EARTH APPEAL 2007: This is Serious, EI Will Meet These Financial Goals or Shutdown
EARTH APPEAL 2007 YEAR-END FUND-RAISER -- Running the world's largest non-profit environmental portals, and most effective biocentric action network, requires high-end computer servers, massive band-width and modest staffing; please donate individually even as we diversify funding sources
This I know. The Earth's situation is dire and only monumental social and personal change of an unprecedented magnitude can save us. This will require focusing upon requirements for maintaining the Earth System, and the ecological and social policies necessary to do so; rather than upon what is easy, sounds good, or is in vogue and politically correct.
I know of no organization other than Ecological Internet with a global reach that is providing the information and action base necessary to support ending ancient forest logging and coal emissions, while reducing population and consumption; and similar ecologically based, difficult but sufficient policies.
There is no other equivalent to Ecological Internet, and at least for the moment the financial needs required to run Internet portals and action network must continue coming from our membership base. Please donate what you can afford and review our budget and funding plans below. Our and the Earth's future depends up it.
Warm regards,
Dr. Glen Barry
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EI estimates our needs over the coming six months to be $75,000 ($75K - we have found it easier to raise our budget with twice yearly fund-raisers than just one). This can be broken down into staffing, computers, bandwidth, office and miscellaneous. Last year I was paid $20K every six months, given outstanding student loans and a new marriage, I need to make at least $25K to remain personally solvent. I handle all aspects of overall vision, campaign strategy, content update and everything else that comes along -- usually some 100 hour/week but trying hard to cut down.
Matt is our long-time volunteer computer programmer. Over the past year EI provided a couple small stipends, but clearly for his long hours of devotion while holding a full time job, he needs to be paid at least $10K over the next six months. Similarly we hold an ace in the hole with the expert network administration skills of Jesse, which we would like to contract for at least $3k/6 months, but have not paid in many months.
We run three of our own large computer servers to house our efforts. This along with desktops represents some $50K in computer assets which must constantly be updated and expanded. We envision $10K in computer replenishment costs over the next six months. Closely related are rental payments for massive Internet band-width to handle hundreds of thousands of visitors a month, costing some $5K. And we use some pretty pricey software (can run $10-20K each to license), namely our list manager software needs to be updated now at a cost of $10K. Another $4K for rent and $8K for everything else rounds it off.
Over the past 8 years EI has managed to meet all growing needs by appealing to network participants, and an occasional grant. This allowed us to focus upon urgent Internet based advocacy for the Earth. Yet as the budget's size grows, the number of environmental web site options increases (though much greenwash and little biocentric information action); and a number of other factors including our willingness to state truthful yet controversial positions, donor fatigue and U.S Presidential elections -- all have caused donations to drag this year.
This is a bare bones budget -- we could probably trim it to $65K, but below that we would need to close our doors after funds received have been expended. After two years of full-time web expansion and campaigning, we have already begun allocating more time to apply for foundation grants. What is lost in time and control we hope will be made up for in access to funding adequate to continue along our present lines.
Ecological Internet is confident of our "message" and "product", yet we need your full support during this crucial fund-raiser to implement this funding diversification over the next six months. Please, please, please if you believe the Earth needs a truthful friend and advocate, give to Ecological Internet now!
Comments
This I know. The Earth's situation is dire and only monumental social and personal change of an unprecedented magnitude can save us.
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Dr Barry,
I appreciate the hard work and dedication you are displaying on behalf of humanity.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that you are wrong: monumental social and personal change of an unprecedented magnitude isn't the only thing that will save us, and furthermore, it is very very unlikely that monumental social and personal change will save us.
Frankly, I find your belief that rapid monumental social and personal change is even feasible to be naive. Obviously, large groups don't turn on a dime.
I think your misconception is partially based upon the mistaken belief that only drastic cuts in emissions will prevent the earth's climate from returning to the hothouse state of 55 million years ago.
Instead, the only solution is to remove the carbon from the air. In other words, what will save us (if we are to be saved from the current trajectory) is technology, not rapid dynamic group behaviorial improvement.
If you are dedicating your life and energy to motivating monumental social and personal change, then I predict you will be gravely disappointed. Neural pathways don't change like that, and there are a lot of brains out there that would have to be re-hardwired to accomplish your goal.
Bless your dedication and idealism-too bad it isn't utilitarian,
Brad Arnold
www.myspace.com/dobermanmacleod
P.S. Your efforts would be best served changing minds from a paradigm of unrealistic group change to one of openness to technological solutions. It is very ironic that by pushing unrealistic group change as the sole solution you are as bad as global warming deniers, because both you and them recommend disasterious courses.
Posted by: Brad Arnold | November 19, 2007 8:45 AM
There is exactly zero chance that technology is going to get us out of the mess we are in, it is what has gotten us here in the first place. Try bioengineering a biospshere -- will never work. I stand by my statements.
Dr. Glen Barry
Posted by: Dr. Glen Barry | November 19, 2007 8:46 AM
I come down somewhere in between the two positions taken in this space.
Technology won't save us, for geoengineering efforts such as seeding the atmosphere to reduce the impacts of GHG induced warming ignore two facts: 1) the law of unintended consequences, or the realization that we have little idea of what we are doing to a complex system if we throw in large amounts of soot to the atmosphere, to use just one example; and 2) all geoengineering that proposes continuing business as usual to prop up our consumption patterns that produce more and more GHGs ignore the fact that we will kill the productivity of the world's oceans through acidification later this century if we fail to decarbonize our economy.
BUT, without appropriate and timely use of technology we will most certainly fail. We cannot expect the 2.5 billion Chinese and Indian citizens along with the other folks in the developing world to forego improvements in their living standards. That simply is not going to happen, and it is not equitable to boot. But we MUST help developing countries improve living standards for some of the world's poorest people without poisoning the earth for us all. Technology MUST play a vital role in that process or we are indeed doomed. I agree that we cannot expect the majority of the world's people to completely adjust their expectations, but without cooperation and some limits on consumption in the developed world we cannot get there. Period, end of story - we hope not!
Posted by: ewoc | November 20, 2007 10:53 PM
Well it's feels very soothing when i see something like this. People are really becoming more and more serious for mother earth. But do you really think that all these kinds of events, initiatives can help in this earth. Recently i was in a seminar which was held for global warming in a university. It's was very painful to see that all the professors enviornmalist were there just there to deliver a speech and nothing else. I dont know why in our country people use this burning topic only for their self appraisel, their advertisements, or for making money. I just know one thing till that each and every single individual is not realising his self responsibility towards this serious issue nothing can be. These events should run as a daily projects and young blood like school going students should be introduced to this side coz now its time give this reviloution to our upcoming generation........
Posted by: Vivek Yadav | December 1, 2007 1:27 AM