The UK is preparing for its 2nd National Downshifting Week. Led by Downshifting Columnist and Broadcaster Tracey Smith, this event has been designed to inspire Individuals, Companies, Children and Schools, by highlighting ways participants can live simpler, happier lives and be kinder to the environment at the same time.---------
By ANTHONY DePALMA
Finally, beautiful song - heard at Orishas concert tonight. Listen to a sample from one of the best hip-hop songs ever HERE: "Represent."As he was running one day, deep into what he calls "head-talk," William H. Hinkle had an environmental epiphany. He had recently sold his wholesale electronic bond trading company and was voraciously reading about global warming. It was not enough merely to worry about the ice caps melting; he had to act. So he decided to put together a list of 500 well-heeled friends and colleagues and try to make them carbon conscious.
He wrote a series of six e-mail messages, each a brief presentation of what he believes is the grim reality of global climate change, and how the rich and powerful make things worse with their limousines, jet flights and big homes. He challenged each recipient to read all the messages and send them to others. He then promised to buy a $100 pass from one of three carbon-offset programs in the name of the first 1,000 people who complied.
"I could have just sent $100,000 directly to the groups, but that would not create leverage," said Mr. Hinkle, 53, as he dashed for a train to his home in Summit, N.J. "My goal is really to get people to look at these three options."
His Web site, www.thehcf.org, lists three carbon-offset organizations to which he will send the $100 proxy contributions. The organizations are www.carbonfund.org, which supports renewable energy projects; www.self.org, which supports solar electrification projects in developing countries, reducing the use of dirty diesel and kerosene for lighting; and the Lomakatsi Restoration Project, www.lomakatsi.org, which restores northern forests.
He has a second carbon-reducing challenge. He drives a Toyota Prius hybrid and thinks everyone should. So he is willing to give $500 rebates to 20 families anywhere in the nation with annual incomes of less than $80,000 that buy a new fuel-efficient Prius before July 31.
The former executive, who spent 22 years on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs, might now sound like he is become a raging idealist, but, in fact, he is still hard-nosed and pragmatic. "I don't expect all this to make a big difference," he said. "But I'd like to be wrong."
1 comment:
So jealous... an Orishas concert. Sigh. Me gusta tambien "El kilo" y "distinto."
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