LIFE Magazine photos available online

An online photo gallery has been opened by Google Inc. that will feature millions of images from Life magazine’s archives that have never been seen by the public before.

The new service offers about 2 million photos and will scan 10 million from Life’s library in the near future.

About 97 percent of Life’s photo archives have never been publicly seen.

Some of the images are famous and iconic pictures — Martin Luther King Jr. waving to a huge crowd during his “I have a dream” speech, two wounded Marines on Hill 484 in Vietnam in 1966, an American sailor and nurse kissing at the end of World War II, and Dorothea Lange’s haunting photo of a migrant mother in 1936 — but others have never been seen until now.

“Only a very small percentage of these images have ever been published. The rest have been sitting in dusty archives in the form of negatives, slides, glass plates, etchings, and prints,” wrote Paco Galanes on Google’s blog.

According to the website from Life Magazine. “Whatever you want to look at, whether it happened an hour ago, a century ago, or any time in between, you’ll be able to find it here quickly, easily, and for free.”

The collection will be located at www.life.com, with search results from google displayed via the Google Image Search service.

Honda unveils fuel cell sports car of the future

Honda today revealed the Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda’s V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

“The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future.”

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle’s performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport’s low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercar standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver’s left and right side.

The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiators for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle’s racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sport’s fuel cell technology in much the same way that a “naked bike” motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport’s clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle’s unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure theme is carried through to the body construction where exterior panels are intended to use plant-derived bio-plastics.

The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, in Pasadena, California, developed the FC Sport design study with the primary objective of using existing fuel cell technology as the basis for an ultimate Honda sports car. Designer Jason Wilbur led the design efforts.

International Children’s Painting Competition Announced

To help raise environmental awareness and foster science literacy among elementary and middle-school students, Bayer Corporation and the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) have kicked off the second year of their partnership in the United States to bring the International Children’s Painting Competition (ICPC) to schoolchildren nationwide.

With this year’s theme, Climate Change – Our Challenge, UNEP and Bayer Corporation are inviting students ages six-to-14 to learn more about climate change and express that knowledge creatively through art.

The students’ paintings are expected to focus on the impact of global warming on our planet, as well as concrete actions people can take, such as using renewable energy and eco-friendly light bulbs, planting trees, sharing vehicles and using public transportation, among others.

Bayer Corporation’s ICPC partnership with UNEP RONA is part of the company’s national award-winning Making Science Make Sense(R) initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through inquiry-based, hands-on science learning, employee volunteerism and public education.

“Environmental education projects are an important part of Bayer’s commitment to sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and science education/science literacy,” said Greg Babe, President and CEO, Bayer Corporation. “With the International Children’s Painting Competition, we’re able to link these issues together for students who will soon inherit the mantle of the nation’s environmental stewards.”

Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP RONA, added, “Climate change is a priority issue for UNEP, and we are delighted that, through the ICPC, Bayer Corporation and UNEP are helping educate young people on how climate change is impacting our neighborhoods, our communities, our countries and the world. By participating in this competition, they are also learning about measures they themselves can take to help reverse the problem.”

The free-style artwork for the ICPC must be submitted on either letter- or legal-size paper and can be done using crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, oils, etc. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2009. For complete entry rules and conditions, please visit www.BayerUS.com/MSMS.

The ICPC regional winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. First-place regional winners are selected from each UNEP region: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; North America; and West Asia.

This year, the ICPC North American first-prize winner will receive two fully-paid trips. The first trip will be to a World Environment Day celebration in North America on June 5; the second trip or the grand-prize trip will be to the 2009 Tunza International Children’s Conference to be held during the summer. Tunza, which is held every two years, is a global youth forum of UNEP that brings together youth from all over the world to share experiences on the environment.

CSR Wire

eBay bans ivory sales

In response to growing pressure from international law enforcement agencies and conservation groups, eBay, the online auction giant, announced it would ban all commerce in ivory, including most heirlooms, to avoid providing a market that would encourage the slaughter of endangered elephants.

The global ban on ivory sales will be enforced starting January 1, 2009.  Exceptions to the ban include products made before 1900 that contain small amounts of ivory.

The announcement came ahead of  a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare that over a six-week period tracked more than 7,000 posts offering body parts of protected wildlife, including pelts, teeth, bones, horns, and feathers. The report, titled “Killing with Keystrokes” [PDF], found that the United States was responsible for more than 70 percent of the trade, an amount nearly 10 times more than the two countries with the next highest volume, Great Britain and China. Nearly three-fourths of the posts were for ivory products.

By far, the single largest seller was eBay, with 73 percent of the total posts tracked on US websites.

The online auctioneer tried a limited ban on ivory last year, blocking all cross-border sales. According to eBay’s official blog, that ban attempted “to balance the protection of endangered and protected species while also providing a way for sellers to offer legitimate ivory products legally allowed for sale within domestic markets.”

But the illicit ivory sales continued. “…given the complexities of the global ivory trade, and the distinct and unique characteristics of the eBay Marketplace,” says eBay’s blog , “the sale of any ivory on our site continued to be a concern within the company and among stakeholders.”

In speaking with the International Herald Tribune, eBay spokeswoman Nichola Sharpe said, “It’s just so complicated.  As we’ve said over the years, we are not experts” in the items bought and sold through the site.

“We don’t have possession of the items,” she said. “We never allow anything illegal to be sold. Where there are complex laws, we work with a number of stakeholders to make sure we are in compliance. That’s especially true with ivory.”

Last year, the company instituted a ban on international sales of elephant ivory products, but Jeffrey Flocken of the animal welfare fund said it “has not worked at all.”

Gap goes solar

Gap unveiled a one megawatt (MW) solar power system at Gap Inc.’s West Coast distribution center campus. The installation, one of the largest in Northern California, features a ground-mounted solar tracking system on a five-acre site, and is expected to offset 2.5 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 2,466 vehicles off the road over the life of the project.

“We are very excited this solar power system is now online,” said Kindley Walsh Lawlor, senior director of strategic planning and environmental affairs for Gap Inc. at today’s dedication ceremony. “We made the commitment to host this solar system nearly 15 months ago and are proud to support the clean energy it generates. Over the past decade, Gap Inc. has sought to find better ways to do business and this solar installation is one such shining example.”

MMA Renewable Ventures, which owns and operates the system, joined with Gap Inc. to develop an innovative partnership, leveraging tax credits and incentives, to finance the solar power system. This enables Gap Inc. to buy the power generated from the system through a long-term contract known as a power purchase agreement (PPA) – rather than through a major capital investment. MMA Renewable Ventures owns the renewable energy credits and environmental attributes associated with the system.

“This project demonstrates that solar systems deliver dependable power and long-term cost savings,” said Matt Cheney, CEO of MMA Renewable Ventures. “Gap Inc. joins with several of the country’s top retailers in deploying solar; we commend their visionary commitment to renewable energy systems. By securing power through a power purchase agreement, Gap Inc. will benefit from cost savings from the system’s very first day of operation – and for years to come.”

Designed and installed by SunPower, SunPower(R) Tracker system follows the sun’s movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over conventional fixed-tilt systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements.

“We congratulate Gap Inc. on their decision to convert five acres of unused land on the Fresno campus for the production of clean, renewable solar power,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower’s president, global business units. “High-efficiency SunPower Trackers will maximize the energy production on the site, while an affordable PPA will provide the facility with a hedge against rising utility rates.”

30,000 UPS Volunteers to Deliver Community Support

UPS employees across the globe are rolling up their brown sleeves to do a lot more than deliver packages in October. Throughout the month, UPS employees will participate in the company’s Global Volunteer Month, giving their time, talents and hands-on support to charitable organizations in their local communities.

Since 2003, UPS has designated a week in October as Global Volunteer Week. This year, the week has been extended to a full month to enable more employees to participate. The volunteer efforts will take place across the globe with UPS employees participating in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Since the program began, the number of employee volunteers has grown from 1,000 in 2003 to more than 30,000 expected to participate worldwide this year.

“UPS employees are encouraged to volunteer throughout the year, but during Global Volunteer Month there is a concentrated effort to engage as many volunteers as possible,” said Lisa Hamilton, president of The UPS Foundation. “If you can get a person to come out just once and volunteer, they will experience first-hand the powers of giving back and then you’ve helped create a volunteer for life.”

UPS employees can choose their own volunteer projects to support in addition to those set up by designated UPS team leaders. The activities set up by team leaders can range from handing out food at food banks to landscaping for daycare centers and schools to reading with children.

“This year we are emphasizing environmental efforts,” Hamilton added. “We are encouraging employees to participate in projects such as litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling and landscape beautification. The most effective environmental project within each UPS region also will be recognized with a $10,000 grant to an environmental cause in that region.”

CSR Wire

Google offers $10M for ideas that can ‘change the world’

If you could suggest a unique idea that would help as many people as possible, what would it be?

Google has unveiled a bold $10M effort to implement ideas that can “change the world.”  Project 10^100 (that’s “ten to the hundredth”) marks the 10th anniversary of the company and is meant to “celebrate the spirit of Google users and the web.”  All ideas need to be submitted by October 20, 2008.

“We’re launching  a call for ideas that could help as many people as possible, and a program to bring the best of those ideas to life,” says Andy Berndt, Managing Director, Google Creative Lab. “CNN will be covering this project, including profiles of ideas and the people who submit them from around the world.  For a deeper look, follow along at Impact Your World.”

Google noted that the ideas can be big or small, technology-driven or not. But they do have to have a potential positive impact on the world.  As part of the announcement Google provided some examples of projects that fall in line with the spirit of Project 10^100.

What are some examples of ideas we think are cool? A team of just two people are implementing a solution to help the millions of people who laboriously carry on their heads 5-gallon buckets of water for long distances by designing and distributing The Hippo Water Roller (www.hipporoller.org), a relatively inexpensive 24-gallon container that can be easily wheeled on the ground. First Mile Solutions (www.firstmilesolutions.com) is implementing simple but effective ideas for connecting isolated communities in developing countries to the Internet. One plan has communities tacking on Wi-Fi devices to public buses so they can detect and send stored emails and messages as the buses travel through unconnected areas. Google is excited to fund projects that similarly have a big impact.

Google provided the following categories for which it will be considering ideas:

• Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
• Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
• Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
• Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
• Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
• Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
• Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
• Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don’t fit into any category at all.

Group RCI Gifts $100,000 to Christel House

Over 900 employees and families of Group RCI, a world leader in leisure real estate and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), gathered recently for the emotional reunion of RCI co-founder Christel DeHaan and many of her former RCI employees. The scene was a carnival-style block party at the Carmel-area campus of the world’s largest timeshare exchange company to raise funds for Christel House International, Group RCI’s global charity of choice. At the close of the event, DeHaan was presented with the unexpectedly sizeable donation of $100,000.

The 5-hour block party marked the celebratory conclusion of the ‘Summer of Christel House’, a six-week-long fundraising campaign created by RCI employees to raise both consciousness and cash for Christel House International which operates learning centers for impoverished children in Mexico, Venezuela, South Africa, India, and Indianapolis. Founded by DeHaan in 1998, the charitable organization seeks to break the cycle of poverty for children around the world and help them become contributing members of society.

“The passion demonstrated by the associates of RCI to help provide the 2,700 children of Christel House a better quality of life is both amazing and unprecedented,” marveled Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Group RCI. “Christel DeHaan created an incredibly caring culture at RCI many years ago based on honesty, integrity, sincerity and community service. It’s a culture which is alive and well nearly 35 years later. And it’s a culture I’m both honored and humbled to be associated with.”

Attendees of the celebration were treated to a musical performance by visiting Christel House South Africa students Angelique Blaauw, Nontando Bonga, and Kyle Daniels, led by Luis-Miguel Delgado, a business development account executive with Group RCI. Blaauw 16, talked about teamwork, shared goals, and the power of “we” — a message fitting the occasion.

Congratulating the crowd on their creativity and caring, DeHaan was preparing to accept the donation of monies raised by local RCI employees when it was revealed that those had been combined not only with contributions from global colleagues as well as block party proceeds but also a match from the company’s corporate office, a sum totaling $100,000.00. “There are not enough words to describe how I’m feeling,” choked an emotional DeHaan in response to the unexpected generosity. “From day one, RCI has distinguished itself through its people. This is a gift of love for which I am humbled and grateful.”

The Reader’s Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to CancerCare

The Reader’s Digest Foundation will donate $100,000 to CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that offers free, professional support services to anyone whose life is touched by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones and the bereaved. Its programs include counseling, education and financial assistance. The Foundation’s grant will go towards CancerCare’s financial assistance program, which helps cancer patients and their families pay their bills.

This grant, the sixth in the Foundation’s $1 million Make it Matter program, was inspired by the heartwarming story of Michelle Morey, a Minnesota mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37. Fortunately, she had her own business, a comfortable income and a supportive family and, as a result, was able to focus all her attention on getting better, rather than worrying about paying her bills. She discovered that many of her fellow patients didn’t have the resources she had and, because of the colossal medical expenses they faced, were having trouble heating their homes and buying food.

Michelle and her husband began making monthly donations of $500 to patients in financial need at the clinic where Michelle was treated. She soon created the Pay It Forward Fund, which now serves patients at three Minneapolis-area hospitals. The fund provides up to $1,500 a year to dozens of women, identified by the nursing staffs, with breast, uterine, cervical or ovarian cancer who need financial help. The grants are made with one request: that recipients find a way to pay the fund’s generosity forward through acts of kindness toward others fighting cancer. In just two years, the fund has raised more than $250,000 and has assisted nearly 150 women.

“Fighting cancer is hard enough without also having to fight to keep your lights on and make your mortgage payments,” said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader’s Digest Foundation. “We’re very gratified that CancerCare recognizes this and assists people with cancer who need financial support, and we’re very glad to help them in this critical work.”

“We are so grateful to the Reader’s Digest Foundation for helping us assist people as they face the biggest crisis of their lives,” said Diane Blum, Executive Director of CancerCare. “This support will make a profound difference in the daily lives of people facing the emotional and financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis.”

Reader’s Digest magazine is lending its support to the Foundation’s program by highlighting the stories of selected individuals in its monthly “Make it Matter”column. Many of the submissions, including those that do not lead to a grant, will be featured on http://www.readersdigest.com.

Submissions for Make it Matter will be accepted by the Foundation on a rolling basis throughout 2008.

Source: CSR Wire

AT&T donates $1M to National Urban League’s Project Ready College Access Program

AT&T Inc. announced a $1 million contribution over two years in support of the National Urban League’s (NUL) Project Ready College Access Program. Targeting 11th and 12th graders, it is an initiative that seeks to provide enhanced academic support to students in high school and prepare them for post-secondary education.

The project works with families to accomplish the following: increase college awareness; improve navigational and life skills; raise confidence and self-awareness around decision making; gain greater understanding and appreciation for one’s own cultural identity and cultural diversity; and understand the correlation between higher education and income.

“We strongly support the great work of the National Urban League’s Project Ready Program. This program is particularly effective in encouraging students to set goals and understand the correlation between higher education and future life success,” said Marie Long, vice president of Constituency Relations at AT&T.

NUL has also partnered with the Academy for Educational Development to measure the success of the program’s curriculum. As a result of this evaluation, it will develop and teach a certificate-bearing course to educate program staff.

“We are very proud of the great work that Project Ready has already accomplished to educate at-risk 9th and 10th grade students. We are thankful for all the support we have received and are excited to work with AT&T to rollout the project to include 11th and 12th graders,” said National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial.

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives, which is why in April 2008, AT&T launched Aspire, a $100 million high school success and workforce readiness initiative. AT&T Aspire is the company’s largest philanthropic commitment ever — and one of the largest — ever corporate commitments to address high school success and workforce readiness.

Source: (CSRwire)

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