.

.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

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

Friday, January 22, 2010

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

Monday, January 18, 2010

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 |

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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