EcoHealth Alliance is looking for 2 people who are interested in environmental economics and health to intern at our offices in NYC for 2 or more months, at least 2 days per week. This is an opportunity to work with our experts on issues such as economics of emerging diseases or of disease in wildlife trade.

Just to give you an idea of what we work on, projects range from wildlife health surveillance to disease ecology of specific pathogens to predicting disease hotspots, to estimation of wildlife trade impacts on human and animal health. I’ve also written in the past about a graduate training and research experience program focused on infectious diseases that is currently entering its second year. We’ve also been involved in conservation work and human health surveillance in developing countries.

If you’re interested, please email your Statement of Interest (maximum 1 page; indicate availability and current location) and CV as a PDF file to intern@ecohealthalliance.org with “Health and Economics Internship” in the subject line.

You can also download and distribute the PDF flyer.

A year ago this month, I purchased new eyeglasses frames from the Earth Conscious Optics line by MODO. They are made completely of recycled plastic. I could also chosen frames that were made from recycled metals. They have been awesome so far, although they don’t sit quite evenly on my nose, but that just might be because my nose is a little uneven!

Here’s what they look like:

They are also doing an interesting promotion where they plant a tree for every pair of frames purchased. Check out their website: ECO Optics

Hopefully I’ll be able to used these frames for several more years to get as much mileage out of them as I can.

This makes me wonder, what other cool upcycled things are out there? Know of any?

There has always been something alluring about a nicely packaged shampoo or personal care product. The packaging designers definitely tap into some kind of psychology of the consumer so that they can project the image that they want us to have of their product. Somehow, we might unconsciously link a pretty bottle to the quality of what’s inside it.

I haven’t made many lifestyle changes recently, and when I have, it tends to be very gradual. Sometimes I don’t notice until after the fact that I had made a change (e.g. certain eating habits, like eating less chicken or pork). Sometimes, though, I do consciously make abrupt changes. This is one of those.

About 1 year ago, I decided to completely ditch shampoos that come in plastic bottles and switch to more natural and unpackaged products to replace shampoo and conditioner. I have bought Burt’s Bees and Dr. Bronner’s soaps, and Lush shampoo and conditioner bars. Below is the Lush Squeaky Green shampoo. I also love the Godiva shampoo bar (see a review here).

I really like the freedom of not thinking about what happens to those bottles after I’m done, and there are several other benefits of using solid shampoo bars, like:

• Natural ingredients that smell great!
• Compact (diameter is ~2in, depth is ~0.75in) and long-lasting (the bars have lasted at least 12 weeks or ~50-60 washes, which is fewer than the company claims because I have a lot of long, thick hair)
• It’s a solid, and therefore easier to get through security in your carry-on at airports. Plus, not having to worry about things exploding in my bag, leaving me with a soapy and sudsy piece of luggage, is awesome. This has never happened to me, but I don’t want to think about the possibilities,

There is definitely something psychological about making gradual vs. abrupt changes in your life. It depends on what you are comfortable with, and how much you are willing to change at once. This has worked out for me, but others are doing things like making 1 change for each day in the year.

I’ve been able to get over the pull of attractive packaging. That was a bit of a mental trick, but I can now better recognize when those marketing geniuses are trying to work their magic on me.

What are your thoughts? Do you tend to make gradual changes or abrupt ones? Which ones have stuck with you and which have not?

The 17th International Sustainable Development Research Conference is being held at Columbia University on May 8-10, 2011.

The main topic of the conference is “Moving Toward a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges,” and one of the things I’m interested in seeing is if there are any researchers who will present work that is based more in biology than you would typically expect at a sustainable development conference.

I’m submitting an abstract soon for this conference, and I hope that it gets accepted because it would be great to bring a different perspective to this discussion. As of today, they have received 330 abstract submissions! I hope to present an analysis that will really open up new possibilities for future research!

Check out the website for more info on topics covered in the conference. They include:

• pressures on earth’s natural and socioeconomic systems,
• limits for future development,
• solutions to problems created by development,
• adequacy of governing structures to implement policy,
• and assessment of pilot programs.

It has been a just a few days past a year since I first posted on this blog. A lot has changed since then, the most significant of which is that I now have a great job!

Since starting that job, this blog has been greatly neglected. So with that in mind, I will try to post much more often (which may mean shorter posts, but I will try!).

Last night I saw FRESH, the movie. It is a documentary about food, agriculture, and the stories behind the people growing food.

Watch this trailer:

I generally enjoyed the film and the story that unfolded. It is different from other documentaries in that it does not rely too heavily on the facts to tell the story. It is more about using the imagery and the narrative to reach out to the audience.

I liked seeing the sustainably managed farms, and especially Will Allen’s work in an urban setting. The stark comparison to the scenes from industrial farms are a harsh reality that I wish more people could witness.

If you would like to see FRESH, you can get a home screening license to watch in a group with friends, or try to catch a screening near you.

I have yet to see Food, Inc., but I will be seeing it at the end of the month. Perhaps then I can make a fuller comparison.

I’ve donated to Haiti relief efforts, and now I’ve also donated to help save this organization that has been important to me (especially in my current job search!).

In the spirit of altruism, I’d like to bring up the cause for Idealist.org.

For those of you who do not know, here is the description listed on their website describing who they are:

Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.

Through the website, you can find listings of nonprofit organizations and government agencies, people, jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, events, and groups. They have mostly been able to stay afloat from the dues they charge when organizations post job listings. However, due to the recession, that amount of income is not covering the cost of running the website.

Idealist.org has been important, not only in helping me find job listings that apply to my interests, but I’ve also greatly benefited from their guide for job seekers. (I posted about it earlier here.)

I’m currently in the process of interviewing for a position that I found through Idealist.org, and if I do get the position, I want to pledge my first paycheck to Idealist.org. I think it is an invaluable resource and hope that it can continue to exist so that I may use it again in the future.

I know it might seem silly to donate to a website that mostly functions as a job board, but it is so much more than that!

They have been working to create a community of do-gooders around the world, and if you check out their appeal for donations on their website you will see many stories of others who have been affected by the work of Idealist and the people behind it.

So I hope that anyone who has ever used Idealist.org to look for a job or internship can contribute a few dollars to help it stay up and running. It would be sad to see this great website shutdown now when we need it the most to collaborate and keep doing good things!

I received an email yesterday that I have been accepted for a StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellowship, that will start with the Social Institute for Innovation in March 2010.



Here is a description from their website

The StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellowship is kickstarted by the Institute for Social Innovation. The Institute is a five day transformational experience, where fellows interact with one another and StartingBloc alumni mentors. At the Institute students and young professionals (aged 20-29) are provided with the training, education, and networks necessary to turn any career into a socially responsible one. We teach innovative ways to make for-profits more sustainable and accountable, and non-profits more business savvy. During the Institute, Fellows learn about corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, cross sector partnerships and sustainability from leading academics, corporate innovators, social entrepreneurs, activists and government officials. The curriculum provides a fresh look at global issues and enables our Fellows to innovatively affect change at all levels.
Each year, the Institutes bring together 375 Fellows at three locations: Boston (125 Fellows), New York (125 Fellows) and London (125 Fellows). The Institute is a gateway into StartingBloc’s Alumni Community.

Apply Now

More StartingBloc Videos

I hope that you decide to apply for this! Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested. The second deadline for applications is Nov. 30th.

This document has been helpful to me as a novice job seeker. Even if you are not looking for a job in the nonprofit sector, there is a lot of good advice that could be useful for your job search! Below the embedded document, I have pulled out some of the most helpful things that I got from reading the guide.

Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers

1. It has a good discussion of what a nonprofit can be nowadays, especially since many people might make assumptions based on what they think traditionally a nonprofit is.
2. It has a great section on resume and cover letter writing. It breaks down the paragraphs you should include and the content that goes in each.
3. It also has a great section on interviewing. I particularly found to be helpful the lists of questions that interviewers might ask, but also questions that you can ask the interviewers.
4. They make a point to stress that the job search is not just about looking for ads online. It is also about getting out and meeting people and volunteering with groups that are doing things that you are interested in.
5. One section that I am not ready for yet but could be useful, is about the benefits and negotiating them when you get an offer. I have no clue when it comes to insurance, vacations days, etc., so I can see myself referring back to this Guide when that happens.

Halloween is this Saturday, so I thought I would pull together a quick list of ideas:

1. Make your own candy this year.
Why? Store bought candy uses a lot of packaging, and typically travels long distances to make it to your belly. Here are some links to make-it-at-home recipes:

• http://www.cooksrecipes.com/category/candy.html
• http://candy.about.com/od/halloweencandyrecipes/a/halloween_hub.htm
• http://candy.about.com/od/halloweencandyrecipes/Halloween_Candy_Recipes.htm

2. Reuse, borrow or salvage old costumes or costume parts.
Why? Reusing old costumes and costume parts extends the life of the materials and temporarily diverts them from becoming waste in a landfill. It also prevents the need to use fresh, virgin materials for the purpose of a costume. Get creative! Pull together some old clothes that you don’t wear anymore and fit them together to make something interesting.

3. Make your own costume.
Why? Making your own getup allows you to choose more sustainably available materials and also could lead to a greater appreciation for the experience. Plus, you can make it fit your body the way that you think it should.

4. If you are going out to party, drink locally brewed beer or alcohol. (This one you can do any time of the year, but you can make it a point to do it especially for one entire weekend!)

5. And lastly, put that pumpkin in the compost! If you don’t have a compost, donate it to your nearest community garden.
Why? Nutrients in the pumpkins can return to the earth if they are allowed to decompose naturally. The next crop of plant life can then take up these nutrients.

Have a safe and environmentally-conscious Halloween!

So I just started a 6 month internship as the Associate Director at Energy Liberty. Here is our website so you can check it out: http://www.energyliberty.org

We are a new nonprofit aiming to make low-income communities more competitive for the new emerging green job sector. Two of the Energy Liberty programs will be focused on workforce development and helping homeowners in receiving energy audits for their house. Our vision is to empower low-income communities with the tools needed to excel in the emerging ‘green’ job sector.

Check out our website to read more about our programs!

We are now also on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.