TODAY'S TURN: Stop and look before you read

THE ISSUE:
Who has time to read anymore? 237 channels and endless web gems of insight (like this) fight with the published word and usually win. Anymore, a book in the hand is as rare as an poignant episode of Joanie Loves Chaci.

But what if we lost the ability to read simply from neglect? Seriously. What if the literate parts of our brains just unwrinkled and shriveled up like Carrot Top's career? Not a pleasant thought. For one, readership of this blog would go down a LOT. But illiteracy is reality for 1 billion people in the world, including 40% of Africa.

Big box bookstores and Amazon do their part for literacy by... well, by being there. But could there be an even BETTER, more direct way of battling illiteracy - both our own and the world's?

THE GOOD TURN:
A good book is a great thing. A book that DOES good is even better. Better World Books collects books - new and used - sells them online and uses the funds to fight illiteracy around the world.

Two questions: "how expensive are they" and "how much of a selection do they have"?

To compare, I did a trial search of about 15 books. I found 13 on Better World Books and all 15 on Amazon. Not bad. Better World has "1.8 million books and 500,000 new titles," so they have more than you could read, but probably not everything you might want.

The prices at Better World Books were less than list price, but most were higher than Amazon. But then I saw that Better World ships for free anywhere in the US. Taking that into account, Amazon's advantage was just $0.20-$1.50 per book. Not much. Just order at least 3-4 books and pricing scales tip in favor of Better World.

So I'd say price and selection somewhat favor Amazon (and most likely the big box bookstores). The difference is that Better World profits go to literacy programs like Room to Read, Books for Africa, Worldfund, and National Center for Family Literacy. To me, worth it.

So next time you buy a book (and hopefully it's soon), you might want to read up on Better World Books first.

Click here to do this Good Turn.

Kiva loan update!

My first microloan through Kiva just got distributed today! A couple weeks ago, I loaned $25 to a team of caterers in Kireka, Uganda (Oliver Nabawuka, Elizabeth Namanda, Margret Nabukera, Zulaika Nabakooza, Zaituni Mudoobi). Here's a pic and a little more about them.

Zaituni (I believe she's the one on the right in the photo) owns a small restaurant. The groups asked for $1,350 in part so they can buy food warmers for the restaurant. Amazingly, the money was raised on Kiva.org in a single day from a total of 44 investors from a half dozen countries. Two weeks later, the money was given to this group of entrepreneurs. My first post on the Kiva service goes into more detail.

That just blows my mind. It's incredible to think I'm making such a direct, meaningful contribution clear across the world. Even if it was just $25, I feel like I have a personal stake in what happens in that corner of Uganda. Doubt I'd feel like that by writing a $25 check to a relief fund. Think about it: hundreds of millions of potential investors are scattered throughout the world, willing and able to help. Microloans are going to grow more and more popular and drive commerce and development more than we could ever imagine.

If you haven't checked it out yet, Kiva.org posts new loans every day.

TODAY'S TURN: Baby steps are still steps

THE ISSUE:
There's a fine line between being realistic and selling out. My last post begged America to stop drinking bottled water, in part because of the millions of barrels of oil it takes to make the damned things. Realistic? Probably not. Like it or not, bottled water is here to stay. Best we can do is get people to drink less.

So am I selling out to suggest that -- if you insist on drinking bottled water, if you're going to do it anyway -- you at least purchase brands that use less plastic? If you think this is a simple question, think about the birth control debate (Is condom distribution selling out beliefs or simply making the best of something people are going to do anyway?).

THE GOOD TURN:
Nestle Pure Life, Arrowhead and Ice Mountain are three brands that I know of that package with 30% less plastic than other bottles. Of course, 30% less of a bad thing doesn't make it good. Claims like this can sound like a clear case of greenwashing. You take a questionable product and make people feel a little better about buying it. Meantime, behavior doesn't change and the plastic still sits and sits and sits and sits in a landfill or river or farmland.

That's the cynic in me. The optimist in me still believes that small changes can add up. I'll stick with the optimist. He smiles more and has lower blood pressure. I still say tap water is the better option, but if you find yourself putting bottles of water in your shopping cart, make sure it's a brand made with 30% less plastic.

TODAY'S TURN: Tap into some common sense

THE ISSUE:
Bottled water is a classic double-edged sword. After years of being nagged into drinking more water, we are - to the tune of 8.25 billion gallons of BOTTLED water alone in 2006.

Sounds great for our health, right? Except that means over 70 million little plastic bottles are hitting the US market every day. And of those 70 million, only 14% are getting recycled. That's 60 million bottles - which can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade - dumped or buried or burned EVERY DAY.

And, like a warped late-night infommercial, that's not all! It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to satisfy our annual water bottle fix. That's enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year. And this doesn't even count the fuels burned by trucking the stuff to every corner of the country.

THE GOOD TURN:
Is bottled water healthier than tap water? Not really, at least not in most parts of the US. The source for much of that crisp, refreshing bottled water with the snow-covered labels and Nordic names? Municipal water systems. So 25% of the market - including Aquafina from Pepsi and Dasani from Coca-Cola - is basically processed city water.

America has one of the safest, cleanest water systems in the world. For the cost of 1 LITER of bottled water, you could buy 1,000 GALLONS of eau de tappe. Try it again for the first time. Save some cash and save some oil - but keep drinking water!

Click here to do this Good Turn.

TODAY'S TURN: Make a loan with excellent returns

THE ISSUE:
Being an entrepreneur is tough enough. Now imagine trying to keep that business afloat in a developing country where local money lenders can easily charge annual rates of 60%-800%. When you need more fabric, feed or fruit, where do you turn to help your business survive, much less grow? Makes it tough to become economically independent, doesn't it?

THE GOOD TURN:
Making a one-time donation to a relief organization is certainly admirable. But what if you could donate the same $$$$ over and over and over, and help several budding entrepreneurs achieve success?

I had heard about microfinancing, but didn't know how it worked. And I certainly never knew I could do it myself. Kiva.org was a good place to learn. Kiva connects you with entrepreneurs from around the world who are in need of short-term microloans, often as small as $25. Whether it's a firewood seller in Indonesia or a farmer in Azerbaijan, Kiva routes your money through local field partners, respected microfinance institutions in the borrower's home country. When the loan is repayed (usually within about a year) you can either withdraw your money or recycle it into another business.

Two things surprised me as I learned more about this concept. First, the repayment rates are pretty high -- Kiva reports a rate of 96%. If you're considering making a loan, I'd definitely suggest checking out the field partner; their success rates and the advice they offer business owners can vary a lot. Second, while Kiva doesn't get a cut, these partners do charge borrowers an average of 22% interest, though some can charge as little as 3%. It seemed high by Western standards, but Kiva presents some pretty good reasons why it's higher than conventional loans (the worldwide average rate for microloans is about 35%).

Click here to do this Good Turn.