According to this post on Mashable (Google Buys 20 Years’ Worth of Wind Farm Energy), Google has just signed a contract with an Iowa wind farm to purchase clean energy at a set rate for the next 20 years. While this sets a strong example, certainly, I raise the economic question of how this affects prices for wind energy and renewable energy as a whole.

If the early adopters of renewable energies are largely wealthy companies and individuals, does this drive price (and the cost of adoption) up? And how does this affect access to these clean energies? Are the do-gooders actually creating an exclusive market and preventing wider adoption to take place? I have no idea — I’m certainly no expert in the field!

What are your thoughts?

According to this news article in Reuters:

• Coca-Cola plans to double its annual investment in Africa to $1 billion starting this year!
• Over the past decade they’ve invested half a billion dollars every year across the continent!
• Africa contributes about 6-7% of Coca-Cola’s total revenues, and that is expected to double over the next decade!
• The rate of Coca-Cola’s expansion is outpacing that of GDP in most African markets!
• The company is looking to strenghten its non-carbonated beverage business in Africa, including juices and water.

And most interestingly, Coca-Cola sees huge potential in…Zimbabwe? Yep, Zimbabwe! Interesting!

According to this blog post over on the Enough Project website, Steve Jobs has responded (in his characteristically short e-mails sent from his iPhone) to the recent uproar over the use of conflict minerals in devices such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad:

Yes. We require all of our suppliers to certify in writing that they use conflict few [sic] materials. But honestly there is no way for them to be sure. Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it’s a very difficult problem.

Sent from my iPhone

To be honest, this is one of the longest Steve Jobs e-mails I’ve ever seen, so that could say something about how important this is to Apple. However, if they really want to prove this is important tot he company they will take up the call to action posed by Enough Project in their own response, reading:

Thanks, Steve. You have always blazed a path where others thought it impossible.

Tracing minerals isn’t easy, but it can be done. The chokepoint is at the smelter, where the raw mineral ores are processed into metals. Tin and tantalum firms that supply electronics companies have started tracing programs in the past six months, and certain electronics companies are beginning to audit this process.

But to guarantee to consumers that iPads, iPods and iPhones are verifiably conflict-free, we need more resources and commitment from industry leaders like you. We have a roadmap to accomplish this, through tracing, auditing, and certification. Would you like to meet and talk further?

Photo Credit: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Nick Kristof had a piece in the NYTimes on Saturday entitled “Death by Gadget” where he pointed out the relationship between the iPhone (and other electronic devices) and the war in Congo:

An ugly paradox of the 21st century is that some of our elegant symbols of modernity — smartphones, laptops and digital cameras — are build rom minearls that seem to be fueling mass slaughter and rape in Congo. With throngs waiting in lines in the last few days to buy the latest iPhone, I’m thinking: What if we could harness that desperation for new technologies to the desperate need to curb the killing in central Africa?

Quick Overview:

I’ve written about this relationship between the minerals (tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold) that are used in many of our new electronic devices and are sourced from Congo — financing one of the worst civil conflicts in history. In that post, I shared an excellent mapping of the relationship between minerals and conflict in Congo developed by Appfrica:

My quick overview from that post read:

One of the major factors feeding genocide and violent crimes against humanity is that ruling regimes have established business relations with foreign companies, earning them an political ally and a source of revenue to fuel local conflict. The foreign companies often get exclusive access to local resources in exchange for their unwavering political support and usually a cut off the top. We have seen this in South Sudan with Chinese oil companies, and also in DRC with Coltan mining. This excellent report by Appfrica takes Ushahidi (conflict mapping) data and mashes it with mining data to illustrate the “conspicuous correlation” between the two. Coltan can be found in the capacitors used in your hearing aids, pacemakers, airbags, GPS units, laptops, mobile phones, video games, and the list goes on. 60% of it can be found in the DRC, where conflicts since 1998 have killed an estimated 5.4 million people.

A Few Videos:

Here are a few of my favorite videos highlighting conflict minerals from Congo:

Note: This first one is new and cited in the Kristof article:

This one is of John Prendergast — a fellow American University alumn and co-founder of Enough Project (one of the major advocacy voices behind conflict minerals in Congo):

And this video is the winning entry for the “Come Clean 4 Congo” video contest:

Questions for Discussion:

Tying this all back to the Kristof article, I’m curious how we can leverage the massive consumer demand for these new technologies to combat the atrocities that are taking place in Congo.

1. Is demanding that companies not source these minerals from Congo enough? Does that really help? Or does it further hurt the current and future prospects of the Congolese economy?
2. Is there a way that companies can take greater control of the value chain within Congo to ensure that their purchase does more good than harm?
3. What role does the government play in regulating these conflict minerals? Should the US put a trade embargo on them?

Photo Credit: Flickr User ArdailSmith

So last night I headed up to Bethesda, MD to visit the headquarters of Honest Tea — a great organic and sustainable beverage company. The event, “An Evening with Honest Tea” is part of a “sustainable local business tour” hosted by the Professional DC-Chapter of NetImpact and the William James Foundation.

I had the opportunity to hear Seth Goldman, the Founder and “TeaEO”, speak about about a year ago and was really intrigued by his story. In particular, I remember him speaking of the challenge of distribution and how Honest Tea piggy-backed off preexisting networks of what Seth called the “3C ‘s”: Cheese, Corned Beef, and Charcoal — all of which went to grocery stores and had extra room in their trucks. Eventually, they landed the “Big C”: Coca-Cola.

While last nights event was certainly a great opportunity to meet and mingle with local-area social entrepreneurs, it was pretty disappointing that we didn’t get much opportunity to hear Seth speak or have a Q&A. Several people I spoke with after the evening said they were equally upset, especially after hearing so much about Seth and Honest Tea!

Clarification: I need to apologize and clarify, because as Ian rightly points out in the comments, Seth did speak at the event. It was partly my fault I missed what he had to say because I got into conversations immediately after we broke from our big introduction circle, and for that I’ll admit I’m slightly embarrassed.

However, I will add that several people at the event did in fact comment they also missed the opportunity to hear Seth and I still think there is a TON of value in kindly asking Seth to share part of his story and experience with the broader audience that was unable to attend the evening.

[Show as slideshow]

What Questions do YOU Have for Seth Goldman and Honest Tea!?

If you have a question you’d like to ask Seth about starting Honest Tea, challenges he’s faced, lessons he’s learned, etc. — leave them here! I’m going to reach out to Seth and see if we can’t get a video interview on the site (or at the very least written responses to our questions)!

So leave your burning questions either in the comment form below, through the contact page, or by e-mail!

If you are looking for an internship in social entrepreneurship (or what I’m trademarking a #SocEnternship), I’ve got two great ones for you!

Samasource.org is looking for a Quality Assurance summer intern. Samasource brings dignified, computer-based work to people in poverty. The intern will work over the computer with talented residents of some of the poorest regions of the world, helping to correct their work. This internship can be carried out remotely and part time. Email Luke[at]Samasource[dot]org if interested or to recommend.

African Woodsmoke is offering an internship that will change your life. We are looking for a creative, motivated, and fashion-oriented student that wants an internship with meaning and the chance to be a part of something greater than themselves. The intern will be involved in sales, fashion design, and the possibility of staying on with an exiting new company.

Woodsmoke offers a meaningful internship that actively supports African artists to start his/her business. All interns have the chance of visiting Africa on a buying trip with the owner.

To set up an interview, email your resume to woodsmoke[at]live[dot]com

A few weeks ago I published a post about the rising culture of entrepreneurship in Washington, DC. One of the major inspirations of that post was the emergence of Compass Partners — a social entrepreneurship education/mentorship/incubator-type program started by students at Georgetown University and on the way to a campus near you! I attended the Graduation Gala of the first round of Fellows at Georgetown on Monday night, and was blown away by the presentations given by this year’s Fellows — all freshmen in college!

I’m always amazed by the feats of students and young entrepreneurs, and this lineup of Compass Fellows has trumped all the expectations that one could have of somebody 18 or 19 years old.

Their presentations were some of the very best I’ve seen. The delivery was strong, the energy was there, and the passion bled through. It’s interesting listening to entrepreneurs pitch their businesses after having been through many of the trials and tribulations they inevitably have before them. I think if I could give one piece of advice to the Compass Fellows and to any entrepreneur in the early startup stages, it would be the following:

Start Small, Build Momentum, Grow Into Your Vision

Part of being a young entrepreneur is the pure ambition to take on the world with your business. For me, I want to revolutionize the way emerging markets are perceived around the world so we can facilitate more investment as opposed to aid. Oh, and I want to eradicate corruption! As students and young entrepreneurs, we tend to spend more time planning than doing — a process that leads to big visions of what we want our companies to look like. Then when it comes time to execute, bridging the divide between concept and end-product seems impossible!

Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten was to stop planning and just do it! Think about what you can do right this moment to create value, and start doing it for somebody today. You learn the most from doing, and with many small victories you will gain the momentum you need to grow into your dream business!

I had the privilege to meet Paul Sika a few weeks ago at AfricaGathering in DC, and was instantly inspired by his charisma and vision. Paul is a photographer and emerging businessman from Cote d’Ivoire. He gave an amazing talk at the conference that not only reflected his lighthearted and energetic personality, but also a deep understanding and vision of the world around him (and all of us!). He’s been on a whirlwind tour here in the US — first joining us in DC for AfricaGathering, then doing an interview on CNN (see below!), and speaking with Google Executives in Mountain View, California!

Paul is soon going to be releasing a book of his photographs called “At the Heart of Me”, that I’ve had an opportunity to flip through and can highly recommend! Here’s a YouTube video promoting the new book:

If you’re interested, you can follow Paul on Twitter @paulsika and check out his website at http://paulsika.com

Over the weekend I have the privlege to attend AfricaGathering in DC. What I liked most about this conference was its size: very small and intimate. So many conferences are large, made up of niche group, and difficult to really develop strong relationships out of. AfricaGathering really excelled in creating a TED-like format event, focused on everybody’s passions for Africa, that at the end felt like being part of a family. I really enjoyed the day, and can’t wait for future gatherings!

As I thought about how to express my thoughts from the event into words or a summary, I figured the best way is through compiling my Tweets from the event that capture a live stream of consciousness and quotable moments! Enjoy!

Also, check out this image showing the “How It Works” of AfricaGathering (click it for lightbox effect!):

1. 
   marcopuccia Sitting here at #agdc with @jscarantino and @gkofiannan! #socent 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
2. 
   marcopuccia “Life is so much more important when you’re not doing it for yourself” – @jscarantino #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   marcopuccia Building communities can go a long ways in breaking barriers and unleashing opportunity @jscarantino #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
4. 
   marcopuccia Africa today, is not Africa of tomorrow – Need long-term horizons when creating programs/platforms @jscarantino #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
5. 
   marcopuccia Poor local distribution systems are largest impediment to getting vaccinations to where they need to go! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
6. 
   marcopuccia Poor records lead to vaccination waste and overestimation of coverage. Drives cost up, and impact down. #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
7. 
   marcopuccia VaxTrac built on same premise as @ITS_LLC: “Better information, greater social impact!” #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
8. 
   marcopuccia Need accountability systems to make sure vaccines are actually distributed appropriatly -VaxTrac #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
9. 
   marcopuccia Need open-source alternative for fingerprint ID systems…many cross-sector applications! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
10. 
    marcopuccia Can I say Happy World Malaria day? Not sure what the proper etiquette is… #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie

1. 
   marcopuccia 11.2% – 2008 GDP growth rate in Rwanda /via @kitcody #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
2. 
   marcopuccia Doing business in developing regions often requires ownership or oversight of entire value chain – @kitcody #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   marcopuccia “Positive change requires positive people” – @kitcody #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
4. 
   marcopuccia Awesome talk by @kitcody! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
5. 
   marcopuccia LOL Great Q by @chiefmoamba “Who makes those yellow containers? They must be loaded!” #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
6. 
   marcopuccia Man! Free Blue Sweater books!? I just finished reading literally yesterday! Just my luck lol #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
7. 
   marcopuccia So far, @acumenfund has invested around $45 million in around 40 companies #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
8. 
   marcopuccia Curious about how a social business like Iko Toilet changes consumer behavior… #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
9. 
   marcopuccia #agdc “We’re shifting to African solutions to global problems,” Catherine Casey of @acumenfund /via @ruackerman 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
10. 
    marcopuccia “Human dignity is more important than wealth” -Catherine Casey of @acumenfund #agdc /via @artate 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie

1. 
   marcopuccia I wish I could plug my iPhone into the raw energy and passion at #agdc! lol 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
2. 
   marcopuccia “Africa Rural Connect an experiment in global collaboration to build ideas” @mollymali #agdc /via @ideasforafrica 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   marcopuccia Man, we had such an awesome discussion at lunch! I feel honored and inspired to be surrounded by such smart and amazing people! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
4. 
   marcopuccia Totally digging what @developingjen is saying about the need to integrate metrics into social impact ventures #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
5. 
   marcopuccia Mariemme Jamme (@mjamme) doing a great job as co-host of Africa Gathering #agdc /via @gkofiannan Agreed, she’s awesome! 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
6. 
   marcopuccia “You can’t be credible if you’re not visable” @mjamme #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
7. 
   marcopuccia I love and am so inspired by the raw passion expressed by @mjamme and others #socent #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
8. 
   marcopuccia “Dignity is more important to the human spirit that wealth” #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
9. 
   marcopuccia Africa doesn’t need money. We need a sincere relationship – @Mjamme #agdc /via @gkofiannan 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
10. 
    marcopuccia “People who volunteer time first are 7x more likely to donate” – @eglue #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie

1. 
   marcopuccia Great presentation by @eglue on leading collaboration into action! Really great! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
2. 
   marcopuccia Half of the worlds women still give birth without a health worker… #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   marcopuccia In parts of Africa, 1 in 7 women die related to child birth… #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
4. 
   marcopuccia Mad props to White Ribbon Alliance for bringing women’s rights and maternal health to national and int’l agendas #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
5. 
   marcopuccia “Think about Africa’s mothers. Think about Africa’s children. Think about Africa’s health workers” #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
6. 
   marcopuccia Man this is awesome! So energized by Sean Coetzee and his company Woodsmoke! @liveafrican #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
7. 
   marcopuccia Show people the real faces behind your African products! Transparency sells! @liveafrican #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
8. 
   marcopuccia “From great need comes great innovation!” – @mikeymckay #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
9. 
   marcopuccia Focusing African ingenuity into high-impact innovation can create disruptive change! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
10. 
    marcopuccia 9 months is avg life of a computer in rural village in Africa, @mikemckay of Baobab Health. #agdc /via @mollymali 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie

1. 
   marcopuccia Art and design are both important elements in re-branding Africa… #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
2. 
   marcopuccia “Makmende is bigger than Wikipedia” LOL #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   marcopuccia “Creativity will fuel an economic revolution” -Design Indaba #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
4. 
   marcopuccia Hmmm, I think I found the source of my next desktop background – Digital African Art @digitalafrican #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
5. 
   marcopuccia Every obstacle is a springboard for creativity – @paulsika #agdc /via @gkofiannan 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
6. 
   marcopuccia What an awesome person, speaker, and photographer @paulsika is! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
7. 
   marcopuccia “When you think about business, you have to think about more than the product; You have to think about the ecosystem” – @paulsika #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
8. 
   marcopuccia Thank you @africagathering for an amazing conference! This is the begining of something huge! #agdc 24 Apr 2010 from Tweetie