I’m convinced that a signature or some publicity can help non-profit just as much as money. As a fresh graduate looking for a job, I don’t have the mean to support any project financially. On the other hand, I can invest time and energy for them from the comfort of home.

The actions that you can do online are various, you can:

1. sign a petition

Petitions are very popular, a lot of organisations propose people to add their signature online. It’s quick and easy, which is good because they need lots of them.

2. pledge to take action

Some non-profits let you create a profile on their website and encourage you to take actions. WWF Passport is WWF attempt at creating a social network to publicize their campaigns and get the public involved. You can choose the continent where you’d like to help and sign up for a campaign. You are rewarded with points to reach higher levels and you can get a personal certification for the actions you took.



3. write about a non-profit on your blog

You heard of a really cool project in your local area or want to support your preferred NGO. Then why don’t you start writting about them on your blog. A little publicity to show your love cannot hurt.

4. sign up for a newsletter

Newsletter is an easy way to get news and most non-profits do propose people to subscribe. I receive one email per week or per month and they are due to give you a link to unsubscribe in case you feel spammed or expected something better.

5. donate online

Most charities propose you a way to donate online by credit card or Paypal. You can sometimes decide to give a regular monthly donation, and some of them will reward you with goodies.



6. volunteer for a non-profit

If you’re ready to do administrative work on your free time, some organisations might need your help by sending emails or translating content.

7. show your support on social networks or your blog

Social networks have become very popular, so you shouldn’t be surprised to find your favourite NGOs on Facebook. If you have a website, some of them propose banners to promote and link to their campaigns.

I am also concerned about the all the issues surrounding Third World countries and wanted to share my thoughts on this website. I used to work in Laos last year and was deeply touched by the generosity and philosophy of life in this country. It was my first contact with a Third World country and I wish I could do more than just write about them in the future.

So here is what you’ll find on Stainless Planet:

• You’ll read news about the environment, conservation and Third World countries.
• I’ll share great finds from the Internet.
• I’ll review websites and products that could help us live a greener life.
• You will not find extensive reviews of the latest model of wind turbines, I cannot afford it right now.

If you want to know more about me or this website, feel free to check the About page.

Basically, Edenbee will help you reduce your carbon footprint by keeping track of your energy consumption and setting goals to help you reduce it. Your footprint calculation is based on your gas, fuel and electricity readings as well as your different car mileage readings and your plane trips. You also have the possibility to set reminders to take readings at fixed intervals (daily, weekly, monthly). Edenbee will then generate a graph of your monthly carbon use (tonnes per month) and update your yearly carbon footprint (tonnes per year).

But Edenbee also present all the features from any common social network, which means that you have the ability to interact with other people on the website. You can edit your profile, write on other members shoutbox, and discuss in groups. The most interesting feature is the possibility to set goals and share them with the members. You can create new one or try to complete goals from the other members. For instance, I decided that I wanted to make my own compost and use energy saving bulbs. They even propose you to answer a few questions to establish your lifestyle profile and help you define your goals. The number of goals completed is then added under the carbon logbook graph.

The service is still in Beeta (yay, Beeta), but it’s already very complete and engaging. I think they have done a very good job. For the moment, I regret not being able to see all the goals I subscribed to on a single page and there’s still no help section (but they seem to be working on it). I would also love if they could import my carbon profile from Dopplr, as the calculation is much more accurate when it comes to travelling.

Their blog (the Edenblog) is also worth reading, it’s a very interesting blog about the environment.

On land or underwater, sequences are captured all over the world by a dedicated crew of professional film-makers, cameramen and photographers, hence the outstanding quality of the content. Videos can be seen and even downloaded in standard or high definition with a commentary or not. The pure observation of nature at work. There is plenty of choice and you can sort sequences depending on their natural habitat, species or even location. I was really glad to see footage of whale sharks, they’re one of my favorite animals. I leaned diving in Thailand last winter just in the hope of spotting one and have been frustrated not to see any since then.

The only question is how do they get any money from this? Well, their work can be seen on tv, so I suppose they receive some sort of commissions. I could easily imagine website as a side project they hope to monetize in the future. I really like the concept, it’s a really nice way to exploit unused footage. I encourage you to try the beta test of the very promising pro interface (still free at the moment). The blog and the podcast attached to the website are well worth a check as well.