Consider applying to be a Freeplay Foundation Ambassador for Clean Energy (ACE).

Our Ambassadors for Clean Energy (ACE) Initiative shines a bright light on the need for clean-energy solutions in Africa.  American high school students who show initiative and care about the environment are invited to apply to be Ambassadors for Clean Energy (ACEs). 

As ACEs, students will learn about environmental issues in Africa, rural development, and sustainable technology’s role in improving the quality of people’s lives.  Ambassadors will be actively involved in fundraising and advocating for the Freeplay Foundation’s lighting projects in their schools and local communities, and will participate in our annual Holiday Campaign to light up the lives of orphans in Rwanda. 

This experience will allow ACEs to develop valuable life and organizational skills and learn first-hand about the realities of life in sub-Saharan Africa, all the while supporting the Freeplay Foundation.

Check out www.freeplayfoundation.org for more information and the application.  It is under the Support Us section of the website.  Applications are due September 25.

I just read the coolest article, seriously.

I was browsing around on The Guardian looking for inspiration when I found this article about how Costa Rica is both the world's greenest country as well as its happiest country. Really? Ecological consciousness is linked to happiness?

Costa Rica is world's greenest, happiest country

The article didn't go into much detail, but I'm willing to speculate.  Let's start with Ashley Seager's quote: "The [Happy Planet Index] shows, for example, that fast-growing economies such as the US, China and India were all greener and happier 20 years ago than they are today."

Well, why? The Happy Planet Index, first off, combines life expectancy and life satisfaction, which I think are pretty decent measures. According to Mr. Seager, the US is 114th of 143-- not a great standing given our long lives. African countries are at the very bottom of the scale, and the highest European nation is the Netherlands.

OK, so that's a start. What is it about green living that makes us happy, and about dirty living that is unsatisfying? 

This is pure speculation, but I'd like to chalk up the American angst to materialism. It's not only that our infrastructure poorly designed and we are often forced to drive cars to work-- on top of that, we want nice cars that 'define us.' We work longer hours than any other developed nation (correct me if I'm wrong-- it's been a long time since I read the stats), which stresses us and gives us more disposable cash to make those monthly payments.

The Netherlands, on the other hand, is big on the bicycle. I think in general that they live a more compact lifestyle, and place a higher value on frugality. This sort of attitude goes a long way toward overall satisfaction, and it's also better for the environment.

Of course, maybe there are other reasons forthe relative happiness of Costa Ricans and the Dutch. Most of the above was pure speculation. I'd love to hear what you think!

Last Saturday I went to a barbeque for Terry McAuliffe, who is a contender to be the democratic nominee for the Virginia governorship. Who knew it was an election year?

I was originally attracted by the promise of free food, but of course I also thought it was going to be really interesting to hear what Mr. McAuliffe was going to say about his plan for Virginia.

I heard a lot about jobs, which is the hot topic on everyone's mind these days-- especially for a crowd of recent college grads. He also spent a good deal of time talking about the environment. Mr. McAuliffe wants to reduce our reliance on automobiles by putting in a high-speed railway from D.C. to Roanoke. He wants to build a wind farm 50 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. And Mr. McAuliffe said that he won't take a check from Dominion Power, because he doesn't want to indebt himself to the coal plants.

It all sounds like solid, actionable planning. But can Terry McAuliffe come through? It was a small barbeque, so I actually got a chance to talk to him. He seems pretty type-A; a get-things-done type of man. I think this is a really good sign in favor of actual change.

Afterwards, I talked to some of the student volunteers for Mr. McAuliffe’s campaign. Many of the campaign volunteers I talked to said that they chose to work on McAuliffe's behalf because he seemed most likely to win (as opposed to Creigh Deeds or Brian Moran). I think that there are probably more inspired answers out there, but it's a start. If he is a man of action today, it is all the more likely that he will continue to accomplish significant change in the future.

I think that bodes well for us Virginians. The economy, the environment, and our education system could all stand a little improvement.

Here's the link to McAuliffe's campaign issues, if you want to dive a little deeper:

http://www.terrymcauliffe.com/issues#energy

To conclude, I'm going to volunteer for McAuliffe tomorrow evening. I'm going canvassing, and hopefully we can drum up a little interest in the Virginia gubernatorial primaries. As I begin doing my part for the campaign, I’ll have to wait and see what happens next, and whether I can be a part of the solution.

As a note: I wish I had pictures for you guys, but I've unfortunately lost my camera's battery charger. So hang tight for awesome pics on upcoming posts!

That Obama wants green jobs, but won't legalize hemp. There are well over 25,000 uses for industrial hemp. thats at least 25,000 jobs right there. Henry ford built a car out of hemp, look for it on youtube, its body was stronger and lighter than steel. Hemp can be used for clothes, rope, food, fuel, energy, you name it hemp can probally be used for it. Obama wants to solve the energy crisis with green energy, but won't legalize hemp. Hemp is the only truely green solution. If can be used to power everything from the lights on the street, the engine in your car, the microwave in your house, to the secruity system at the white house. All we need is use 6% of US soil. Lets look at the numbers the US has 2,263,960,477.89 acres, we only need 135,839,628.67 acres, thats not even the size of Texas which has 167,624,960 acres. The best part of all hemp can grow just about anywhere, can be havested in about four months leading to more than one harvest a year in most places. It even puts nutrients back into the soil. Biodiesel made from hemp oil can power your unmodified diesel engine. Can be stored in your unmodified diesel containers. Pumped from your unmodified Diesel pumps. You want green jobs Obama, you want to stop depending on foreign oil, I might of even heard you talking about CHANGE, change the laws on growing hemp. IT CANT EVEN GET YOU HIGH, why keep it illegal if there is only positive, it just dosent make any sense.

Woohoo! I heart Earth Hour. I just read EthanA's play-by-play about his activities during the hour of darkness, and I was inspired to post a few of my own.

Indeed we did

8:00 in San Diego - Dinner out with Brian, a few friends, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Incredible, amazing, fantastic Indian food. Lots of naan and tikka masala. Mmmm.

9:45 - Back at the house... crap, we missed Earth Hour! I knew there was something I had to remember tonight. OK, we'll do it later.

11:30 - It is 8:30 in Hawaii, where Brian and I are moving soon, so we decide to do our Earth Hour late in camaraderie. Aloha Earth Hour!

11:35 We finally locate candles and matches and set the living room and kitchen ablaze. 

11:45 Someone complains about not being able to see the toilet in the bathroom. To avoid any unpleasant accidents, we make sure there are candles in that room. 

11:50-12:35 We toast to the Earth, take silly pictures in the candlelight and dance in the living room to the music on someone's iPhone (is that cheating?). 

What did you do for Earth Hour 2009? Sleep, snuggle, skinny dip? Post your stories and your pictures on your blog! 

Bri practices his "Blue Steel" look

My sister-in-law Meg and me