Kiva loan update: third payment on time

Like clockwork, another payment of $113 was posted on our microloan to Zaituni Mudoobi and her catering group in Kireka, Uganda.

The loan is now 25% paid off, right on time. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. The Kiva field partner for this loan, BRAC Uganda, has only been working with Kiva for 4 months, but is already helping 747 entrepreneurs and has a 0% delinquency rate.

For background, here's my original post about the Kiva microloan service.

TODAY'S TURN: Repaper your office

THE ISSUE:
The office where I work uses more paper than a diarretic elephant. We go go through more ink than Tommy Lee's tattoo guy. If printing and copying were Olympic sports, we'd be getting tested for performance enhancing bull elk testosterone. In other words, we do it a lot.

So I started thinking of ways to use paper less epic-ly.

THE GOOD TURN:
Here are a few ideas (some original, some borrowed, some outright stolen):

• Microsoft Office programs let you print more than one page of a document per sheet. Whether you're keeping a memo paper trail, printing a manual for reference, or producing a best-seller PowerPoint presentation, you can easily get by with selecting 2-4 pages per sheet. Same goes for copies.
• Most web pages keep the interesting stuff up top. When printing from the web, try printing just Page 1 - chances are you'll get what you need.
• Instead of throwing unused papers away, flip them over and stick them back in the paper tray. Or keep them in a special stack for draft paper. 95% of it's eventually going into a file folder somewhere anyway.
• At the very least, use those scraps as note paper and scrap the legal pads.
• Keep a recycle bin right underneath the printer and copier with no trash can in sight.
• Use the WHOLE page. Print on both sides. If you printer doesn't have that feature, I bet your copier still does.
• There's nothing you can fax that you can't e-mail instead.

What's the impact? Right now, about 85% of office paper is tossed. According to this guy, that's a lot of waste just from one typical office. I bet the ideas above could cut that in half.

Got other ideas to save office supplies? Send em to me and I'll add em to the post! kramerms@fuse.net

I apologize in advance

I'm a little frustrated right now. Not with the blog, I love this stuff. It's just so hard to pin down what's going on sometimes. Today, I read about a bishop in Guatemala who's supposedly getting death threats based on his opposition to Goldcorp mining activities. Now, I don't know if the allegations are true or whether GC had anything to do with it. But that's not really why I'm frustrated.

My problem is this: even if it were true, it wouldn't affect my everyday choices. How could it? Goldcorp has 17 gold mining companies all over the western hemisphere. Even if I kept tabs on all of them, there's no way to know where their gold ends up. Even if GC is guilty of unbelievable human rights abuses, I'd never be able to alter my choices to keep from supporting them.

I truly believe that everyday Good Turns can make a difference. But when they can't I feel a little helpless. Sorry for the downer, just had a bad day...

BUT I CAN STILL END TODAY ON A GOOD NOTE!

TODAY'S TURN: Look for the seal

THE ISSUE:
"Organic" is an easy term to throw around. Smells like the latest advertising buzz word, right? Right up there with "green," "light," "new," and "eco-friendly." I needed to know - can I remain safely cynical and skeptical, or start to trust "organic" as a buying feature? When I looked into it, I was surprised in a couple of big ways.

THE GOOD TURN:

The first surprise: there's only one way a US product can use the word "organic." That's by being certified by the USDA. I'm not always a fan of government oversight, but the fact is there's only one source for certification. Second surprise: the certification sounds extremely thorough - even wood used for fenceposts involved in production can't be treated with fungicide or other prohibited substance if the product hopes to earn the seal of approval.

That said, you should still remember a few things when shopping. First, many imports don't fall under USDA control for "organic" approval; different countries treat the word differently. Second, the cert only looks at pesticide and chemicals use; no fair trade or fair employment questions are asked or answered. Third, even "organic" products can be produced with un-green methods like deforestation. Just watch yourself is all I'm saying.

No it's not perfect, but the point is, if you're interested in products made w/out all the chemicals, I think it's pretty safe to look for this seal:Quick translator - here's what different marketing phrases mean:

"100% organic" = made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods (can use seal)

"Organic" = made with at least 95% organic ingredients can use the word (can use seal)

"Made with organic ingredients" = made with at least 70% organic ingredients (can NOT use seal)

Click here to do this Good Turn:

Learn all about the USDA Organic Seal

See some details about the certification criteria

Find some organic brands at the Organic Trade Association

And finally, mmmmmm...organic!

A SOAPBOX MOMENT: Why should companies care?

I'm a capitalist. There, I said it.

I love how it fills the needs of millions of people efficiently. I love seeing talent used to the fullest ability, to innovate, experiment and try new things. I love giving freedom and fuel to the entrepreneurial spirit. No other system can motivate large groups of people to fill the needs of others so well.

BUT, I don't believe corporations can just do whatever the hell they want in the name of "their investors." I believe they do owe the outside world a little sumpin sumpin.

The common argument is that companies exist to benefit their investors. Partly true. Even more true is they have many different stakeholders who invest in different ways: the community who builds roads, buildings, sewers and infrastructure so the business can do business; the customers who keep the business alive; the stores that open around that business to support it, supply it and feed its workers; the schools that educate its future workers; and of course, the people who work there and make the investment worthwhile. The company - and its profits - owe each of them.

Here's an analogy: my first responsibility is to my daughter. It is not my ONLY responsibility. Suppose I could give her a bike only if the other kids on the block had to give theirs up. Should I do it? Of course not. I want to maximize her "profit" or her well-being, but I can't simply ignore my other responsibilities to do it.

I'm not bashing profits. I LOVE profits. Companies should not be ashamed of making a healthy profit. In fact, it's often said that the best way to benefit the greater good is to profit - it means you're adding value. And of course, if a company doesn't profit, it's not going to survive to benefit anyone. But every decision, every action should take all stakeholders into account, not just those seeking an even bigger profit.

Corporate social responsibility isn't about writing checks. Whether or not to make a donation is up to the company, just as it's up to each of us as individuals. It's bigger than that. It means simply acting decently and responsibly as you go about making your profit.

As a citizen who has to do the same, I don't think it's asking too much:

• Don't trash the planet
• Don't screw your community over
• Be fair to your employees and make sure they're safe - in other words, treat them like humans
• Treat customers fairly and with respect
• Pay your damned taxes like everyone else

Companies can be highly successful and highly responsible at the same time. I've seen it happen. Individual citizens and other organizations are expected to - why are companies an exception?

Frankly, I hate all the rules that constrain capitalism. I wish we could see what it could do for the world if we took the reins off. I wish the rules weren't necessary. But until companies act responsibly in the pursuit of profit, until they look out for stakeholders other than themselves, I don't know how else to safeguard those stakeholders.

To companies who complain about the rules, I'd say: we're just protecting our best interests - that's capitalism, baby!

Here's a pretty involved debate on the subject involving some people smarter than me.

How much is "fair"?

Fair Trade. It's a loaded catchphrase, declaring proudly that workers are being paid a fair wage. Well, exactly how fair is "fair"? One man's plenty is another man's pittance. Next time you're buying handmade goods from around the globe, I found a hot little tool that can help.

It's called the Fair Wage Guide. If you know some basic info about the piece and where it came from, you can learn how the price relates to the country's minimum wages and poverty lines. The info comes straight from the International Labor Organization. So you'll know whether the price is fair.

Just go to http://www.fairtradecalculator.org/ and try the Quick Wage Test.

The guide doesn't always work for every case (it asks some info that you may not know and doesn't account for skill level) but without anything else to go on, it's a workable shopping assistant that you've probably never had before.

TODAY'S TURN: Wig out!

THE ISSUE:
Being a kid is tough enough. Being a kid with a medical problem is even tougher. But being a kid with a medical problem that makes your hair fall out? That's bordering on unfair.

Imagine being an insecure teenager trying to grow up bald. Or (sometimes even worse) wearing an ill-fitting, taped-on, obviously fake wig that could slip off or be pulled off at just the wrong time. Swimming, showering, even running and jumping become stressful events. Not to mention dating. And I thought I had it bad with braces.

It can happen with an autoimmune disorder called alopecia areata, which causes hair follicles to shut down. Most of the time, the hair isn't coming back. The same can happen with severe burns or chemo treatments for kids with cancer.

THE GOOD TURN:
Got long hair? Perfect. Next time you get your hair cut, see if you can donate the clippings to Locks of Love. This non-profit creates custom hairpieces for financially strapped kids under 18 with long-term hair loss.

Men, women, young, old, all colors and races can donate. (80% of their donations come from kids helping other kids. That's cool.) The only rule is you gotta have hair at least 10 inches long. If you do, many salons will cut it for free if you're donating to Locks of Love. Before you get it cut, be sure to read this list of donation guidelines. The hair has to be cut and treated a certain way to make it usable for wigs, so make sure you get it right. Better yet, just print the guidelines up and take them to your stylist.

A good hairpiece isn't a cure, but it does make things a little more normal in a bad time. That's fair.

Click here to do this Good Turn:
Learn more about the experience
Print up a hair donation form
If you own a salon, find out how you can help
Find a new hairstyle and grow your hair out!