GREENBEAVER - Go Green, Help People

2010-03-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

JOIN EARTH DAY - CREATE A LANTERN

2010-03-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Recycling Textbooks – Greenbeaver's book drive results!

2009-08-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

Last spring Greenbeaver held a book drive on campus to recycle textbooks. The books were sent to Better World Books, who then donated the books and funds to Books for Africa (the organization we chose to receive our donations). Better World Books had a record-setting drive to support global literacy.

Check out the impact we have contributed to, through BWB:

More than $1.9 million for Books for Africa

$340,000+ for Room to Read

$440,000+ for the National Center for Family Literacy

$111,000+ for Worldfund

$572,000+ for additional literacy partners

Diverted over 25 million pounds of books from landfills

7,700 tons of carbon offset on BetterWorldBooks.com sales

Better World Books buys and sells used books. To thank us for our contribution, they are offering a limited-time 10% additional discount on your textbook purchases; just copy and paste this code at checkout: TEXTBOOKS09.

Greenbeaver will be hosting another book drive during fall semester at BVU. Watch for information to be posted soon! If you belong to a campus organization, you can host a book drive for your campus, not only to support recycling and global literacy, but to earn a little money as well. BWB donates money back to your campus organization for every book donated. If you want more information, check out Better World Books

An Experience Like No Other: My Visit to South Africa

2009-06-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

My hope is that this post reaches you in high spirits, low worries, and your faces gleams and glows with joy! How’s life? Well, we’re back from the beautiful South Africa and just as we all expected, it was nothing short of AMAZING!

15 Beavers and I traveled to the southern tip of the continent of Africa on a Biological Adventure led by Dr. Richard Lampe and Mark Kirkholm. We had the opportunity to travel the KwaZulu Natal in southeastern South Africa for the first two weeks and then traveled to the Provincial (St. Lucia on the INDIAN OCEAN, Umfolozi, Hluhluwe, and Itala), as well as Kruger National Park. During the course of the trip we observed various creatures in their natural habitats of grassland, thorn scrub, and forest. We were even fortunate enough to visit historical sites such as Eshowe, Ulundi, Zulu villages and homesteads, Isandlwana, and Rorke’s Drift. The trip took a total of 21 days…sounds long huh? Those 21 days flew as rapidly as a cheetah on a prey chase!

Working with GREENBEAVER for the past semester, I’ve become more of a devout advocate in developing and sustaining a global environment favorable to all of humanity. Environmentally and socially, GREENBEAVER diligently strives to establish a reconnection and coexistence with nature as our ancestors once achieved. GREENBEAVER also works to reconnect us as a people, a whole, to eventually mitigate any cultural separatism prolonging our disunity by means of philanthropy and service. Keeping this in mind as a fellow GREENBEAVER, I couldn’t help but notice the tremendous progress in the sociality of South Africa. A once segregated country where the white minority controlled the vastly larger black majority had now become a country succeeding through the chains of inequality.

While South Africa continues to grow as a country pro equality, I noticed the Adansonia digitata-like (baobab) chasm between the rich and the poor. Of course in a capitalistic economy where private property and profit are praised, the blue-collar plight and plead, “Unequal wealth distribution” is automatically replied with an adage in which American citizens are familiar with : Only the Strong Survive. Indeed. However, the arroyo of the rich and poor in South Africa barely births an obvious middle-class. I was nearly brought to tears when travelling from Joburg to Durban as the sites of shanty towns continued to appear. The prevalence of poverty was incredible despite supposedly government diligent efforts.

Yes, South Africa is classified as a middle-income country. Yes, South Africa faces substantial income gaps and yes, South Africa is still deemed as a developing country. It must also be brought to light that South Africa also boasts one of the higher income per capitas in the Motherland. South Africa is also ranked 25^th in the world based on GDP. Such economic accolades easily leads to the inference of some appearance of some sort of middle class, yet the bourgeois is vaguely represented.

Optimistic eyes opt a continued decline in poverty in South Africa, specifically, a reduction in both absolute and relative income poverty. First-handedly viewing the realities of a Third-World really does something in a sense of humility to one's soul. Although I come from a modest background where I became familiar with financial struggle, it’s nothing more saddening and motivating to witness individuals in shoddier shapes. Our journey to the Motherland was all breath-taking, pleasurable, and frustrating all in one glimpse. As members of this Homo Sapien species, let it be our obligation to fight and provide the same quality of life we all want for people everywhere.

*Vulcan Sign*

Des

P.S. Here's a *beep* so you all can leave messages. Thanks

Shades of Green - It's not all or nothing

2009-06-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to go out and buy all new energy-star appliances, install sun panels, and build a wind turbine in your backyard to be “green” – although it’s nice if you can afford it! And you don’t have to completely change your lifestyle to make an impact on your carbon footprint. It’s all about getting started; doing what you can, and feeling good about it. Sometimes it’s hard to get started, and then hard to keep it up – believe me, I know! I vowed to stop using plastic bags when shopping … but I kept forgetting to put the reusable bags back in the car when I was done unpacking groceries. One quick solution was to buy one of those nifty nylon bags that scrunches up into a very small attached bag that fits into the smallest of purses, or can hook onto a belt or backpack. So now I always have at least one reusable bag with me all the time – and while it’s “only one bag”, if EVERYONE carried and used one bag, it would cause quite an impact!

Start with the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and see where it takes you. Simple actions like turning off lights when you leave a room (good; better – replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs), turning off your computer and other appliances when they aren’t in use (good; better – unplug them or buy a smart power strip), recycle plastic bags (good; better – use reusable bags when shopping). There are so many actions you can take that will make an impact!

I found an interesting web site called “One Million Acts of Green … when we all do one act, we act as one, and help the planet”. Check it out: http://bit.ly/uQK8i . There are suggestions for doing acts of green, checklists to check off what you already do, and what you pledge to do. You can create a free profile, and track your progress, as well as see the impact everyone is making. It’s packed with good ideas for green acts. It’s a start ….

Donated funds to Philippines

2009-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

We just donated part of our funds to Tomasa Tabbu, a Filipino.

Tomasa Tabbu

Tomasa Tabbu is 50 years old and resides in Barangay Natappian West Solana, Cagayan. She currently makes an income by selling fruits and vegetables in front of her house. She is earning a weekly income of PHP 750. She is married to Angel Tabbu who is the father of her three children. Her husband assists her in the business and they both wish to expand it for the future of their children.

Tomasa is asking for a loan amounting to PHP 18,000 in order to purchase more vending products. She hopes to buy three new kinds of vegetables: lettuce, cabbage and “pechay” (a squash) to further increase her income. She dreams of having a permanent stall for her business someday and is working very hard to achieve all her dreams in life, especially for the future education of her children.

Kiva repaying us!

2009-05-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Greenbeaver Go green help people,
We'd like to give you a repayment update on the loans you've made
through Kiva.

A total of $25.00 has been repaid today! As of 2009-05-17, you now have
$25.00 in Kiva Credit in your account.

Click here to re-lend, withdraw or donate these funds! Or you can show
your friends some Kiva Love with a Kiva gift certificate.
https://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=account&_te=ru

Below is the repayment update on your Kiva Portfolio:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jessenia Esther Duarte Irias in Honduras (Activity: General Store)
You Loaned: $25.00
Newly Repaid: $25.00
Total Repaid So Far: $25.00 (100.00% of your loan)
View loan profile at:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=95111&_te=ru

To view your Kiva loan portfolio go to:
https://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=account

Want to receive these updates more/less often? You can change the
frequency at which you receive repayment updates under Kiva Email
Preferences:
https://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=account&action=emailPreferences&_te=ru

If you have any questions, you can find our Frequently Asked questions
and our contact info at the Kiva Help Center:
http://www.kiva.org/about/help?_te=ru .

Best Wishes,
Kiva Staff

______________________________
Loans that change lives
http://www.kiva.org/

Copyright Kiva 2009. Kiva is a U.S. 501c3 non-profit organization.

2009-05-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

Food and fuel crises hit poorest families the hardest in Nepal

MUGU DISTRICT, Nepal, 18 May 2009 – Sitting in the smoke-blackened main room of her tiny house on a steep, parched hillside in Sawa Khola village, Nawa Dumchi Bikar is a worried woman.

Food and fuel crises hit poorest families the hardest in Nepal

2009-05-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Food and fuel crises hit poorest families the hardest in Nepal

MUGU DISTRICT, Nepal, 18 May 2009 – Sitting in the smoke-blackened main room of her tiny house on a steep, parched hillside in Sawa Khola village, Nawa Dumchi Bikar is a worried woman.

Story of Stuff - You will love to watch this

2009-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Greenbeaver - Recycling Textbooks!

2009-05-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Greenbeaver will be working with Better World Books to recycle new and used textbooks, exam/desk/professional copies/instructor's edition textbooks, unmarked study guides, working papers, and course readers, published since 2005. These books will go to Better World Book's global literacy program, where books and funds will go to organizations such as Books for Africa, Invisible Children, National Center for Family Literacy, Room to Read, World Fund,and schools and libraries that are aligned with their mission of supporting global literacy.

This project will also support Greenbeaver's mission; and as a result of the recycling efforts, Greenbeaver will receive a donation for every book recycled. The money earned will be donated next fall. Faculty, staff, and students, please consider donating your new or used textbooks! Drop off locations: Information Desk, 8:00am-10:00pm daily. Hallway by the Cent Room, Friday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 20, 11:00am-1:00pm. Thank you!

The Wiiter Gallery- SL

2009-04-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Witter Gallery is an EXHIBITING and EDUCATIONAL GALLERY. Its objective is to encourage the appreciation of fine arts; to support fine arts education, exhibits, lectures, and art workshops and classes for the benefit of the public; and to establish awards, grants, and scholarships to promote study in the area of fine arts.

Pilot Tribune writes about GREENBEAVER

2009-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pilot Tribune wrote the story about GREENBEAVER and Earth day - http://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20305255&BRD=1304&PAG=461&dept_id=180485&rfi=6

Recycling Textbooks – the Gift That Keeps on Giving!

2009-04-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

Greenbeaver just finished planting one tree for Earth Day – a beautiful Norway maple. It takes 75,000 trees to print a Sunday Edition of the New York Times! If all of our newspaper was recycled, it would save about 250,000,000 trees each year. If everyone in the U.S. recycled just 1/10 of their newsprint, we would save the estimated equivalent of about 25 million trees a year.

More disturbing facts:

Every day, Americans buy 62 million newspapers and throw out 44 million. That’s the equivalent of dumping 500,000 trees into a landfill every week.
The average office worker in the U.S. uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year. That’s 4 million tons of copy paper used annually. Office workers in the US generate approximately 2 pounds of paper and paperboard products every day.
In the U.S. we use about 85 million tons of paper and paperboard annually.
Each year, more than 2 billion books, 350 million magazines, and 24 billion newspapers are published.

Paper and paperboard products represent the largest portion of our municipal waste stream (e.g., trash). So what can we do? Recycle!

One ton of recycled paper:

Saves enough energy to power the average American home for six months.
Saves 7,000 gallons of water.
Save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
Saves 17 trees (35’ tall)
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by one metric ton of carbon equivalent (MTCE).

Greenbeaver has the opportunity to work with a company that recycles used textbooks. They collect textbooks published in 2005 or later, and donate them to Books for Africa and the International Book Project. They also sell used textbooks and donate the money to these programs as well. They will pay college organizations (per book) that hold book drives.

Greenbeaver donates all money earned from recycling projects; think of the potential for continuous good this project can bring, particularly if Greenbeaver holds an annual book drive!

We can donate our used textbooks, and we can collect books from outside sources as well. This project truly supports the Greenbeaver mission! We will be working with Better World Books next fall, but we can start collecting books now. We encourage everyone to consider donating their used textbooks for this cause – watch for more information and details regarding drop off sites!

Earth Day 2009 [ Planting Tree]

2009-04-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

The schedule of EArth Day

2009-04-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

5:00 - 5:30 P.M
Tree Planting (North of the Suites- exact location will be announced soon)
Small Speech and remarks on the importance of Tree.

5:30- 6:00 PM
Getting ready for the discussion and welcoming audience

6:00-7:00 PM
Introduction of panels and welcoming remarks
Panel's speech
Open floor for discussion questions
Closing remarks from Panel members
Closing remark by the host.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We will keep you updated as we learn more

Plastic

2009-04-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

IKEA announced today that in Canada, they will no longer offer plastic bags to customers. This got me thinking about plastics so here are some ideas for those of us living in the plastic world of the U.S.

If you would like a great way to help the environment, reduce the amount of plastic you consume. Plastics are full of chemicals whose effects can alter reproductive systems in animals, including humans, and readily leach (transmit) to items they hold. These chemicals have been linked to cancers and a host of other problems associated with newborns and infants. If you have to buy plastics, look for the number 1, 2, 4, or 5 stamped on it. These are one-time use (then recycle) bottles, jugs, and storage containers that are "safer."

Another great way to reduce plastic consumption is to take reusable bags when you go shopping. These bags tend to be much stronger than plastic, easier to carry, hold more items, and can save you money. Hyvee, for example, offers a 5 cent discount for every reusable bag you use. Most of the time the discount is automatic, but if you don't see it, ask for the "bag discount!"

For more on problems with plastic bags.

Email from American Red Cross- North Dakota Flood Relief

2009-04-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Buena Vista University,

When individuals and families across the country face tragic circumstances, your gift ensures that the American Red Cross is there with the relief needed to help them recover. Your support of the Disaster Relief Fund allows us to provide assistance to all those who turn to us for shelter, food, counseling, and the help they need to begin to recover.

Our highest priority is helping those who face disasters, and the Disaster Relief Fund allows us to act immediately when help is needed most.

With your generosity, the American Red Cross can be on the front lines of disaster to prepare and respond to those affected. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.

If you have any questions about your donation, please call 1-800-797-8022, option 2, or visit http://www.redcross.org/.

Thank you again, for being a vital part of our mission to help those whose lives are impacted by disaster.

American Red Cross

*************************************************

To verify that your company participates in a matching gift program, please contact your human resource representative.

Please print or save this message for your personal records.

This letter serves as the tax receipt for your gift. The American Red Cross is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization as described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code for 1984, as amended. Our tax identification number is 53-0196605. Adequate records will be maintained and made available to the IRS upon request. In accordance with IRS regulations, no goods or services were provided to the donor by the American Red Cross as part of this contribution.

Your gift may be recognized in future Red Cross publications. If you prefer your gift to remain anonymous, or have questions about your gift’s designation, or would like to learn more about the services that the Red Cross is committed to providing, please call 1-800-797-8022.

Please print or save this message for your personal records.

Transaction Summary

Transaction Date:
4/13/09

Amount:
$25.00

Billing Information
Title:
Mr.

First Name:
Buena Vista University

Middle Name:

Last Name:
Residence Life

Suffix:

Email Address:
greenbeaver@bvu.edu

Email opt-in:
Yes

Street 1:
610 W 4th St

Street 2:

City:
Storm Lake

State/Province:
IA

ZIP/Postal Code:
50588

Country:
United States

Email from Tap Project - UNICEF

2009-04-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Buena Vista University,

Thank you for your online contribution to the United States Fund for UNICEF. By the simple act of giving to the Tap Project, you are supporting UNICEF's efforts to provide safe drinking water to children around the world and bringing us one step closer to ZERO child deaths from preventable causes.

More than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. As a result, thousands of children die every day from diarrhea and disease, and many more are weakened by illness. Inadequate and unsafe water is one of the main causes of diarrhea — the second largest killer of children under five years old.

UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve access to safe, clean water. Specifically, UNICEF builds wells for communities, provides water pumps, water quality testing kits, water purifiers and water tanks, and teaches communities how to use and maintain the equipment in order to achieve a sustained solution.

Your donation to UNICEF water programs will help improve access to safe drinking water to children in need across the world. Many thanks for your support of UNICEF and the Tap Project!

No goods or services were provided in exchange for your gift, making it tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Print and retain this message as a record of your contribution.

Transaction Summary

Transaction Date:

4/13/09
Gift Information

Amount:

$25.00
Donor Information

First Name:

Buena Vista University

Last Name:

Residence Life

Spouse/Partner First Name

Green

Spouse/Partner Last Name

Beaver

Company/Organization:

GREENBEAVER

Street 1:

610 W 4th St

Street 2:

City:

Storm Lake

State/Province:

IA

ZIP/Postal code:

50588

Country:

United States

Phone Number:

71274926756
Billing Information

Billing same as donor:

Yes

First Name:

Buena Vista University

Last Name:

Residence Life

Street 1:

610 W 4th St

Street 2:

City:

Storm Lake

State/Province:

IA

ZIP/Postal Code:

50588

Country:

United States

Results of Last Poll

2009-04-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Kiva .org- Loans that changes lives- 35 (40%)

American Red Cross- 32 (36%)

Genesis Development - Storm Lake- 16 (18%)

BVU- 27 (31%)

Total No. of Votes 87

The funds were donated to American Red Cross and Kiva. org.

Donating Funds this week- Your ideas

2009-04-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

Greenbeaver will like to donate its funds this week American Red Cross for North Dakota Flood relief and to Kiva.org. We will also like to donate funds to UNICEF.

We will have one more options on our poll.
We are looking for more ideas. Do you have any???

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3701&3701.donation=form1&s_src=S9DWE003&JServSessionIdr009=u4e1b9nqt4.app197a

GreenBeaver Service Project

2009-03-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Never Give Up - The Change Starts With You!

2009-03-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

The post below are a result of hard work and dedication, your efforts have resulted in an improved planet in more ways than one - simply read the stories below if you don't believe you can change the world (Kivia & American Red Cross)!

per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance

1.	steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

2.	Theology. continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

Jessenia Esther Duarte Irias

2009-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Greenbeaver loaned Jessenia on March 23rd. We will follow the story now and see.

Status: Active

$800.00		Loan Amount

0% repaid

About the Entrepreneur

Name:

Jessenia Esther Duarte Irias

Location:

Danli, Honduras

Primary Activity:

General Store

Loan Requested:

$800.00

Repayment Term:

12 months - details

Loan Use:

Purchase of deodorants, gel, creams, nailpolish, nailpolish remover, sodas, churros, sweets, hairdye, nail files

Date Posted:

Mar 24, 2009

Date Funded:

Mar 24, 2009

Disbursal Date:

Mar 14, 2009

About the Field Partner

Field Partner:

Prisma Honduras, S.A.

Field Partner Risk Rating:

(Learn more)

Active

8 months

397

$168,525

1.41%

0.00%

E-mail from American Red Cross

2009-03-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Buena Vista University,

Thank you for your gift to the American Red Cross to support where our need is greatest. The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—down the street, across the country and around the world — in emergencies. As a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, the American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

You are helping us ensure that we can continue to provide these lifesaving services—that we have the resources, talent and ability to continue to deliver them—by your generous donation to support all of our core services. For more information about the programs and services that your donation supports, visit http://www.redcross.org/sponsors/greatestneed.asp.

Please continue to visit us at http://www.redcross.org/ to see how we’re making a difference every day.

American Red Cross

*************************************************

To verify that your company participates in a matching gift program, please contact your human resource representative.

Please print or save this message for your personal records.

This letter serves as the tax receipt for your gift. The American Red Cross is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization as described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code for 1984, as amended. Our tax identification number is 53-0196605. Adequate records will be maintained and made available to the IRS upon request. In accordance with IRS regulations, no goods or services were provided to the donor by the American Red Cross as part of this contribution.

Your gift may be recognized in future Red Cross publications. If you prefer your gift to remain anonymous, or have questions about your gift’s designation, or would like to learn more about the services that the Red Cross is committed to providing, please call 1-800-797-8022.

Transaction Summary

Transaction Date:	3/24/09
Amount:	$15.00
Billing Information
Title:
First Name:	Buena Vista University
Middle Name:
Last Name:	Residence Life
Suffix:
Email Address:	greenbeaver@bvu.edu
Email opt-in:	Yes
Street 1:	610 W 4th St
Street 2:
City:	Storm Lake
State/Province:	IA
ZIP/Postal Code:	50588
Country:	United States
Phone Number:	71274926756
Company/OrganizationName:	Buena Vista Univeristy

The e-mail from Kiva.org

2009-03-24T14:29:00.001-07:00

Dear Greenbeaver BVU,

Thank you for your loan to a Kiva entrepreneur! 100% of every dollar you
have loaned will be used by your entrepreneur to build their business.

Your Loans:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jessenia Esther Duarte Irias in Honduras (Activity: General Store) You
Loaned:$25.00 View loan profile at:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=95111&_te=ty

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Steps:

When the loan needs of each entrepreneur you have sponsored are met, you
will receive an email containing the exact date the loan term is
beginning. This may take a while after your individual loan transaction
was made, as we may need to wait for other lenders to contribute before
the total requested loan funding is raised. Generally speaking, loans
begin at the beginning of each month.

During the Loan Term:

Throughout the course of the loan term, you will receive repayments from
your sponsored business which you can retrieve, re-lend or donate. If,
when you created your Kiva profile, you opted to receive updates about
Kiva entrepreneurs, you may also receive periodic emails informing you
on how things are going with your loan(s). Or, if you opted not to
receive updates about Kiva entrepreneurs, you can always read the online
journal for your business. If you change your mind about your current
preferences, you may update your profile at any time on the Kiva
website. We encourage you to post your own comments in response to the
journal updates posted, as the partner representatives will be able to
read and respond to these comments.

At the end of the Loan Term:

At the end of the loan term, you will receive a final email update with
a summary of your sponsored business's overall performance and success
in completing the loan repayment, as well as a complete list of options
for you to retrieve, re-lend, or donate any repaid loan monies.

Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time at contactus@kiva.org

Thank you again for partnering with us!

Best Wishes, Kiva Staff

______________________________

Loans that change lives http://www.kiva.org/

Thanking Everyone

2009-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

The polling ends tomorrow and we will immediately send the funds to respective organizations. The developers of Greenbeaver will like to thank everyone who voted. We highly appreciate your interest and respect your support.

We will also like to express our sincere gratitude to all the staff, students and faculty of BVU who provided comments and ideas. We will like to thank Jeremy Ward, RD of Suites who used his truck to help us to recycle cans. We will also like to thank Res life of BVU, my academic advisor Bruce Ellingson and all other who helped us to craft our mission statement.

Respectfully,
Greenbeaver Team.

A Visual Argument for Change

2009-03-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Various sources

What is Kiva.org - courtesy of kiva.org

2009-03-11T09:05:00.001-07:00

What Is Kiva?

We Let You Loan to the Working Poor

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

Write Your Governor about Bottled Water

2009-03-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Visit the New American Dream organization's website to sign your name to a petition to ask state governors to stop spending taxpayer money on bottled water during these difficult economic times. As this organization points out, not only is bottled water thousands of times more expensive than tap, it also often undergoes less rigorous testing than tap water. Read up by looking at a landmark study on bottled water by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has several recommendations for the FDA when it comes to bottled water.

Moreover, bottled water is often simply tap water that has been filtered and minerals added. Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage industry in the country and estimates show that it's a $1 billion to $4 billion yearly industry. Those billions of bottles, of course, generate waste, even if they are recycled. Not to mention the energy, waste and pollution it takes to make that product and distribute it. Bottom line, get a nifty reusable bottle for water (or just start reusing some of those bottles of water you already have in your refrigerator) and drink tap. Then, tell your state governor and all of the other institutions you support (maybe your college) to serve tap.

Service Act

2009-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

On February 24, 2009, President Obama addressed a Joint Session of Congress. In the segment below, the President called for passage of the Serve America Act, a bipartisan national service bill co-authored by Senators Kennedy and Hatch

A Graphic Designer at odds.

2009-02-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

As a graphic designer, I work mostly with print. The amount of paper I go through in a week is simply ridiculous. I am also a senior this year and that also means that I have to have gallery show. Normally, we use a lot of paper in the preparation of our show (roughs, re-prints.. etc.) We could easily go through a 100 pound roll of paper in no time.

This really bothers me. Although I love print, and love holding a brochure, booklet, magazine, etc. in my hands, I think that as graphic designers, we need to move with the technology and embrace the web. Print will never die, but we should learn to cut back on print when it is not necessary.

In order to do this, I am creating an annual report to be shown through PDF (and eventually online). This will allow anyone to access it and won't cost a thing (besides the time designing it). For my printed items, I am currently looking into using recycled paper. The companies I am choosing will be environmentally conscious.

I think, as students, we should push for our university to use recycled paper instead of regular paper. It feels about the same, and saves a couple of trees.

I hope that by trying to cut down on prints, others will see my example and try that with their own shows.

Redefining the American Dream

2009-02-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

When I was in Philippines in 2005, I asked one of my Filipino friends about his future plans and goals in life. He replied that he wants to have a nice house, good family, well paid job and a branded car. Her response surprised me. There are three reasons for this: My Nepalese friends also have the same wishes and dreams, so did the guys that I talked with during my stay in India. These people were from various religions and backgrounds - Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sheikh.

These youths also came from various economic classes: rich, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class and poor. However, they all had and have similar aspirations despite what route they want to take to achieve their dreams. In 2007, I came to U.S.A and talked to my American friends about why they go to college and what they want in their life. They also shared similar views. I told them that in the corner of poor countries like Nepal, or in emerging countries like India or in developing countries like Philippines they all have similar goals. And one of my friends goes: "Yeah it is called the American Dream. I had never heard of this phrase before. However, even when I was a kid, I did know that in the U.S everybody has a car, house, well paid job and all other small amenities that will keep them happy.

I started to find articles on American Dream in the summer of 2008. The article found on the website of the Library of Congress is most meaningful and interesting for me. Here is the excerpt:
"The term was first used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America which was written in 1931. He states: "The American Dream is 'that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.' It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position".

Here is the other excerpt that I really like: "In the United States' Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers: "...held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." I think these are the noblest ideas humanity can ever come up with. I sometime wonder what would have happened to the world if this would have been exported to the whole world rather than just materialistic interpretation of the American dream.

It is undeniable that U.S.A exported the materialistic interpretation of American dream to the world and now we can find Americans all over the world in the sense that there are lots of people now living to achieve similar quality of life. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, capitalism flourished more than ever; countries like China, India and Brazil enabled more people to achieve American dream. Unfortunately, in these same countries we can find comparatively more denizens living under the poverty line and the gap between haves and have-nots is increasing.

Yes, it is true that because of capitalization lots of people got out of poverty and moved to middle class. However, the inconvenient truth is that the world welcomed lot of people too and lot of them are in poverty. The New York Times reported on Aug 26, 2008: "In India, the number of people below the $1.25 a day poverty line increased to 455 million in 2005 from 420 million people in 1981".
My grandfather used to say that poverty leads to violence. After the cold war, we did not have major wars but we did see many ethnic wars and a few are still going.

One of the other reasons why American dream got exported so fast was because of technology and communications. However, it has not been able to export equality, liberty, rule of law and the idea of undeniable rights comparatively well as it exported the materialistic interpretation of American dream. People break rules, discriminate and exploit others to turn their dreams into reality. China stands as profound evidence; they exploit their own people and the world's natural resources to achieve their version of the American Dream.

In addition with all these problems, the American dream did allow lots of people to use more resources and waste more than before. This all harmed the environment and the damages caused are almost irreversible. In the long run, the exportation of materialistic interpretation of an American Dream will do less good to the world and to the U.S itself than we would like to.
The challenge that the U.S and the world faces now should provoke and persuade the U.S to take this as an opportunity to lead the world in a new direction. It should export the American Dream in the way its founding fathers would have like it to. I also wish certain features should also be incorporated in this American Dream - an individual should have sense of community and should be environment friendly.

What Can You Do to Save Energy and Natural Resources on Campus?

2009-02-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

Lights
o Always turn off your lights whenever you leave your room.
o Utilize natural light whenever possible. Open your blinds.
o Use only Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs in all your lights. They use 75% less energy than incandescent (normal bulbs) and last 10 times longer.
o Turn off lights in bathrooms, lounges, and other common areas. Tell others to do the same.

Computers
o Turn your computer off when you aren't using it.
o Set your computer and monitor to go into sleep / stand by when they're inactive for too long. A computer in sleep mode uses about 5% the energy of one running a "screen saver". Click here for Computer Power Management directions.
o Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing a new computer or any other electronic device. Consider buying a flat screen monitor or a laptop model. See www.Energystar.gov for more information.

Appliances
o Turn off TVs, radios and stereos when you aren't using them. o Coordinate with your roommates to avoid bringing unneeded appliances. If you do bring a refrigerator, set the temperature between 36 and 42 degrees. Empty out your refrigerator and unplug it when you go on break.
o When purchasing a new appliance, look for the Energy Star label. See www.Energystar.gov for more information.
o If lounge TVs are left on, please turn them off!
o Only wash and dry full loads of laundry.

Phantom Loads
o Many appliances consume electricity even when turned off. The easiest way to avoid these "phantom loads" is to have all electrical cords plugged into a power strip and turn the strip off when not using any of them.
o Phone chargers, laptop cords, printers, etc. all draw power when unused. Please unplug them or use a power strip as mentioned above.

Water
o Take five minute showers.
o Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
o Wash only full loads of laundry.
o In residence halls with dual flush toilets, use the appropriate flush.

Turn Off The Lights

2009-02-12T09:31:00.001-08:00

This article/blog was found online at thesimpledollar.com. Little things can make a big difference and here is a great example of how turning off lights not only saves money but also the environment.
How Much Money Does Turning Off the Lights Really Save?

November 18, 2007 @ 3:00 pm - Written by Trent
Categories: Frugality
Bookmarks: del.icio.us, reddit
Source: TheSimpleDollar.com

When I was young, my parents were adamant about turning off lights and were often rather upset with me if we’d leave on a two or three day trip and my bedroom light remained on. Even now, my wife and I traditionally go through the house and turn off lights, even if we’re just leaving for a couple hours.

Is this tactic worth the time invested in it? Let’s dig in and crunch the numbers, but let’s first make a few assumptions.

First of all, it takes two minutes to walk through the house and ensure all the lights are shut off. From the upstairs bedrooms to the laundry room on the far side of the basement, this is about right for our house.

Second, electricity costs $0.10 per kilowatt hour. This is roughly what the nationwide average is, and roughly what we use.

Third, the average bulb in our home eats 20 watts. We use mostly CFLs, so this is a rough estimate. At my parents, where they’re still using almost all incandescent bulbs despite my admonitions, it’s more like 50-60 watts on average per bulb.

Fourth, doing that walk-through causes me to turn off four light bulbs. This is just on average, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Taking those assumptions, let’s say we’re going to leave on a two hour trip. I turn off four 20 watt bulbs that would have run for two hours, so that’s a total of 160 watt hours of energy, or 0.32 kilowatt hours. The effort in that walkthrough, which takes two minutes, is 1.6 cents.

Let’s do the same for an average work day, where the house will be empty for nine hours. Turning off four 20 watt bulbs that would have run for nine hours saves 720 watt hours of energy. That two minute walkthrough here saves 7.2 cents. This is getting better, but still not very cost effective.

Now, let’s look at a weekend trip, which we take about once a month. We’re typically gone for about 52 hours. Thus, if we turn off those same four 20 watt bulbs, we save 4,160 watt hours of energy. That’s 41.6 cents, which is getting to be worthwhile for two minutes of effort.

This is assuming only lights, of course. What about the potential for other electronic devices to be turned on? If you find a television on, which sucks down roughly 150 watts on average. Over two hours, that’s only 3 cents. Over that 52 hour trip, that’s 7.8 kilowatt hours, or $0.78.

Here’s what I concluded from running the numbers.

First, a walkthrough gets more and more cost effective the longer your trip is going to be. For very short trips, it’s probably not worth the time investment - with just the lightbulbs and a two minute walkthrough before a two hour trip, your hourly wage for that effort is 48 cents. However, if you do a two minute walkthrough for a two day trip and find the four lights and the television on, your hourly wage for that effort is $35.88.

Second, the more devices you turn off, the more worthwhile the walkthrough is. On longer trips, I do things like unplugging devices, powering off everything on my entertainment center, unplugging my laptop’s power supply, and so on. This cuts down on a lot of drain and can be done pretty quickly, not adding much at all to the time of the walkthrough.

My strategy? On short trips, I usually don’t even bother with a walkthrough - it’s not worth the time. On weekend trips, however, I’m pretty vigilant about a two or three minute walkthrough to turn things off and unplug a few things - it saves a lot of energy and the value of the time I invest in it is quite worthwhile (I can regularly earn the equivalent of a $50 hourly wage turning stuff off before a long trip).

It’s simple things like these that really make the difference. Taking just a few minutes to look at your behavior and realize when a frugal tactic is cost-effective or not can tell you a lot about whether that behavior is really right for you. For me, I often try to look at it as an hourly wage - if that hourly wage looks nice to me (or there’s some other appeal to it), I’ll do it. That’s why when I bake bread, I usually make several loaves at once, for example, and also why I enjoy trying once-a-month cooking, but I usually eschew most high-intensity efforts at coupons - I’ll browse through them idly at the kitchen counter on a lazy Sunday morning and sometimes search online for them, but the benefit is usually not worth the effort.

Weekly Challenge - DO SOMETHING

2009-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hold The Door Please...

I have been hesitant to post on the blog, but time for deliberation has expired. "Do Something" for me is presenting "challenges" to myself and hoping it can positively impact the lives of others by sharing them on here with you. That something does not have to be made public or get recognition, as long as it is the "right thing" to do a euphoric feeling will come about because you are taking part in something larger than self.
The Challenge, as the title states to DO SOMETHING, prompting us all to take action in order to affect change. There are so many issues plaguing our world today that we often attempt to disconnect ourselves from them because it does not hit home. We focus on what is here and now, or what immediately effects us personally - so the challenge is to do something here and now. In turn, the actions we take here and now will have instantaneous affects on our world both in the now and forever. Here is a practical example: Today I was at the top of a flight of stairs and a student held the door open for me until I made it down the stairs and through the door (the chain reaction has been sparked)So guess what I did the next time I had the opportunity - that's right, I held the door open for a person who was on their way to the door. Another example: Yesterday I stopped to pick up a cup left on the floor of a residence hall and a student saw this action and the piece of trash near his foot was picked up as well - what a wonderful feeling. It felt so good because typically students walk by and help rub trash into the carpet rather than taking .2 seconds to improve their living space.

It is important to know that our society can change with simple, every day actions, by normal every day people. One of best coaches I ever had the opprotounity to play for often stated "you dont have to do extrodinary things to be great, doing the ordinary things extrodinary is more effective". This references the fundamentals of athletics but also the basic functions of life. Doing what you can to help others is a fundamental function of being a human being. Going green involves more than recycling, the very notion of improving our world is an ordinary, extrrodinary action. Lets clean up our world together both mentally and physically!

Leave thinking about these thoughts:
Gandhi said "be the change you wish to see in the world"
Ben Franklin states "you may delay, but time will not"
Snickers "why wait, grab a snickers"

WHAT CHANGE DO YOU WANT TO SEE & WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Stay driven - your dreams can come true (ace a test, become a super star, pro athlete, get a job, lose weight, create an atmosphere of service etc.) - What about now? Do it!
Be Blessed and Inspired!

We have enough time starting right now.

2009-02-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Wearing blue or pink dress can be your personal choice, but being involved in the process of degrading the whole environment should not be your personal choice. We all share common home and that is our planet. We do not have a choice except to engage our self in discussion and act immediately. As one of the late environmentalist said “We have enough time, starting right now”.

We need to do the right thing at the right time, in the right way and understand how and why we are doing it.

Now you may think why should we be thinking about our world? If you want the answer, ask yourself this question: How do I want to live my life after 10 years or what kind of world I want my kids and grandkids to live in. Think about it! I know you want to.

I am not asking anyone to become an iconoclast. I am just asking you to try to master the skill of husbanding our resources in sustainable way. Your every action matters, your actions may not change the world, but I am confident your wise actions will control the damage.

I will leave you with this video, please watch and think about it and post you comments below in the box.

What about Now - Courtesy of Youtube

P.S : Thank You to Rahn Franklin , who found this video on Youtube.

Eating Green

2009-02-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

Surely in modern-day times of economic fluctuation and environmental concern, one would ponder how many small changes in lifestyle could significantly change our situation for the better. Recycling, reusing, conservation of energy, and various other methods are useful ways to preserve the environment. The truth is, just about every interaction we make with the world around us affects how we leave a carbon print on the world. A very significant, but underestimated method of reducing your affect on the environment is a properly structured diet that is “green.” The reason behind the diet or selection of food intake is the modern methods of mass food production and the harm it does to the earth. An added benefit to a greener diet would be the fact that it is healthier than the average American diet. The basis for the diet is not simply to consume only plants or to buy organic, although those help. The most important thing to consider when eating green is whether the food we eat leaves minimal pollution on the environment. Where it comes from, how it is grown, processed, packaged, and transported to where it is sold and consumed are all important parts of the process to consider. How each of these affect our environment and health are of the utmost importance. Here is a list of ways for the average college student to eat green.

1. Eat less animal products such as red meat

To make this clear first, I am not advocating that we all become vegetarians but I have great respect for those that make that decision. The reason why you should eat less red meat is due to the high consumption rate of red meat in America and the energy required producing it. The animals we raise for red meat consume well over half our crop harvest every year and the antibiotics and hormones they are given to grow faster end up in our rivers and streams. Does this mean we have to give up steak? No. But if you were to do it with as little environmental strain as possible you should buy grass-fed beef that is chemical, hormone, and antibiotic free. For how we can change this in our college, read on.

2. Eat real food

Highly processed foods require just that, processing, which takes energy and creates pollutants. A good tip for those that buy food at the supermarket is to stay on the outskirts of the store because most of the food that requires no container or a recyclable container is also the healthiest. The less packaging and whole (without additives and chemicals) the food is, the better.

3. Don’t buy bottled water

Bottled water is a no-no. The energy needed to make the bottle and transport it from places like Fiji, Europe, and other locations adds up on spent energy. You should buy a reusable plastic bottle and get a filter for your tap water. Because we do not have filters in the dorms, you can get water at one of the filtered water stations at our servery!

4. Buy fruits and vegetables in-season (buy locally)

When we buy in-season foods, we are eliminating environmental damage caused by excess miles that the food would have needed if we bought it out of season. You are also supporting the local farm economy. Once again, this may not seem as applicable due to our constraints with food services but I will explain.

5. Eat the food you put on your plate

This may seem common sense to some but is a very normal thing that can be witnessed every day at our servery. I am sure that all of us have had that busy day where we have some food left on our plate but we don’t eat it. Food is energy and nutrients. When we do not consume the food that we have taken, it goes into the garbage. What the food could have done, if it was not thrown in the garbage, would be to give nutrients to other plants and living things. Essentially this is an issue of waste. For some this may be the hardest step to make. But it is important to judge how much you need to consume and to not let your eyes decide how much food to take.

Lastly, I understand that we may have very minimal control over steps like eating grass-fed beef, organic foods, less processed foods, as well as buying foods in season and locally. The solution is talk with our food service. It doesn’t have to be an intimidating demand. Simply give them some input as to what kinds of food selections you would like. In the last few years college students at various colleges have been asking for their food services to buy locally. Once we are aware of how to eat in a way that leaves less of an effect on the earth, it is important to consider change. Just remember that every movement and significant change must start off with knowledge and an idea. Then action needs to take place.

So, to recap, eat less animal products such as red meat, eat real food more than processed, don’t buy bottled water, buy produce in-season, and take only as much food as you will eat at the servery. If you have any questions or comments, please list them.

Grant

Eating Green

2009-02-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

BVU Consumption Stats

2009-02-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Below are some rough stats of what BVU consumes every year. These are the preliminary results of the Green House Gas Study that Buena Vista University is currently undergoing.

To give you all some insight into what these figures mean, lets look at something that might be a little more comprehendable. Using a 100 watt light bulb for one hour consumes 0.10 kilowatt hours of electricity. So, that's like leaving one hundred 100-watt light bulbs on continuously for 118 years! Or, just in extra trash pick-ups (that means above and beyond the normal daily load) you could fill the playing area of a football field 8 feet deep!!

Green Bags

2009-01-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

Surely everyone owns and regularly uses reusable grocery bags by now, right? After all, the Worldwatch Institute estimates that over 100 billion (yeah, I said BILLION) plastic bags are thrown away every year, so it's an easy way to have a big impact. Wrong.

As a matter of fact, according to a Stanford University graduate professor, Baba Shiv, in a Wall Street Journal article, it can take years, even decades, for consumers to change their shopping practices. And often, they will only change them "when there's a personal reward or an obvious taboo associated." To that point in the same article, Phil Rozenski, director of environmental strategies at the plastic bag maker Hilex Poly Co., says that initial studies indicate that only about 10% of consumers reuse the reusable bags they purchase.

So in spite of the fact that it's very popular to sell reusable bags (what retail store doesn't have it's own brand on a bag now) or even to give them away (people are even giving them as guest gifts at weddings), there's not yet enough social pressure to get people to actually use them the way they are intended ... instead of plastic.

Probably, we need one of two things to happen. Either more cities/states go the way of San Francisco or of retailers like Whole Foods and Ikea, and ban the use of plastic bags or make you pay if want one, or we start creating social pressure to use the bags. We gotta make it “cool” to reuse your reusables or at least very uncool not to have one with you at all times. Hmm, who could start that trend? Maybe hip, young college kids? Probably not an oldie like me though I do use my Green Bags often. As a matter of fact, I’m off to the store now, reusables in-hand. Think anyone will see me and think I’m cool? Hope so!

I Know I'm like 7 months LATE, but one of the wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates, stepped down as CEO of Microsoft to focus on PHILANTHROPY!!

2009-01-27T01:30:00.000-08:00

A World With No Thumbs

2009-01-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

Evolution!!!! Some view it as a gift, while others perceive it as a curse. One phenomenal development of human evolution is the opposable or prehensile thumb. This evolutionary adaptation enables the human hand to refine its grip thus allowing an individual to hold an object. The power of the thumb gives us humans the power to CONTROL. With CONTROL, humans have the ability to manipulate all forms and shapes of various objects. From object to person, with the thumb "the ability to direct or determine" has somewhat contributed to the individualistic mindset many citizens wear today.

Think about it....

Although the amazing advancements of technology and ergonomic development will continue to awe us, what if Homo sapiens had no thumbs? Indeed we would be physically inferior relative to our current physical state. It's also true that it would be easier to eat with chop sticks. On a serious note, A World With No Thumbs would consist of an ad infinitum amount of lending hands! The common struggle of individuals not having thumbs would be internalized by all. A shared struggle between a people creates a sense of linkage that connects individuals on a plane beyond the physical and respect. Once such a connection is established between people, certain individualistic (b.k.a. capitalism) behaviors automatically disperse.

All I'm saying is that because thumbs do exist and every individual is not considered to be "handicapped" we tend to disregard the fact that people, healthy or unhealthy, rich or poor all need a lending hand. Just look a New Orleans, one in every 400 persons on average is homeless. That's CRAZY!!! Perhaps it's the capitalistic society we live in that has conditioned us to be more individualistic rather than embracing a collectivism approach.

But hey, freezing people want to be warm, just as a baby wants milk. I want the world to be green in every way possible through the environment, economically and socially. I'm not saying no control is the solution, however less control and more collaboration through unity just might be the missing key to our various differences and discrepancies.

Des
*Beep*

A World With No Thumbs...

2009-01-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

Evolution! Some view it as a gift, while others perceive it as a curse. One of the cornerstones of human evolution was the development of thumbs, oppasable thumbs. The development enables humans to

Sarah McLachlan- courtesy of You Tube

2009-01-22T22:33:00.000-08:00

If you are passionate about your life. You will like to check out this video!!!

Greenbeaver@BVU

2009-01-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

We here at BVU we always strive to become a better individuals every day. I believe we do this for two reasons. First, we want to make sure that we fulfill our own American Dream. Second, as beaver most of us are concerned with making a positive impact on the world. I think that the best interpretation of the American Dream can be found from following statement: “In the United States’ Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers: "…held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Unfortunately, for some reason the materialistic interpretation of the American Dream is more popular rather than the above one. I sometimes wonder what would have happened to the world if this would have been exported to the whole world rather than just the materialistic interpretation of the American dream. We are rushing everyday to achieve the popular form of the American Dream. In this course, we have lost the track of time to certain extent. It appears to me to we have not chosen the best path and we feel lost sometimes.

Therefore, we refer ourselves as being part of a time starved generation, but recent events have proved to us that we are also starving for energy and resources. The recent rise in the price of gas stands as profound evidence. We struggle and involve ourselves in war too to obtain petro products and many others. During all these years we have affected our mother nature in irreversible way for various reasons. I believe that we should start working right away to protect our environment.

Greenbeaver@BVU is a program launched in collaboration with multiple entities on campus such as Students Concerned about Tomorrow Environment (SCATE). This project will enable us to educate ourselves on environmental issues and lead an environmentally friendly life. On top of that, it will also assist citizens of third world countries to achieve better quality of life.

We will recycle our soda cans, plastic bottles, paper towels, printing papers and virtually everything which is possible to recycle in Storm Lake. The revenue generated from this process will be invested in micro financing. For example we will donate $25 which will assist a family from Tanzania to open a small business. Once they establish themselves, we will have an option to get our money back or reinvest our money again to a different family residing somewhere in a third world country (major world). We will micro finance through Kiva- loans that change lives. The funds that we want to invest will come from our waste products. I am confident that this is self sustainable project. You can assist us by throwing the trash at the appropriate recycle bins.

We all know that BVU stands as the leader in the SL community. I believe Storm Lake community expects us to set an example and be a pragmatic leader. We have been doing this to certain extent; however we have not done much regarding environmental awareness. We have moral, ethical and professional obligations to serve the community and set an example. Given the current circumstances, I believe that we can save our resources by spreading the word of environmental protection. I also want to point out and emphasize that our goal is not only to protect our environment, but we also hope to uplift the lives of others in the third world countries via micro financing. We are confident that our GreenBeaver@BVU project has no hidden operating cost. This is a win-win situation.

Now, I will leave you with this thought. Ask yourself a question: When do we feel best about ourselves as Americans or as human beings in general? I am confident that your response will be: It is when we are doing something to help others. Finally, we are not only doing this because we want to do it, but because we think it is the necessity of our time and it’s the right thing to do. We hope you feel the same way.

We hope to hear your concerns, questions, criticisms or ideas on how to make this project better, if you have any. Please let us hear from you at your earliest convenience by leaving the comments in the box below.