April 28, 2009 by Robert.

“…A new generation of changemakers is emerging that sees for-profit ventures as intrinsically more scalable than nonprofit entities.” – John Elkington, co-author of The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World     

…Consider Rubicon Programs, a Richmond, Calif., nonprofit that provides jobs, housing, and life skills to poverty-stricken, formerly incarcerated and disabled individuals. The organization, which was founded in 1973, has started two businesses and helped more than 40,000 individuals find jobs and live independently… [and] helped Rubicon build 200 units of affordable housing and operate mental health and workforce services in a dozen cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area … 

 Thinking outside the box?  Now is the time to disregard the box, and start thinking creatively and practically. Nonprofits are in a great position to create small enterprises (tax-free, with low break-even), take limited risks, and create jobs.

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April 28, 2009 by Robert.

“The key is fuel: The more of it a base uses, the more soldiers are exposed to deadly roadside bombs on fuel convoys.” (Source: LA Times article, Doug Smith and Saif Rasheed, Nov 22, 2007)   

I love how crowdsourcing innovation can lead to unexpected benefits.  The military expected to get some high tech, expensive gadgets.  But instead, they got barrels of goop.OK, so “barrels of petroleum-based goop” is not such “green idea” and it’s not cheap.  But it’s innovative.How could it be improved?  Maybe use lightweight re-inforced concrete foam instead of “plastic” foam.  Maybe use materials that are readily-available onsite.  Or, sink the tents 4 ft. down into the ground (i.e. in rows, with the excavated dirt/sand piled at both ends).  Prefab steel-reinforced concrete walls (poured onsite) could provide quick snap-together construction.The temperature is usually more mild underground, providing passive cooling during the day and heating at night.  Keeping a low profile provides added protection from flying shrapnel/debris.

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