CNR student David Dinh is helping rural Ugandans to have access to safe drinking water.
"In every home in Uganda, drinking water is traditionally stored in a clay pot and culturally, there is a tremendous preference for this method of water storage. Unfortunately, water stored through this method can become quickly contaminated from repeated hand contact," Dinh writes. Because of the need for safe water storage, Dinh has helped to create improved clay pots with plastic spigots. They are "an affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate safe water storage approach for rural Ugandan communities, " says Dinh.
Working in conjunction with Uganda Village Project and with support from the Strauss Foundation, Dinh has established social enterprise in the Ugandan villages. The distribution of the modified pots is subsidized for disadvantaged families in rural Uganda through the profits generated from the sale of modified pots in major urban areas.
"Young Bear" Mayra Ceja honored for service to her community
Mayra Ceja, a senior environmental economics major, has had a busy four years at Cal.
As well as being a full time student, she has worked at the College of Natural Resources since her freshman year, founded the Phi Nu Xi Sorority, volunteered for CalSo and the “fresh faces” student blog, and spent ten to fifteen hours per week working to help under-served high school students get into college.
This month, Mayra's dedication is being rewarded with the Young Bear award. Established in 1979, the Young Bear award recognizes exceptional achievement in community service.
The contest offers great prizes valued close to $30,000, and the inside scoop is that there have been very few entries so far, so the odds are in your favor!
The contest is endorsed by former Vice President Al Gore, who called it "a great way to spread the word and bring the issue into our daily lives."
Entries should be 1- to 2-minute original videos on everyday solutions to climate change. Winners will be selected based on how inspiring, pragmatic and compelling they are.
Don't wait -- the deadline to enter is February 28th!
Don't know much about video?No problem. The CNR Dean's Office can provide advice and resources on shooting a great video, and even lend members of the CNR community high-quality equipment.
Four Cal students living in a new "Green Apartment" demonstrate sustainable living. The apartment is the latest addition to an expanding effort by the Green Room Committee to educate the campus community about recycling, water and energy conservation and about purchasing decisions.
The apartment in the Channing-Bowditch student housing complex is the latest addition to an expanding UC Berkeley effort by the Green Room Committee to educate the campus community about recycling, water and energy conservation and about purchasing decisions.
"We wanted to give the room a holistic concept, connecting the dots between the things students learn in the classroom and the choices they make in their everyday lives, said Desirae Early, a junior majoring in environmental economics and policy, a Green Campus Program coordinator and a Green Room Committee member.
