entity, Sirona Haiti and reinvested into the participating communities. Our goal is to create possibility where none exists now, to create a machine that will continue to enhance life in rural Haiti long after we have gone.

It is impossible to work in Haiti and see the condition that our communities suffer in and do nothing to help. Without losing our focus on sustainable development we also work to support those who care for and educate children. This critical advocacy role gives our orphanage and school directors a voice where they had none before. We have successfully linked them to resources supplied by other NPOs and individuals/groups here that wish to help in this area. We do this because we believe that children are the future, and in Haiti the median age is only 20. If we can help support these children and harness the energy of the change-makers who are in their late twenties we will be able to rapidly see change in Haiti. Response to our work has been tremendous, hundreds of farmers have enrolled, and we are well received in their communities because we work both to empower them, and to support their children. We are proud of the model, and excited to have made the progress that we did this year in light of the earthquake and recent cholera epidemic.

Sirona’s name was taken from the Celtic goddess of healing. We see the crippling effects of long-term charity in Haiti on every trip, and we work very hard to reverse them through empowerment and education. Our work uses on the “teach a man to fish” vs. “give a man a fish” philosophy. A SCF blog entry addressing this very issue is found at http://tinyurl.com/2bxe4ec. I hope that this has answered your questions, and again, I respectfully thank the Project Jatropha team for asking me to post here on their blog.

Michelle Lacourciere
The Sirona Cares Foundation
mlacourciere@sironacares.org

Music Speaks 2010: Audition -- [ReChoired: Sounds of Silence]

Good Luck to the Senior Octet of the College Preparatory School: Music Speaks 2010 Audition

Dear Blog Followers,

The YouTube video posted above is from the Senior Octet of our school comprising of Jacob Wilson, Aaron Pang, Mitchell Leoung, Tatianna Rosenblatt, Maya Ramachandran, Karli Anderson, and Nick Spears. They are auditioning for the Charity Competition called Music Speaks 2010 and would like to share this video. Music Speaks is a charity concert to raise money and awareness about Autism. The competing groups also get to choose a charity to donate to, and they have chosen Project Jatropha. We are very grateful for their choice, and wish them the best of luck. Once again, many thanks to the Senior Octet.
From,
Project Jatropha Team

How to green your school from Cali to Minnesota

Dear friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Oct 6th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered. This will be a great opportunity for us to establish new contacts with environmental youth leaders from all over the USA. Good luck Adarsha!
~Apoorva

How to green your school from Cali to Minnesota

October 6th, 2010 by Adarsha

This month, I’ll be representing ACE at the Green Schools National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its goal is to engage high school students and drive them towards making their schools more sustainable.

There is a lineup of some pretty exciting-sounding speakers, including Phillipe Cousteau, the renowned environmental activist who is the voice and face of a lot of environmental education programs delivered online.

One of the programs – the National Youth Summit – focuses as an idea exchange for the youth interested in greening their local schools together and I think that the Green Schools National Conference Leadership Program interests me because I value efforts like this to spur greener schools.

This generation’s youth, through our action or inaction, will have a great impact on social, political, economic, and environmental issues.

It is vital to instill the importance of sustainability and the value of protecting the environment in the youth, who will keep those values and hopefully continue to act on them throughout their lives.

I hope to learn what schools from varying backgrounds can do to help green themselves and the surrounding environments as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to making local institutions more sustainable. By learning the various approaches other students are taking towards sustainable schools and bringing the knowledge I’ve acquired from working with ACE and my own project, I hope to learn about the various paths to sustainability, and help fellow students in their endeavors.

More to come after my trip north and east!

-Adarsha

How Did We Do: Labland Biotechs Perspective and Our Analysis

Dear readers,

As Apoorva wrote, we were excited about the 80 Kg(176.37 lb) seeds that the farmers collected in Thippalapura. However, when we met our Advisory Board members, Dr. Sudheer Shetty and Dr. Geetaa Singh of Labland Biotechs, they were kind of disappointed. According to their expert opinion, it should have been three times the amount that we got. They expected roughly around 525 lb.

Well, when I thought about this, I knew the reason for this difference. When we visited the villages this time, we saw lots of seeds that were on the plant or on the ground. The farmers have not collected all the seeds. The reason for this is, the conflict of time. The harvest time of tobacco and Jatropha overlaps. If we think about it, we know that their first preference is tobacco, that is their main cash crop. That leaves the seeds on their Jatropha plant unharvested. This is a problem that we anticipated, but not to this degree.

Some of the farmers who were adventurous enough to plant Jatropha on their regular land patch told us how much money they lost because of lack of that patch of land for tobacco cultivation. This is true. Jatropha will not reach its full potential for the first two years and if the farmers replace tobacco with Jatropha, they will lose their income for the first two years. This is the reason we are not asking the farmers to replace the only cash crop. We want this to be a slow transition. We want to give this as an option. It will be up to the farmers to decide after two years.

A Stove Run by Jatropha Oil at Labland Biotechs

However, we need to come up with a way to see to it that the farmers collect the seeds that their Jatropha plants' yield. If both plants are to be harvested at the same time, how can we do this? One of the ways we are thinking is encouraging the other family members like kids to get involved. This is where our Global Call to Youth comes in. As we have involved several rural schools in environmental education and tree planting, an idea hit upon us to see if we can ask them to get involved. This is our plan A for the moment. If any of you have other ideas, we are interested in hearing them. Right now, we're definitely open to suggestions.

Some pictures from the global call to youth!

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Finally The Time That We Were All Waiting For----

Dear Blog Followers,

Tuesday, August 10th, was a very cloudy day at our project site. However, that did not bother us as we were too excited. That was the day when the farmers from Thippalapura sold the collected dried Jatropha seeds from the project site to us! We were eagerly waiting for this day. We wanted to show the farmers that we meant what we had said two years ago. We would buy the seeds that they collected at the market price. Here are some of the pictures of the entire process.

One of the farmer leaders took the initiative of establishing a rural seed bank. He had established a very interesting protocol . Instead of each farmer selling the seeds to us independently, he convinced them to work together. The farmers took the collected seeds to the "Seed Bank" where they were bought for RS.7/Kg. He stored them in a dry place in his home and patiently waited for us to purchase them. They had collected 80 Kg of seeds. We paid Rs. 10 per kg so, he made a profit of Rs.3 per Kg!

Once we reached the "Seed Bank", we realized that we needed a weighing machine! Neither we nor the villagers had a weighing machine. It was no big deal though. We had to make an extra trip to the nearby rice mill in Hunsur, where we used their weighing machine to weigh the seeds. The farmers had collected 80 kg seeds. We were very happy with the amount collected. This was the first transaction that has taken place. This was the first time we bought the seeds from the farmers proving to them that we are in this for a long haul. They were very happy and we were very excited to buy the seeds.

The next step was to take the seeds to Labland Biotechs to extract the biofuel. We transported the seeds to Labland Biotechs. There, they will first determine the amount of oil content in the seeds before extraction. This time, we are going to get the oil converted into biodiesel and then distribute to the selected farmer leaders to do the test runs. Unfortunately we could not be there for the production of biodiesel because it was time for us to return to CA. We have made arrangements for our farmer leaders to collect the biodiesel from Labland Biotechs through the help of Parivarthana staff once the biodiesel is ready. I will update the results of the test runs once I have the results.

Honestly, we did not expect to see 80 Kg of seeds collected as most of the plants are just one year old. Since it was the first year, we never anticipated any yield, even if they had been pruning the plants as suggested. However, when we reached Labland Biotechs, their reaction was surprising to us. Adarsha will share their perspective in his blog post in a day or two.
~Apoorva

65% Survival Rate for Phase I and Phase II Jatropha Plants

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

During our recent visit to India this summer (August 2010), we found out that the survival rate of the Phase I and Phase II Jatropha plants was 65%, which is pretty good-higher than I had anticipated. The dead plants were replaced with gap filling-a number which amounted to around 5000 plants. However, when we told Labland Biotechs the survival rate, they were surprised: Labland was expecting a survival rate of around 98%, which is what they had gotten while growing the plants in the field. Earlier, when we got the number of plants that survived from the farmers, they also provided us with the reasons for the plant deaths. In general, the farmers attributed their plant losses to erratic rainfall, which had been happening. However, upon closer inspection of several farmers' fields, this explanation did not quite make sense. We’d see two plots, each containing Jatropha (as a hedge or in the form of bunds), side by side. One plot would have Jatropha plants that were four or five feet high and fruiting (with multiple branches), while the other plot would have fewer plants, and the surviving plants would only be two or three foot high stalks with absolutely no fruit whatsoever. If erratic rainfall had been the cause of the dead plants, then two plots right next to each other should have had similarly sized plants. Labland Biotechs believes that the farmers did not take as good care of the plants as they should have, leading to the decreased survival rates. The plants that were closer to the cash crops of the farmers were the ones that grew better, which makes sense since the farmers would take care of the cash crops nearby. We hope that the gap filling will make up for the lost seedlings.

For Jatropha Plants Survival Data please click here!
Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha's goal is not limited to promoting Jatropha cultivation

Dear friends,

Adarsha and I have returned from our India trip. Sorry, we could not blog our adventures as we had no access what so ever to Internet! I remember, last year, I could blog a few times during our stay. This year, as we had only three weeks time, we had to stay put and work at the project site. We have made several interesting journal entries and will be blogging them in the coming weeks. Overall, it was a very productive visit.

Where ever we went, the journalists had one question/concern that we never anticipated. Though we clarified it over and over, I thought of sharing it with you all. The name Project Jatropha often caused confusion in the urban areas. People thought that we were promoting only Jatropha cultivation and we were bombarded with concerns about mono-cropping and its limitations. Actually when we launched this project, we were much younger. This was just a social experiment. We did not have big plans. We thought of trying this out by giving a possible alternative to tobacco cultivation. We never asked the farmers to give up tobacco in entirety. As we initially introduced Jatropha, Adarsha came up with the name Project Jatropha and at that time it was a suitable name. Once the project took off, we did a lot of research on other biofuel sources. We have included Pongamea and are in the process of introducing Simaruba, a novel biofuel plant. We will share more information about this useful plant in a separate blog post. Project Jatropha not only promotes the cultivation of Jatropha and other biofuel plants but also aims to provide environmental education to students of rural schools. We have done massive planting of useful forestry saplings to prevent deforestation involving scores of youth in the villages near Hunsur. This was a great experience. We have planted more than 25,000 forestry saplings involving 33 schools and 300 farmers by the end of this summer. Adarsha and I will blog our individual school stories in the coming weeks. We are very happy that our visit was very successful.
~Apoorva

Thank you CPS and BVB volunteers!

Dear readers of our blog,
Mission Accomplished! I am very happy to inform you all that the tree planting at Gowdagere Higher Primary School is completed. On July 1st, the students and teachers of CPS (Oakland, California) and BVB (Mysore, India) came together to launch the 2010 Global Call to Youth: Tree Planting Venture in rural schools. Mr. Rajegowda, secretary of Parivarthana, gave us a summary of events. The volunteers reached the school at 11 A.M. The headmaster of Gowdagere School, Mr. Mahadevaiah, and the school development management committee president, Mr. Doddaiah Nayaka, welcomed the volunteers. Altogether, 125 forestry saplings were planted. Teak, Silver Oak, Pongamia, Neem, Moringa, Papaya, Curry Leaf Plant(Murraya koenigii), and Ashoka were some of the varieties that were planted. The students also watered and added manure (vermi-compost). By 1 P.M., the planting work was completed. The Project Jatropha Team provided lunch for all the volunteers. According to Mr. Rajegowda, the volunteers mingled well with the Gowdagere School Kids. The language barrier was overcome as the BVB students acted as translators.

The CPS Volunteers

Mr. Andy Dean planting Jatropha

After finishing the tree planting, the volunteers visited the Jatropha plots of several Phase I & II farmers to assess the project's progress. They saw the different models such as intercrop, wasteland, regular land, and bunds. Mr. Andy Dean and a few CPS students symbolically planted three Jatropha seedlings in Mr. Santosh, a Phase II farmer for gap filling. Now, we are half way through the tree planting in the rural schools. When we visit the project site in August, we plan on completing our target of 30 schools for 2010. The supervision, guidance, watering, fencing, manuring, weeding, and plant protection will be done by the respective schools' students.

On behalf of the Project Jatropha Team, I would like to thank the volunteers for making this a HUGE success.

~Apoorva

Welcome CPS and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Student Volunteers to Our Project Site!

Dear blog readers,

I am so excited to inform you all that it's a big day at our project site in India tomorrow. Our friends from The College Preparatory School (CPS) in collaboration with the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will be participating in the tree planting program as a part of the Global Call to Youth venture. I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that we are not there to welcome them to the project site personally. Under the leadership of Mr. Rajegowda, the secretary of Parivarthana, we have chosen Gavadagere Higher Primary School (meaning middle school in the USA). We have chosen to plant to teak, silver oak, and pongamia saplings. The plan is to plant roughly 120 saplings. I hope that it's not going to rain heavily, but we have worked at the project site during heavy rains and it's quite fun! Especially to Adarsha, because he loves to jump in muddy puddles. :)

After the tree planting, the volunteers are going to visit Phase I and II fields. The farmers tell us that there are no ripe fruits at this time of year due to recent pruning. However, they can still see small unripe fruits. I hope that they can see the dried seeds collected by the farmers, but I'm afraid that the seeds have been sold recently to Labland Biotechs.

I can't wait to update you all about this venture once it takes place!

~Apoorva

Researchers find clues for developing biodegradable plastics from jatropha

Bangalore, June 08, 2010 : In a major discovery, the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, India, has found a microbe useful in the manufacture of biodegradable plastic from aside-stream product of jatropha called ‘glycerol’, which is found during extracting biodiesel from the plant seeds. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-led Institute is all set to scale up its commercial production. It is considered as a revolutionary advancement that is poised to tackle the challenge of ever-increasing environmental pollution posed by non-degradable plastics. As part of the Budapest Treaty on international recognition of deposit of microorganisms for patent procedure, the identified microbe has been deposited by CSMCRI with a repository. In another significant development, General Motors in partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a new16-hectare plot and an existing 30-hectare jatropha farm in Bhavnagar. The joint DOE-GM funding would enable the CSMCRI to manage various activities at these farms. It is envisaged that lab-optimized strains of jatropha, produced through selective and marker-assisted breeding, would be cultivated at these farms. A complete life cycle analysis of jatropha plant would also help in evaluating the environmental impacts on this oil-yielding crop.

Dear friends,

I was very excited about this news and wanted to share with you all. We at Project Jatropha have been very busy with the project work. We will be updating our work though the blog posts as the summer is here.
Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha wins the 2009 Presidential Environmental Youth Award

2009 Regional Winners

EPA Region 9

Callie, Apoorva, Lisa P. Jackson, Adarsha, and Sharon Jang (Region 9 Coordinator)

The Project Jatropha Team

The PEYA Award Winners with President Obama and Lisa P. Jackson

We would like to thank PEYA and all it's staff for giving us the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama and Lisa P. Jackson, the administrator of the EPA, on May 21, 2010.

President’s Environmental Youth Award Winners Welcomed by Congressman Garamendi’s Staff - Honorable John Garamendi

Chief-of-Staff, Gary Cohen, speaks with local high school students
about BioFuel Initiative, before they meet President Obama

From left to right: Adarsha Shivakumar, Gary Cohen,
Callie Roberts, and Apoorva Rangan.

WASHINGTON, DC–The DC office of Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA), a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, welcomed and congratulated the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) winners for the southwest region. Since 1971, PEYA is award annually to young Americans for demonstrating excellence in protecting our country’s air, water, land, and ecology. Adarsha Shivakumar, Apoorva Rangan, and Callie Roberts, high school students at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, who live in Pleasant Hill and Martinez, earned the PEYA by founding Project Jatropha. Project Jatropha is a biofuel venture that seeks to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate global climate change.

As described by the students, "The Project Jatropha Team promotes the cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a perennial shrub with oil-rich seeds, as an ecologically friendly and economically sustainable source of alternative fuel production. To date, the work of Project Jatropha has supported the planting of 13,000 seedlings by more than 50 farm families in Southern India."

On Wednesday May 19th, Adarsha, Apoorva, Callie, their family members, and their EPA liaison were given a tour of the Capitol complex and Congressman John Garamendi’s office. Chief-of-Staff Gary Cohen spoke with the students about their project, the COMPETES bill to fund scientific research, and the Joint BioEnergy Institute. The Joint BioEnergy Institute is a partnership project that includes Lawrence-Livermore and Sandia National Labs and aims to develop the next generation of biofuels.

"I want to commend Adarsha, Apoorva, and Callie for their ongoing work on Project Jatropha. Unhindered by their young age and the scale of the problem, these students are courageously working to combat global warming. They approach this serious challenge with humility and youthful excitement," Gary Cohen said.

"This generation’s students enter a globally competitive labor market. Their success depends on the ability to work hard, think creatively, and adapt to quickly evolving market conditions," Mr. Cohen added "These three Bay Area students display these qualities in spades and serve as an inspiration to the many talented young students of the 10th District."

On Friday May 21st, the students joined other PEYA winners in meeting President Barack Obama.

More information about Project Jatropha is available at http://projectjatropha.com/
Contact: Adarsha Shivakumar at adarsha@projectjatropha.com
More information about the President’s Environmental Youth Award and the 2009 winners is available at http://www.epa.gov/peya/winners.html.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

We wish You All a Very Happy Earth Day

Project Jatropha Team

What about Nuclear Power?

Dear readers of our blog,
I'm reposting Adarsha's blog post from the blog "Hot and Bothered". I think this post is particularly interesting because it details the pros and cons of using nuclear power. I always used to associate nuclear power with war. This is a new insight that will make us look at nuclear power from a different perspective.
~Apoorva

According to nuclear power advocates, this picture will be the true representation of nuclear power. According to people who hate nuclear power, this will be the epitome of the propaganda used by the pro-nuclear side. Which side do you think is correct, if either?

One of the most hotly contested alternatives to fossil fuel based power is nuclear power (primarily fission). The debate over whether nuclear power should be included in a cleaner energy infrastructure has been going on for decades, and is becoming an ever greater topic as the energy needs of our nation grow along with our emissions.

Recently, Obama passed a bill that gave additional funding for nuclear power plants. The bill was highly controversial, and the issues about nuclear power plants once again became prominent. I myself support nuclear power with certain conditions. I believe that it is necessary to not dismiss, and preferably develop nuclear power technology as it can help supplement the clean energy given by various, more conventional renewables such as solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and wind power.

One of the major problems facing nuclear power plants is cost: it can take upwards of several billion dollars to build or retrofit a reactor that meets all the required safety guidelines. Another problem is the state of current reactors: many are several decades old (in America) and consequently are degrading, which does pose a safety hazard. Yet, both of these problems are fixable.

France is an example country where nuclear power is being successfully used on a large scale. The biggest problem facing nuclear power is the disposal or storage of waste. Spent nuclear fuel remains radioactive for thousands and thousands of years, and must be packaged in special, expensive containers that still leak small amounts of radiation. Storing these containers and the thousands of tons of new waste produced every year has proven to be incredibly difficult. The Yucca Mountain in Nevada, which was going to be the main storage site of spent nuclear fuel in the US, was ruled out due to its proximity to fault lines (among other issues). This inability to safely store spent nuclear fuel for lengthy periods of time is the primary criticism leveled against expanding nuclear power. New breeder reactors are being developed that can turn spent nuclear fuel back into usable fuel that cannot be weaponized. This process kills two birds with one stone by eliminating fuel storage concerns and providing reactors with more fuel. Breeder reactor technology seems to hold great promise for the future of nuclear fission based power, and I believe that more funding for it would help enable its implementation.

There are still BIG hurdles nuclear power faces, such as the admittedly prohibitive costs of building and maintaining reactors, as well as the general condition of the plants. But, considering all sides of the issue, I feel that it is unfair to not even consider nuclear power when it offers so many benefits and its shortcomings can be solved.

The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Alliance for Climate Education

Our Sponsor Michelle Lacourciere was honored with an ‘Unsung Heroine’ award in recognition of their work with orphans and families in H

Dear Blog Followers,
I am reposting an article published in FogCityJournal.com. We are very proud to inform you all that Michelle was one of the six San Francisco women who received the award on International Women's Day. Congratulations Michelle! You totally deserve it!

~Apoorva

Six San Francisco Women Honored
on International Women’s Day

Posted By admin On March 10, 2010 @ 12:08 am In Events, Human Interest, Politics |

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Global Arts and Education (GAE) honored six outstanding San Francisco women Monday, March 8, at the Civic Center Holiday Inn. International Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1911. In 1975 the United Nations designated March 8 an official holiday.

As many as 200 guests attended the International Women’s Day Awards Breakfast
held at the Civic Center Holiday Inn, March 8.Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, recipient of the Extraordinary Public Service Award, was introduced by her brother, Michael Ma, who joked about following in his sister’s shadow. He spoke seriously of her drive for education and lifelong commitment to improving the lives of others. Assemblywoman Ma set the tone for the morning with a passionate speech about her commitment to service.

Former Mayor Willie Brown presented the Unsung Heroine Award to Farah Makras and Michelle Lacourciere of the Sirona Cares Foundation (SCF). For years before the devastating earthquake in Haiti, SCF has been working on the ground in Haiti to help children and their families. Michelle said there was a desperate need for fingernail clippers in Haiti to prevent disease.

“There is no sanitation no running water and they must eat with their hands,” GAE Executive Director Bradford-Bell shared with the crowd. “I think we should pledge right now to donate 1,000 clippers to Sirona Cares.”

Willie Brown raised the challenge to 50,000.Walgreens, a corporate sponsor of the event, immediately jumped on board and is sending the first 1,000 pairs of fingernail clippers to Haiti. According to Lacourciere, each pair of fingernail clippers can save as many as 5 lives. Reaching the 50,000 goal will save one quarter of a million lives. BART and Yerba Buena Engineering and Construction also provided generous sponsorship for the event.


The good people at Walgreens, pictured with Farah Makras and Michelle Lacourciere,
pledged to send 50,000 nail clippers to Haiti.San Francisco City Administrator Ed Lee presented San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner Zula Jones with the Community Advocate of the Year Award. In the tradition of International Women’s Day, Lee presented Zula with a gift and said it’s “about time” Zula was honored and recognized for her work.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty presented BART Director Lynette Sweet with the Annie M. Powell Community Service Award. Annie Powell, who feared she would not make it to age 25, was gunned down in the Bayview just twelve days after her twenty-third birthday. Supervisor Dufty and BART Director Sweet have vowed to help find ways and create policies to bring an end to the senseless loss of our youth.

Marily Mondejar moved the crowd with an emotional speech after accepting the award for Organization of the Year on behalf of the Filipina Women’s Network. Mondejar was presented the award by San Francisco Entertainment Commissioner Al Perez who sits on the board of the Filipina Women’s Network. The organization received the award for its fight against domestic violence with Mondejar offering that she was a survivor of domestic violence.

Reese Isbell, District Representative for Senator Mark Leno, brought Certificates of Recognition from the Senator. Each honoree and GAE received commendations from the Senator.

“I’m thrilled,” said Bradford Bell. “Senator Leno is a very special person whom I admired greatly.”Isbell brought his niece, Mariah Isbell-Becerra, to the awards breakfast. Typical of a sixteen-year-olds, Mariah wasn’t thrilled to be up so early during spring break, but it was clear she was having a great time.

“Get use to it. You’re going to attending lot of breakfast events when you get into politics,” Bradford Bell teased from the podium.

“I could not have dreamed of a better event,” added Bradford Bell. “Everybody gave above and beyond what I asked for. The Holiday Inn chef created a special frittata just for us and the guests had only good things to say about the food.”

Plans are now underway for the March 8, 2011, International Women’s Day Summit. In the coming weeks, GAE will be looking for volunteers and organizations who wish to participate. Anyone interested in volunteering for a committee should contact Shelley Bradford Bell at sbb@globalartsandeducation.com. To received updated information on the 2011 Summit, send an email to info@globalartsandeducation.com and type “IWD Update - Subscribe” in the subject link

Article printed from Fog City Journal: http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress

URL to article: http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2010/03/10/six-san-francisco-women-honored-on-international-womens-day/

The Haitian earthquake and how it relates to climate change

Dear Readers of our blog,
I'm reposting Adarsha's blogpost from the blog "Hot and Bothered." I love this post because it details the relationship between the devastating Haiti earthquake and climate change.
Sincerely,
Apoorva

The Haitian earthquake and how it relates to climate change

February 3rd, 2010 by Adarsha

When the earthquake struck Haiti, hundreds of thousands of people died, were injured, or were displaced. Millions more lost family, and the country, even now, is in a state of ruin. The loss of life and devastation to the infrastructure of the previously-poor country will take years, if not decades to recover from. Experts had predicted the Haitian earthquake sometime beforehand, yet they were unable to know when exactly the earthquake would strike. Earthquakes are a kind of natural disaster that we do not have the power to predict, let alone stop (yet). However, there are things that we can do-not build buildings on fault lines, and reinforce the ones that are so that they are less prone to falling or being structurally compromised if an earthquake does happen. Anthropogenic climate change is different as it is a large issue that has been primarily caused by man. Although its effects are not immediately as big-and it is a problem that CAN be mitigated we are not taking this issue seriously. We can see the effects of climate change, and though we may not be able to exactly determine the tipping point, we know general indicators of the status of the situation (polar ice caps, permafrost, etc.). Humans need to realize that like earthquakes, the consequences of climate change are devastating. Hundreds of thousands dead due to famines and changing weather patterns, plus the hundreds of millions displaced due to rising sea levels are staggering consequences.

Climate change will be a disaster if we don’t start mitigating it right now. Unlike earthquakes, we can change our actions to help mitigate climate change (by adopting cleaner technologies and making our lifestyles more sustainable).The important thing to note is that although there ARE natural disasters which we CAN’T prevent, like the Haitian earthquake, we CAN help prevent or mitigate climate change if we all come together and work towards it. Finally I urge every one of you choose your own DOT (Link to what a DOT is here: http://www.acespace.org/dot) and join us against the fight against climate change.

Adarsha

EDIT: Well, it seems that climate change may indeed have an effect on tectonics after all, according to this link: which, if proven true, further demonstrate the Pandora’s box we might be opening.

Whose job is it to fight climate change?

Dear readers of our blog,
I am reposting Adarsha's blog post from Alliance for Climate Education's blog "Hot and Bothered". I especially like this post because it details the global significance of Project Jatropha.
~Apoorva

Whose job is it to fight climate change?

January 22nd, 2010 by Adarsha

Actually, with global warming, icebergs such as these will be nonexistent! Problem solved!

As I read the events of Copenhagen meetings, several questions came to my mind. When we look at the scale of the climate change problem, we have to ask ourselves: is it too late? Are we even able to make a dent in this monster? If so, isn’t it the governments job to fight it? After much deliberation, I came upon answers. First of all, it isn’t too late yet. Combating climate change is like trying to steer an oil supertanker-a lengthy, difficult, and precise process. While it is certainly daunting, to paraphrase John F. Kennedy, “if the problem is manmade, it is possible that the solutions may also be manmade”. The resources that are needed are immense. In the past, only governments could mobilize these kinds of monies. The issue is that climate change is a global problem on the scale that no single government can afford to fight it. This is where the citizenry’s collective efforts can make the difference. What is needed are mass movements at grassroots levels. We need to educate people and show them that the tools needed to help fight climate change can be simple, accessible, and affordable.

Why do the developed nations have a stake in helping developing nations to combat climate change? Amongst most nations, there has been a general consensus that anthropogenic climate change is real and that we need to act now. However, the consensus breaks down, just as it has at Copenhagen, when it comes to how much responsibility each of the nations has for cleaning up the mess. The developed nations think that irrespective of past CO2 emission history, all nations, rich & poor alike, must share the burden of reducing CO2. When I tried to get a sense of the current understanding in India, it was an eye opener. For the majority of people, climate change is not a priority as there are other issues, such as meeting basic necessities of life. Most of the intelligentsia feels that it is the rich, industrialized nations that created the problem, and they must bear a proportionate burden of the remedial measures. The politicians in developing countries are also subject to as much public pressure and opinions, as are the ones in the developed countries. In developing countries with colonial pasts, submitting to such international conditions is often perceived as neocolonialism. Consequently, these nations are very reluctant to impose emission regulations.

During a time when there are major differences between developed and developing nations as how to mitigate climate change, Project Jatropha aims to demonstrate the commitment of the youth in developed countries to environmental issues that affect the developing nations as well. My sister Apoorva Rangan and I co-founded Project Jatropha in December 2007. In rural South India, many farmers cultivate tobacco as a cash crop. This has forced them to cut down the tree cover and forests for firewood. The processing of raw tobacco leaves in the kilns (barns) itself produces large amount of CO2 and other pollutants. Project Jatropha combats both poverty and environmental degradation using Jatropha curcas, a small perennial shrub with oil-rich seeds. It can grow on marginal lands with fewer agronomic inputs, without diverting valuable land from food grain production. Jatropha biofuel has a ready, large global market, owing to its small carbon footprint. In addition, by providing an alternative crop to tobacco for rural farmers, deforestation and the burning of large quantities of firewood can be reduced.

Project Jatropha is empowering the poorest of the poor farmers with a simple technology and an economic incentive by demonstrating that biofuel can be produced in a sustainable and economic way. In our social experiment, the farmers have become part of the solution to the problem of climate change. A developed nation such as ours will stand to benefit greatly by being an enabler of such types of endeavors even if it means the people helped are nine thousand miles and twelve time zones away. Such actions will demonstrate that the US is able to walk the walk and talk the talk. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “We need to become the change we wish to see in the world.” Project Jatropha has started on a small scale, but I hope it will help to inspire others to start movements of their own.

For more information please visit: www.projectjatropha.com

-Adarsha

Aid Drop Location Information

Dear readers of our blog,

The Project Jatropha Team will be at San Francisco helping our sponsor, The Sirona Cares foundation in sorting the donations received for the Haiti Relief Effort on Saturday afternoon. If any of you are interested in joining us, you are welcome to do so. I am attaching the information about location and hours below.

The address is: 188 King Street, San Francisco. There is no signage on that address to avoid a “dumping” issue for the building owners. 188 is clearly marked, and the sorting room is directly across from the Willy Mayes Gate at the Giant’s stadium. Hours are M-F (9-9) and Sat. (12-8). If the door is locked, the security guard at 188 King Street will let you in. Please bring a friend and sort as long as you like, it’s easy, and the directions should be posted in the room. Many hands make light work! Tax receipts are available, all donations are tax deductible. Thanks in advance for offering not only your donations, but your time, for the people of Haiti.
Sincerely,
Apoorva

Please Join hands in Haiti Relief Efforts

Dear friends,

I am reposting the blog post of our Advisor and Sponsor, Michelle Lacourcire from Sirona Cares Foundation blog. Some of you have emailed us asking information about donations of goods to Haiti. This has all the details. We at Project Jatropha are doing everything we can for the cause, and we request you to do the same. The Haiti kids could use all the help that they can get.

Sincerely,
The Project Jatropha Team.



January 17, 2010
With Love, From San Francisco... Haiti Relief

DSCN4299 Everyone is moving so quickly, and I although I have been asking for donations for a year for our work in Haiti I could never have imagined the compassion of people here, and the desire of people to give. Sirona is opening the door. If you have more time than money, collect donations and bring them to 190 King Street in San Francisco. The owner of the property has donated the space for sorting, and we will be there receiving. We sort, fold, and box everything in plastic bins which will be used in Haiti for years. If you haven't been there, you don't know the many lifes of a plastic bin, but the goods a family collects will be kept dry, they will use it first as a suitcase to hold their entire life's belongings, then someday it will be a bathtub. Perhaps even a gas station. Haitians need these bins, as they need everything else.

If you are near San Francisco or itching for a reason to come: 190 King Street is our drop spot. Go to 188 King Street if we aren't there and Philip, the security guard, will let you in. Unload (park on the sidewalk) and then move your vehicle (south of the Giant's stadium is best) and then come back to sort. I'm serious, if you are sitting somewhere wishing you could do something like go to Haiti, come here. You will be busy, and feel the blessing of delivering good to Haiti.

We are unsure when the drops will begin, but we are certain of our Haitian partners who are ready to get aide to those in need. Below (breaking the rule for 300 word on a blog, sorry) is our list of items. Here is our position: If you have more time than money, give Haiti your time. If you have more time than money, either donate to us or Partners in Health, Dr.s without Borders or the Red Cross. This is not the time to compete, it's time to pull together. Here's the list (tax deductible donations are on site, or can be e-mailed to anyone requesting them). Mesi in advance, Kreyol for "THANK YOU" Photos are from Day 1 in San Francisco's drop spot.

Items we accept:

* Clothing, including new or used underwear, for all ages. It would be incredibly helpful if these donations could be separated (babies, small children, large children, women & men’s clothes).
* Shoes, all sizes
* Medical Supplies: Gauze, Tape, Neosporin, Tylenol/Advil (Generics OK)
* Kotex and Cloth Diapers
* Towels and Sheets
* Plastic Storage Boxes (Large) for packing, shipping and giving Haitians something to store their personal effects in. If you can bring nothing else, bring these!

Posted by Michelle Lacourciere at 7:17 AM |

Please Join Our Hands to Help The Earthquake Victims in Haiti

Our sponsor Michelle Lacourciere, The Executive Director of Sirona Cares Foundation heads many projects to help the children of Haiti from past couple of years. Please visit her blog for more information about her work at
http://www.sironacares.org

The kids at the orphanages need more help now than ever. They need food, water, shelter etc. Please make a donation and help save their lives. The money goes directly to rebuild schools and orphanages that Sirona Cares Foundation work with. The situation is dire. Please view the pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/missionofhope/EarthquakeJan122010#5426275089676835250

From the Project Jatropha Team