(This post is a bit long so please stick with me and read it through….)

A while back I posted about the Pure Waste Challenge. This is where the Hinkle Charitable Foundation is asking people to make a commitment and in return for making the commitment they will donate $100 in your name to the Solar Electric Light Fund. The goal is to raise $100,000 to contribute to this fund. That means getting 1,000 people to make the commitment they are requesting that you make for the contribution.

What they will do with the money is provide solar panels to electrify homes and schools in developing countries. “SELF is a truly worthy non-profit organization that simultaneously fights global poverty and climate change. SELF’s primary mission is to install local solar electric power generators in rural third-world areas. In many instances, SELF’s installations are directed to education, health and irrigation facilities and can include joint ventures, where local participants invest in a portion of the project. Providing solar electric power to remote, off-grid people frees them from the unpalatable alternatives of either using kerosene-generated power (which is both bodily and environmental dangerous) or living with no electricity, no lights, no irrigation possibilities, and no connection to the outside world.”

SO why am I reposting this? I am reposting this because today I got this email from Hinkle:

Dear Andrew,

Thanks for taking the Hinkle “Pure Waste Challenge”. Your interest in global warming – and willingness to affirm it with an email to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation – has brought $100 to the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF)!

The Hinkle Challenge is for $100,000, meaning that we need 1,000 people to act as you have. Thus far, 350 people have done so, for a total of $35,000, so we’re well on our way.

Know two people who might join you in taking up the challenge? Their participation would help take us all the way to our 1000-person goal.

As you’ll recall, taking part in the Pure Waste Challenge is easy:

1) Visit this page on the website of the Hinkle Charitable Foundation: http://www.thehcf.org/purewastechallenge.htmland read three short primers on things you can do as an individual to reduce your personal contribution to global warming: 1) use CFL light bulbs; 2) install a tankless hot water heater; 3) not idle while driving.

2) Affirm that you’ll try to make these changes in your life by sending an email to the Foundation, at purewaste@thehcf.org.

That’s it! The Foundation will then make a $100 donation in your name to the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF).

Please ask two (or more!) of your friends to take up the challenge - simply forward them this email. Many thanks!

Best wishes,

Bob

Robert A. Freling

Executive Director

Solar Electric Light Fund

This is a LONG post so I hope you are still reading, but what I am asking here is for us Active Rainers to unite and help these people. Heck, there are more than a thousand of us here. Surely we can get them the 750 people that they need. You only need to commit to three things. Use CFL lights everywhere you can, install a tankless water heater and agree to not idle your car. Easy things. You can do it. WE CAN DO IT. Let’s help these guys.

Please visit the Hinkle Website HERE and make your commitment today.

What I would really love is for someone to ask for this post to be featured. I don’t want points. I want to help these people. Let’s get this out there where everyone will see it!

Thanks!