Check it out here.
Live Sustainably
Dave
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Help Stamp Out hunger
This seems like a pretty good no brainer and while it doesn't specifically deal with the waste issue per se, it's a good reminder of how lucky most of us are to have enough to eat, and that there are those all around us who don't.
On Saturday May 10th the post office is asking that you leave a bag of non-perishable canned goods out at your door. The postal employees will pick up the bags and in conjunction with America's Second Harvest (a great organization by the way) get them to families in need.
Here are the details.
On Saturday, May 10, Campbell Soup Company will join forces with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to Stamp Out Hunger! across America . Now in its 16 th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, having collected more than 836 million pounds of food since its inception in 1993.
To help Stamp Out Hunger! this year, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on May 10. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans. The nation's 230,000 letter carriers will then collect donations from homes across the country and deliver them to food bank members of America 's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network and other hunger relief organizations in more than 10,000 local communities.
To find out more about the annual Stamp Out Hunger! effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.
On Saturday, May 10, Campbell Soup Company will join forces with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to Stamp Out Hunger! across America . Now in its 16 th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, having collected more than 836 million pounds of food since its inception in 1993.
To help Stamp Out Hunger! this year, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on May 10. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans. The nation's 230,000 letter carriers will then collect donations from homes across the country and deliver them to food bank members of America 's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network and other hunger relief organizations in more than 10,000 local communities.
To find out more about the annual Stamp Out Hunger! effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.
Live Sustainably
Dave
Garbage Island
This a a really great video piece on VBS called Garbage Island. It follows Charles Moore across the Pacific Gyre and is worth watching the whole thing. You can see the rest of the episodes here.
Live Sustainably
Dave
Greendimes Will Pay You $1 To Stop Your Junk Mail
Greendimes has announced that they will pay the next 5 million people who sign up $1 each to stop their junk mail for a year.
Now how can you beat that?
What are you waiting for?
Live Sustainably
Dave
Dave
5/4/08 Update
After hearing some feedback, I wanted to post an update. While Greendimes is giving everyone who signs up $1 right now, it is for the manual removal sign up, ie, they walk you through what to do but you do it yourself. If you want them to do it for you, there is the usual $20 fee and they'll plant 5 trees as well. I believe the manual sign up doesn't plant trees but you can have them do so for a dollar or two more. While one friend did question this as a bait and switch tactic, i pointed out that they are willing to walk you through getting rid of your mail and pay you $1 for it at the same time so it's actually quite on the level. I just think that most folks, when they see what is involved with maintaining it yourself, will agree that $20 is worth the time and effort they will save you. Bottom line- it really chaps my hide that we need to spend a ton of time, or any money to get rid of junk mail to begin with, but it's a consumer based society, so it is what it is. At least they've set up one stop shopping to help.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Now You Can Make Your Prius A Plug In Hybrid!
Hymotion/A123 has announced that it is now taking orders to convert 2004-2008 Prius' to plug in hybrid technology. The conversion adds a battery pack where the spare tire sits, costs about $10k and has a three year warranty. The battery will charge off of house power in under 5 hours and will make the Prius able to achieve 100 mpg over a 30-40 mile range. Also of note is that the cars have met governement crash safety tests, so the whole battery exploding thing should be behind us. There's a great animation worth checking out on the site to see what the batts are made of.
While this may seem steep to many, remember that this is just the beginning and the price point on these upgrades is only going to come down once they start hitting the market place and more people want them. It's a great start and in my opinion, about time.
Live Sustainably
Dave
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Plug In America Seeks Executive Director
In case anyone out there has any leads, Plug In America is looking to fill it's executive Director position. See below for more info.
Live Sustainably
Dave
Dear members of the EV community,
Plug In America is excited to announce that we are seeking a full-time executive director to help manage our phenomenal growth. This is an exceptional opportunity for a qualified plug-in advocate to work with founder Chelsea Sexton and the rest of our experienced board of directors to take us to the next level. To further expand our programs and influence, the new executive director's role will combine organizational management and fundraising, as well as increased representation of Plug In America at meetings and events across the country.
Please forward the job description below to qualified candidates. Together, we will get plug-in vehicles back in consumers' hands soon.
Plug In America Executive Director Job Description
Reports To: Board of Directors
Employment Status: Full time
Salary: Highly competitive salary based on experience. Benefits package available. Possible bonuses.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Negotiable in the Los Angeles region or San Francisco Bay Area (work at home okay initially)
Deadline: Open until filled
About Plug In America:
Are you tired of being dependent on oil for transportation? We are. Plug In America is a non-profit organization advocating the use of plug-in cars, trucks, and SUVs powered by cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity to reduce our nation's dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. Dozens of studies show that driving on electricity, even on today's electrical grid, is cleaner than driving on gasoline. As the grid gets cleaner, so do plug-in cars. We work to educate consumers, regulators, legislators, and the auto industry about the benefits of driving all-electric cars and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Our supporters come from all 50 U.S. states and 10 other countries. Many of Plug In America's founders were featured in the film Who Killed the Electric Car? (Sony Pictures Classics). Our strategies range from working inside the auto and electrical industries to obtaining government grants for educational programs to staging street demonstrations and protests when needed. Most of our funding so far comes from individuals and philanthropic organizations, with some funds from corporations and government grants. www.pluginamerica.org
Job summary:
Our next visionary leader will take the reins from our first executive director, who will remain active on the board of directors. The new executive director will devote half-time to organizational management and half-time to development and fundraising, helping our young organization grow from a $200,000 annual budget to $500,000/year over the next 3 years, with additional staff. We're looking for a highly motivated self-starter who will establish and execute programs to grow the organization's base of supporters and members, develop ongoing sources of funding, and create tools and programs to ensure solid financial growth. Join us and get in on the ground floor in our "virtual" office – we have no physical office yet, though that's part of the 3-year plan. With successful growth, we plan to hire a dedicated development director to assist the executive director. Much of the day-to-day duties of the executive director will be established on the candidate's own initiative, with frequent contact with board members. It's an exciting time in society's transition away from fossil-fuel cars to plug-in vehicles. If you're a motivated self-starter with experience in non-profit management and fundraising, join our team and be part of the change.
Responsibilities:
· Manage day-to-day operations of Plug In America, including responsibilities for financial tracking, public relations, and materials and supplies
· Develop and coordinate volunteer programs
· Build coalitions with environmental organizations and other allies
· Help develop and advance Plug In America's strategic plan
· Design, build, and implement a comprehensive development program that incorporates a wide variety of fundraising vehicles including large and small gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations, special events, sponsorships, grants, and online appeals
· Develop, manage, and grow our stable of major donors
· Research and secure foundation grants
· Cultivate house parties, an annual benefit event, or other fundraising events
· Manage individual donor campaigns, including membership renewals and special appeals
· Manage organizational membership database – create profiles and track donors and prospects; and, in coordination with staff, issue e-mail announcements as necessary
· Prepare and submit letters, grant proposals and other reports or materials needed for effective cultivation and solicitation of prospects
· Along with staff and the board, represent Plug In America at public events, conferences, workshops and media events, as requested
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred
Minimum five years experience in management and charitable fund development
Computer literacy and competency with electronic tracking systems; online fundraising experience is a plus
Strong knowledge of principles, ethics and practices of non-profit operation and fundraising
Demonstrated leadership
Experience delivering measurable outcomes
Experience managing organizational finances, public relations, and coalition-building
Demonstrated success with a similar organization in securing major and annual gifts from foundations, corporations, and individuals
Demonstrated success in meeting annual fund goals, development management, grant writing, sponsorships and special events
Demonstrated success in working as a member of a team and developing effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, donors, and board members
Demonstrated passion for reducing global warming, increasing use of renewable power, and empowering consumer choice
Excellent written/oral communication skills
Ability to lead multiple long- and short-term projects simultaneously; ability to plan, prioritize, coordinate, and manage own work; ability to work unsupervised and make decisions and solve problems independently, effectively and creatively
Ability to work comfortably and effectively in a dynamic and sometimes informal structure
Ability to present, inform and motivate individuals and groups about Plug In America's mission and goals
To Apply: E-mail a resume and cover letter to Sherry Boschert at sherry [at] pluginamerica [dot] org. All applicants will receive a response.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
