MicroEmpowering Blog

Science Thursday, Taking Paper Airplanes To The Next Level...

Posted by Guest Editor, NPR on Thursday, January 12, 2012 In : Must read

Leif Ristroph and colleagues at NYU are designing tiny paper aircraft and making them fly using a pot, a speaker and a bunch of straws. When the subwoofer plays a low-frequency tone, it pushes the air above it up and down, which is funneled through the pot and straws, creating a flow of pulsing air.

The system simulates flapping flight by taking the flap out of the wing and putting it into the air. Ristroph explains what his aircraft are teaching him about stable flight.

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Trends in Cross-Border Funding

Posted by Guest Editor, via CGAP authors Barbara Gähwiler and Alice Nègre on Thursday, January 5, 2012 In : News

Microfinance funding is becoming more transparent. More than 60 microfinance funders regularly report information on their microfinance portfolio to CGAP, and extensive data are available on microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) through Symbiotics and MicroRate.

In 2011, CGAP surveyed the 20 largest microfinance funders, which represented over 85% of commitments reported in the previous survey year. Based on the findings of that survey and previous surveys, this Brief describes global trend...
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Looking for last minute Holiday Gifts?

Posted by MicroEmpowering Editor on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 In : Must read

Visit our on line store, 92% of the profits are reverted to fund our Educational Workshops

On Dec 21, if you order FREE Two-Day Shipping before 8 p.m. PST (which varies by item) item gets to location before Christmas. Dec 21 is the last full day to order One-Day Shipping ($3.99/item)

On Dec 22, if you order One-Day Shipping ($3.99/item) before 4:30 p.m. PST (which varies by item) item gets to location before Christmas.

Smithsonian Motor-Works

Smithsonian Diggin' Up T-Rex

Smithsonian C...
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Findings from Randomized Evaluations of Microfinance

Posted by Guest Editor, via CGAP on Monday, December 5, 2011 In : News

In 2009, the results from two microcredit impact studies in Hyderabad, India, and Manila, the Philippines were released to mixed responses (Banerjee, Duflo, Glennerster, and Kinnan 2010; Karlan and Zinman 2011). Some media declared microfinance a failure (Bennett 2009). Many in the microfinance community dismissed these randomized studies as too limited to be a true reflection of the entire sector.

These first randomized studies caused a sensation because they challenged the dominant impact n...
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We are extremely grateful for having you in our lives. Happy Holidays!

Posted by The Empowering Team on Thursday, December 1, 2011 In : News

Dear Friends,

We at MicroEmpowering are very thankful for a productive and successful 2011. We are extremely grateful for having you in our lives!

This is our first quarterly update and we will do our best to keep things simple and objective. Since our incorporation in September of 2009, we:

Provided workshops for over 250 students in the US and Brazil
Participated in the reforestation drive for almost 400 rare species of Pau Brasil# trees with our social entrepreneurship partner organizat...

Brazil is temporarily banning Chevron from drilling for oil in its territory

Posted by Guest Editor, BBC on Sunday, November 27, 2011 In : News

The National Petroleum Agency (ANP) said it would suspend Chevron's activities in Brazil until it had established the cause of an oil spill off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

Source: BBC and AFP

Chevron has apologised for the leak, but has stressed it acted as rapidly and safely as possible to contain it. The Brazilian government has fined Chevron US$28m (£18m) for the spill. Brazilian Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira said Chevron could face further fines if an investigation into the ...
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UK Environmental Audit Committee publishes report on air quality

Posted by Guest Editor from www.WhereisMyNewCar.com on Thursday, November 17, 2011 In : Guest Blogger

The Environmental Audit Committee considers the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development, and it audits their performance against any sustainable development and environmental protection targets. Unlike most select committees, the Committee’s remit cuts across government rather than focuses on the work of a particular department.

According to the report, the G...
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Bisphenol A: Should there be laws?

Posted by Editor, via greenspace on Monday, October 17, 2011 In : Must read

The Food and Drug Administration's about-face on the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to harden the plastic of sippy cups and baby bottles and to seal the inside of tin cans, could spur the adoption of bills in the California Legislature and U.S. Congress to restrict the chemical.

Despite a 2008 determination under President George W. Bush that the chemical was safe, the Obama administration said Friday that it would spend $30 million to study the effects of BPA. which has been lin...
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Sustainable Houses, The Key to Our Future?

Posted by Editor, via CNET on Sunday, October 9, 2011 In : Must read

What do you think of sustainable houses?
The technology used for building is improving every day, but if it's a super energy-efficient dwelling you're after, the tools are already well at hand. Once a year, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association organizes a green buildings open house where energy nerds like us can see the latest in home efficiency.

Source: CNET

On the other hand, if you want to built a different house, to be in harmony with nature. You might want to consider these inexpen...
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