Here you can find everything related to the design, economics, science, technology, philosophy, and politics behind the movement towards the creation of a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous world. The motto here is ”Invent. Invest. Implement.” Why? Because I believe that solving seemingly intractable problems requires that we put our minds (Invent), our money (Invest) and hands (Implement) to work in the direction of our goals.
Photos from My Graduation, And Thoughts on the Last Few Weeks
Written on 06/07 at 12:14 PM by Andy Posner
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The last month has been an absolute blur for me. I defended, presented and completed my masters thesis. I then spent the next few weeks working full time on Capital Good Fund and Group stuff, while also dealing with the final stages of purchasing my new condo--which quickly turned into a nightmare of back-and-forth emails, revised documents, etc. For graduation week, two of my best friends, Jared and Danny, as well as my parents, came out to visit. The week started out with Jared and I going out for a bike ride on an absolutely beautiful day in Providence. We had been eagerly anticipating the ride for quite some time because we hadn’t gone for a ride together in a while. As the ride was starting, I noticed a strange notice coming from my bike, but I didn’t think anything of it until about 10 minutes in when suddenly my rear derailleur snapped completely in half (photo below). It turns out that as a result of a crash I had about a month and a half ago the carbon faceplate on the derailleur had sustained a tiny crack that got larger until it suddenly failed. However, Jared and I did end up doing several beautiful rides--with me on my touring bike and him on his race bike--and that about exemplifies how the last month has been: on the whole, absolutely fantastic, but also stressfull and full of surprises. Read on for more about my graduation!
De camino a la Alhambra
Written on 05/16 at 04:57 PM by Andy Posner
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De camino a la Alhambra
De camino a la Alhambra el sueño se cayó
En manos de la realidad,
Y como no anticipaba la invasión
Me quedé destrozado, buscando
Las esquirlas de un amor
Que había explicado el caos del mundo.
De camino a la Alhambra una promesa
Se sometió a la distancia que la transmitía,
Y yo, desesperado, con una fe incorruptible,
Me puse a cantar como un imán
Que de pronto descubre que los creyentes ya no creen;
Mis palabras cayeron sobre una muralla que desconocía.
De camino a la Alhambra una brisa
Se llevó al pasado una historia
Que había conquistado el tiempo,
Que había establecido un reino
De caricias, de miradas penetrantes,
De la perfección hecha alcanzable.
De camino a la Alhambra mi vida
Cambió para siempre, y aunque
El dolor no me haya vencido,
Las heridas no permiten que me olvide
De la luna que iluminó mi corazón
Aquella noche antigua que pasamos en la Alhambra.
Green Microfinance: Advancing Social Equality and Environmental Sustainability in the United States
Written on 05/06 at 03:15 PM by Andy Posner
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Click here to download a PDF of my complete thesis. Questions and comments are much appreciated!
My masters thesis in Environmental Studies at Brown University looks at how microfinance--the provision of small loans and other financial services to people not considered credit worthy by traditional financial institutions--can be used to advance environmental sustainability as well as social equality and empowerment in the United States. The thesis starts out by explaining the philosophical approach that I applied to problem, namely, that to create a green economy in the US we need to ensure that all segments of society are engaged on environmental issues through entrepreneurship, jobs, investment opportunities and a sense that environmental problems are relevant to people’s lives. The rest of the thesis explores how microfinance can accomplish those goals through 1) supporting ‘green collar entrepreneurs’--low and moderate-income individuals who want to start or expand green micro and small businesses, 2) by providing environmental education to all borrowers so that they are empowered to become civic leaders advocating for policy changes, organizing community events, and starting businesses that improve environmental quality, and 3) by providing loans for residential energy-efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to homeowners that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to partake in these types of programs due to problems with credit history or other barriers.
A key component of my thesis was working to develop an organization, The Capital Good Fund, that can implement these aforementioned ideas. In particular, we are working to develop “green credit builder loans,” which are loans of $100-$300 that finance the installation and purchase of low-flow showerheads, energy-efficient light bulbs and programmable thermostats. The borrower receives education on how to use the product and realize additional savings; she also sees reduced energy bills AND she gets to build her credit history as well. In addition, we are working to develop a larger loan product ($3,000-$10,000) that will cover 100% of the up-front cost of doing residential energy-efficiency projects. What’s unique about the loan is that it is structured such that the payments are equal to or less than the savings, meaning that at a minimum the loan is revenue neutral to the borrower. Lastly, we are working with our business borrowers to green their businesses and we are developing an environmental literacy curriculum that can be taught to our borrowers.
A Literary Portrait
Written on 05/02 at 01:37 PM by Andy Posner
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Several months ago I received a request from Helen Mou, a Brown University Junior, to sit down for an interview for a writing class she was taking. The assignment was to write a literary portrait of a person of interest. I greatly enjoyed the process of being interviewed by Helen, and I think she did a great job of capturing my personality in the portrait. I want to thank Helen for choosing me and for putting so much care and attention into this work. Read on for the full-text of what Helen wrote.
The Commencement Speech That Never Was
Written on 04/30 at 01:42 PM by Andy Posner
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Several weeks ago I was nominated--and then auditioned--to speak at the commencement ceremony for graduating graduate students from Brown. Though I was not selected to be the speaker (I have some conspiracy theories on that front, I assure you!) I would like to share the text of the speech that I wrote, because I believe it captures the essence of how I feel about leaving the confines of the university and entering the ‘real world.’
New Opportunities in A Global Century of Innovation
At first glance it would seem that now is an inopportune time to leave the grounds of the university and venture out into the world. After all, between rising unemployment, a financial system in disarray, and a whole host of other local, regional and global problems ranging from urban blight to climate change, it would seem that the prospects for putting our newly minted skills to work as teachers, researchers, entrepreneurs and employees of firms large and small are, to put it bluntly, dim. Yet we are also entering a world rife with unprecedented opportunities for those willing and able to take advantage of them. An explosion of innovation in information technology has made it easier for more people to collaborate to tackle poverty, to create new products and services, and to share thoughts, ideas and experiences. The cost of renewable energy is falling. Social entrepreneurs are creating self-sufficient businesses that solve social and environmental problems. The list is seemingly endless, and I believe that regardless of our particular field of study, as graduates of one of the finest universities in the nation, we are in a unique position to seek out these opportunities and apply our intellectual and financial capital toward them.
- Meet My New Folding Bike! (Poetry & Musings)
- Photos of Some Upgrades to My Bikes! (Poetry & Musings)
- Executive Summary of the Capital Good Fund Business Plan (Ideas)
- Movie Review: ‘The Dark Knight’ (Ideas)
- A Solution to the Limited Success of Micro-Credit in the United States? (Ideas)
Green Microfinance: Advancing Social Equality and Environmental Sustainability in the United States
Click here to download a PDF of my complete thesis. Questions and comments are much appreciated!
My masters thesis in Environmental Studies at Brown University looks at how microfinance--the provision of small…
A Solution to the Limited Success of Micro-Credit in the United States?
Micro-credit has undoubtedly been a runaway success in developing countries as a tool of both poverty alleviation and economic development. To date, some 100 million people have been reached by micro-loans, and Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank…
Tonight, the Oneness of Things
It is late and my mind should be drifting through the colorful abyss of deep sleep, yet instead i find that tonight sleep will not come. I am like a hungry flower who dreams of bees so ardently that all…