Lessons From the Past: Moving into the 22nd Century
Written on 09/26 at 10:31 PM by Andy Posner
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brown
The following is a speech given to the United Nations by Andy Posner, the world-renowned environmental activist, on January 20th, 2035. The IPCC (Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change) has just released its eighth climate assessment report, in which it is stated that, thanks to the re-working of the second-phase of the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 2012, worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases have stabilized at 480 PPM C02e, and have indeed begun to fall.
Movie Review: In The Valley of Elah
Written on 09/23 at 10:36 PM by Andy Posner 0 comments
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movie reviews
Art can be didactic in two ways: either by directly and openly stating its intent, as is the case with many of Michael Moore's documentaries, or by subtly leading the viewer to a certain conclusion based on the story, images or dialogue, as is the case in many of the great paintings, poems, novels and films that have had a social, as well as an aesthetic, appeal. In the Valley of Elah, directed by Paul Haggis and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, falls into the latter category. It is one of the most profoundly anti-war films I have ever seen, yet there is nothing in the film that explicitly makes it anti-war.
Is Climate Change a Moral Issue?
Written on 09/22 at 10:38 PM by Andy Posner 0 comments
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philosophy
". . .every American who understands the full threat of global warming has a moral obligation to make as many personal changes as possible right now."–Mike Tidwell, in an essay entitled "Forget the Light Bulbs"Al Gore has not only helped bring the issue of climate change into our political discourse, he has also shaped and framed the discussion in terms of a moral issue. In a country obsessed with family values and strong morals, that is perhaps an effective way of getting the attention of, for lack of a better term, "the religious right." However, by making environmentalism, and therefore environmentalists, bearers of moral propriety, he has created a situation in which the lay public views the green movement as sanctimonious.
The Real-World Comes to Class
Written on 09/15 at 10:39 PM by Andy Posner 0 comments
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Last Friday in my graduate seminar class titled "Carbon Neutrality: Fact or Fiction?" the real-world came to our class in the form of a businessman/entrepreneur, and the director of policy and legislative affairs for the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. They came to discuss the semestre-long project upon which our class will be embarking. The idea is that we will divide up into three teams of three, and each team will be assigned to work for a client, working on the question of whether or not they can become "carbon neutral," what that would mean, and if they should pursue that course or simply one of "reduced emissions."
Growth or No Growth: That is NOT The Question
Written on 08/23 at 10:43 PM by Andy Posner 0 comments
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A recent NY Times article discussed the Bush administration's plan to to issue a new rule that will expand the practice of mountaintop coal mining. The rule change will make it easier for mining companies to engage in the practice, which "is the most common strip mining in central Appalachia, and the most destructive. Ridge tops are flattened with bulldozers and dynamite, clearing all vegetation and, at times, forcing residents to move." The real goal of the rule change, according to the NY Times article, is to "to make it easier for mining companies to dig more coal to meet growing energy demands and reduce dependence on foreign oil."
Welcome. I call this the ideas blog. That’s because this is where I explore new ideas, discuss new inventions, and chronicle how they are being implemented in the real world. I call these the three I’s: Invest. Invest. Implement. Here I will look at everything that’s going on in the world of information technology, open-source software, renewable energy, energy efficiency, micro-credit/poverty alleviation, social justice, politics and literature. If that sounds overly broad, keep in mind that many of the world’s most intractable issues--poverty, hunger, injustice, environmental degradation--are profoundly intertwined. Solving them requires big ideas, and that’s what this blog is all about.
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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…