nachhaltiger.net News regarding CSR , Sustainability, Solar, Fashion and other green stuff. Mostly in english.

So often “eating right” is framed as a sacrifice—giving up tasty foods for the sake of health. Well it turns out those of us with a sweet tooth may have a good reason to indulge. A growing body of research is demonstrating that honey — and in particular raw, local honey — has a whole host of health benefits.

The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of honey are well-established. Honey is rich in cholesterol-fighting polyphenols, although they are by no means the only active antioxidant ingredient. Dark buckwheat honey in particular has been found to have exceptionally high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Honey has historically been used to heal wounds, and more and more modern scientific research strongly supports this idea.

However, the heating and filtering process that honey typically goes through damages many of the useful compounds and enzymes that make honey so unique, which is why it’s so important to seek out raw honey.

Continue Reading

Established in 1972, the Japan Foundation seeks to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. The Foundation awards grants in the areas of Arts & Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education Overseas, Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange, and operates fellowship programs to foster individual research and the development of human resources. The Center for Global Partnership (CGP) was founded within the Foundation in 1991 with offices in New York City and Tokyo, and seeks to promote exchange and collaboration between the United States and Japan with the goal of fulfilling shared global responsibilities and contributing to the improvements in the world’s welfare.

CGP has an opening for a part-time Assistant in the Grassroots Exchange “>
The Assistant will report to the Program Director and will assist with the following:

1. GRANT-MAKING

– Review letters of inquiry and proposals, draft recommendations, and related materials;
– Communicate with grantees and grant-seekers, through written correspondence, meetings, and site visits;
– Research fields to identify and monitor trends, new models, and new initiatives.

2. PROGRAM AND IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES COORDINATION

– Coordinate various program activities and in-house events such as roundtables, seminars, and outreach events;
– Participate in the development and implementation of a public relations strategy;
– Carry out other related duties as assigned by the Program Director;

QUALIFICATIONS:

– Graduate students preferred, but highly motivated college graduates are welcome;
– Experience in fields related to the Foundation’s giving areas preferred;
– Strong analytical skills; the ability through questioning and informal research to understand the feasibility and implications of submitted proposals;
– Strong oral and written communication skills in English;
– Understanding of contemporary Japan; experience living in Japan and proficiency in the Japanese language, including translating ability, preferred;
– US citizenship or valid working visa in US

Work Hours and Days: Between 9:30 am-5:30 pm, 3 to 5 days (less than 30 hours) per week. Initial term will be for a three-month contract, renewable contingent on performance.

Job Commencement: June 14, 2010 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

For more information, please visit the Japan Foundation website at http://www.jfny.org / and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) website at http://www.cgp.org /.

HOW TO APPLY:
Click below “Apply Now” button.

Links:
——

http://www.jfny.org

http://www.cgp.org

Right now, electric cars may not emit greenhouse gases themselves, but the coal-fired power plants that provide the electricity that fuels those cars do. That may be the ugly reality now, but ideally in the not too far future, EVs will juice up with clean, renewable energy. One Japanese town is getting a jump on that beautiful future by serving as a testing ground for solar-powered electric vehicles.

Tsukuba City, Japan, which is near Tokyo, is playing host to a project brought together by various companies, including Mazda, Think Global, EnerDel and Itochu. As part of this project, Mazda2 vehicles have been outfitted with electric drivetrains built by Think, using EnerDel lithium ion batteries.

These cars will solely fuel-up at rapid-charging stations powered by solar-powered stationary grid storage units. The charging stations will use DC current to facilitate a quick charge. The cars will be tested by the Tsukuba City community in a ZipCar-type set up. The residents will have smart cards that grant them access to the cars and charging stations, track the charges and bill them for their use.

via CNET

  of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over 4 million children by constructing more than 1,100 schools, establishing over 9,200 libraries, publishing 433 new children’s book titles in 11 local languages, and putting over 8,700 girls onto long-term, holistic scholarships.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$30 million and our global staff numbers over 300. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in New York, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and Delhi. We have an Asia Regional Office located in New Delhi, a Southern Africa Regional Office in Pretoria, and program offices in Colombo, Dhaka, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. Our long-term goal is to help 10 million children to gain the lifelong gift of education.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Room to Read has experienced tremendous growth since our founding in early 2000 and the work schedule of the founder and Chairman of the Board is challenging. We seek a professional assistant with previous experience serving a senior executive to provide him with full-time administrative support. The primary responsibility for this position is to assure that the Chairman of Board is as productive and efficient as possible. This position will be based in San Francisco.

DUTIES “>

* Proactively assess Chairman’s schedule and needs to provide assistance streamlining communication and processes
* Assist with calendar management and with filtering, qualifying and scheduling phone calls and meeting requests
* Plan all travel, both domestic and international. This includes flights, hotels, inter-city transportation, and all logistics related to events, speeches and other Room to Read activities
* Answer phones, manage all incoming inquiries, screen all mail, decide how best to route questions, and respond to selected email messages on behalf of the Chairman
* Manage the Board Chair’s professional speaking engagements, including maintaining existing speaker bureau and host relationships, developing new ones, responding to speaking requests, and coordinating logistics for confirmed events
* Create and keep updated various PowerPoint presentations on Room to Read’s work to be presented by the Chairman at various internal and external meetings
* Organize and manage filing system and key contact information
* Calculate accurate expense reports and Room to Read credit card statements
* Perform data entry on business cards and new contacts
* Undertake special projects and ad hoc duties, such as research projects, as necessary

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
REQUIRED
* Bachelor’s degree
* History of dedicated volunteer activity and/or commitment to non-profit organizations
* Strong written and verbal communication skills
* Adept at using Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
* Flexible, detail oriented and organized
* Proactive and tenacious troubleshooting skills
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team
* Results-oriented and strong work ethic
* Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative

PREFERRED
* Previous Executive Assistant experience for a C-level executive and/or Personal Assistant experience
* 5+ years work experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
* Experience traveling and/or living internationally or working across cultures

TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS A MEMBER OF THE ROOM TO READ TEAM, YOU WILL ALSO:
* Have a passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic non-profit organization
* Be an innovative and creative thinker – you are not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
* Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
* Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction
* Work well independently as well as part of a team
* Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

COMPENSATION:

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include health, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, commuter benefits, and a 401K match. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through the lifelong gift of education.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter and resume with “Executive Assistant – ID” in the subject line, (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins). Due to high applicant volume, we regret that we cannot personally respond to all applicants. Applications are accepted until the position is filled.

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Click “Apply Now” button below to apply.