WWF: World Wildlife Fund

This is one of the entries, in the series of posts that highlight organizations that do unique and interesting things for others or the environment. Enjoy!

WWF is not just a terrible display of masculinity in spandex. These three letters also stand for a great organization with a heart for nature. World Wildlife Fund works to conserve wildlife and preserve the ecological systems of earth.

Probably most notable for its focus on protecting endangered species, WWF wants to ensure that our world will continue to be home to many of the animals threatening to disappear. Among the hundreds of animals WWF is safeguarding, giant pandas, tigers, whales and dolphins, elephants, polar bears, rhinos, giant apes and marine turtles are flagship species it pays special attention to. These animals are known as umbrella species: helping them helps many other species that live in the same habitats and need each other to thrive. WWF also works to protect animals that are endangered by humans, with the help of the organization TRAFFIC, by fighting against illegal and unsustainable trade.

WWF also works with indigenous people to build a future where human’s needs and wildlife can live in harmony. Visiting these indigenous groups, WWF promotes sustainable use of the natural resources in the area and advocates on issues that both share concern for. WWF understands the cultural differences and aims to build a relationship between biological and cultural diversity rather than simply focusing on one or the other. WWF was the first international conservation organization to recognize cultural rights of the indigenous groups and creating a policy called WWF’s Statement of Principles on Indigenous Peoples and Conversation to act as a guide in its work.

More than just focusing on species and habitats, WWF looks at the big picture. Seeking out ways to conserve natural resources can be found in WWF’s science foundation. Through use of state-of-the-art technology, scientists working with WWF are able to work towards the advancement of biodiversity conservation. They use Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify threatened habitats, such as deforestation. Fitting animals with satellite and radio collars gives scientists the ability to track and gather information on populations and habitat use. Biodiversity in marine life is WWF’s next challenge. Scientists are currently conducting research to design marine protected areas (MPAs) as well as coming up with a conservation plan for coastal and continental shelf areas.

Businesses today have the chance to partner with WWF in order to transform and improve business practices. At the same time, these businesses help WWF by investing directly in its conservation programs. In working with government agencies, WWF uses strong relationships with other wildlife services to help save the future the natural world. WWF also builds partnerships with humanitarian organizations to help the connections between people and the environment. WWF realizes one organization cannot save the earth alone. By partnering with numerous organizations, WWF hopes to further the advancement of maintaining a healthy planet.

WWF is a large organization that has plenty of influence. Because of this, it has a great opportunity to really make a difference for our planet. Learn more about this organization at their website and find out ways that you can get involved and become a partner in conservation.

Stranger in a Strange Land – Accepting the Impossible

Sometimes I feel like I’ve arrived on earth having spent my formative years being brought up by Martians on a world where things were possible simply because everyone already did those things.  And now I’m on earth wanting to do things only to be told, “That won’t work?” or “I’ve never seen that work before”.

Harrumph!

I hate being around naysayers.  I abhor being around people who say, “That’s not how we’ve done it in the past.”  And I particularly struggle to show grace to those who simply don’t want to try new things just because we might have a spectacular failure.

What is it that people are afraid of? Why is change such a scary thing?  What is it about the chance of failure that makes people want to keep getting the results they’re getting even when they’re not happy with those outcomes?

As a leader, how do I motivate others, (both under my leadership and those who I report to), to take a chance?  How do I get them to accept… no welcome… no embrace and seek change?

I figure it takes a few steps but I’m sure I’ve missed some things out.  So, as you read through these, feel free to exclaim. “I disagree,” or “You need to include this step too!” and include them via the comments section.

1. Get people to Buy-in to the Vision

Even before discussion on doing something different, if you want people to embrace it, they need to both know why it needs to happen and be excited about where you’re all heading.

Simply put, people need to know that any hardship and sacrifice that any change will bring, (and it inevitably will), the benefits on the other side are more than worth it.

2. Get people to Own the Change

People need to know they’ve had input and been a part of the process when change is going to affect their lives.  Involve them in the process AND communicate the decisions that come out of the process.

3. Give people Time to Accept the Change

After the communication people still need time to get to a stage where they can embrace the change.

4. Communicate the Success Stories

When changes are made problems will always follow.  Expect them!  But know that the pain of the problems will be felt by all the people involved in the change.

So tell them about the successes that are happening.  This is where they know that the benefits they dream for are worth the sacrifices they’re making to get there.

Feel Free to Disagree

Earth Day 2009 | What we can do to reduce our carbon footprint?

Well so this comes out a bit later than when it was meant to, resting in my drafts for sometime. Georgia Tech had its Think Green Week last week (Apr 11 – 17 2009) mainly because April 22nd was too close to the Finals week and it would have been a difficult for students to put up the think green week during the week just before finals. Anyways so Earth Week was pretty successful in terms of raising awareness and making a lot of Georgia Tech students who are far too busy being pre-occupied with school work, come out and even listen to the New President of the Institute talk about what he does in his day-to-day life to stay green. I thought I’d share some of the things that I do on a daily basis which are pretty simple to follow so,

Here’s a list of some simple things that I do on a daily basis and YOU can do too to do your  bit to conserve energy  and reduce your carbon-footprint:

1. Set sleep mode on my computer and monitor: Setting your computer to sleep mode takes only a few seconds, but can reduce electricity use by 87% compared to leaving it on (desktop computer). Modern computers are not damaged by frequent start up and shut down, and the surge of energy to start up the computer is very small relative to the energy used by leaving the computer on.
2. Turn off my lights and unplug my Laptop & Cellphone chargers when I don’t need them: To dispel one common myth, it does NOT require more energy to turn the light back on—always best to turn it off if you leave!
3. Do my laundry in cold water: About 90% of the energy used by clothes washing machines is for heating the water. And according to the US Dept of Energy, washing clothes on cold or warm is usually sufficient, and simply using warm instead of hot can cut energy use for that load in half!
4. Walk, bike use campus transportation to commute within Georgia Tech campus
5. Use stairs whenever I can: Regular exercise, including simple measures like walking up stairs, can reduce the risks of many serious diseases. The average person burns 10 calories per minute taking the stairs, a difference in weight of 8 lbs over 10 years! Taking the stairs is great for your health, and reduces building energy use!
6. Drink tap water, not bottled: According to a NY Times article, Americans will throw out over 30 billion single serving bottles of water this year! If you are concerned about your tap water, use a filter on the faucet—a much more eco-friendly way of ensuring pure water. I have a Nalgene bottle that I carry with me at all times.
7. Don’t leave tap running while brushing/shaving,etc: Turn off the water faucet when brushing your teeth, washing your face, or shaving. The average faucet uses between 2 and 3 gallons per minute! Leaving the water running for just 2 minutes every day would waste up to 2190 gallons of water each year.
8. Take shorter showers: A standard shower head uses about 5-7 gallons of water per minute (gpm)—so even a 5-minute shower can consume 35 gallons! Better yet, install a low-flow showerhead, which use 1.5-2.5 gpm—it’s an easy way to cut your water use by 50-80%!
9. Eat less meat, eat organic: When it comes to energy, how you choose to fill your plate is just as important as how you fill your gas tank. The difference in energy needed to produce a vegetarian diet versus the average American diet is equivalent to the difference between driving a sedan versus an SUV! Even simply reducing your meat consumption will have a positive environmental impact of high magnitude. There are many other benefits to eating less meat as well.Make a change for a healthier you, healthier farmers, and a healthier planet! Growing food and raising livestock organically limits the chemicals being put into our bodies and our planet. Organic methods protect water quality, maintain soil fertility, and enhance biodiversity.
10. Reduce food waste in the dining halls: Take what you want, but eat what you take! Food scraps rank third in their contribution to solid waste in the U.S., accounting for 17.5% of our garbage. It only takes a minute to think before you order or fill your plate in the dining hall. By doing so you can take control of a large proportion of the waste you produce.
11. Use reusable utensils: Georgia Tech has over 20,000 students, fellows, faculty, and staff. If each person were to buy one coffee a day, every day, Georgia Tech would send over 8 million coffee cups to the landfill every year. Now imagine if those people had two coffees a day!
12. Buy reduced note-books/pads: Close the recycling loop. I know you recycle your paper already, but what happens to that recycled paper? It gets made into high quality paper, so support the market for recycled paper and buy recycled paper! Of course you already knew that buying recycled paper saves trees, energy, water, resources like bleach, and landfill space, and it costs the same as non-recycled paper.
13. Reduce printing and double-side all prints: 1 ream (500 sheets) uses 6% of a tree (and those add up quickly!) At least 38.9% of the U.S. waste stream is paper. One person uses two pine trees worth of paper products every year.
14. Finally Reduce.Reuse.Recycle: The EPA estimates that 75 percent of what Americans throw in the trash could actually be recycled. The aluminum can is 100 percent recyclable and can be used to make new beverage cans indefinitely.
15. Advocate: Think Green, Talk Green and encourage your family and friends to go green and take small little steps that can help the Earth in a big way.