Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited / Carbon Micro-Credits Xchange

"Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions" -- Revisited again, sadly -- on Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T01:42:00.000-08:00

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Since my first post on this topic -- Christmas Day three years ago -- not much has changed -- the Developed World is still fat [ sic ] -- not "flat" -- and the Undeveloped or Developing World is still skinny and asymmetrically calorie-deprived versus the 10s of millions of Europeans & Americans who should be more grossly concerned about their ethical cellulite, intellectual stretch marks, and moral lives liposuctioned of essential Meaning.

So have you personally made a difference yet in rectifying the maldistribution of calories and economic opportunities across the space-time continuum or fabric of Planet Earth ?

If not, spend less time on Christmas Day eating and watching football -- and more time Thinking about and doing something concrete to nourish the Future of Humankind.

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

[ From: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" -- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- written December 25th, 1864 in Cambridge, Massachusetts during the later days of the American Civil War ]

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Merry Christmas ! -- December 25th, 2011

Peace on Earth & good will to Thinking Women & Men.

Written 25 December 2011 by:

David A. Palella
Founder [ Emeritus, Retired ]
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@gmail.com

Web site: http://www.carbonmanna.org
Blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

Wall Street Journal article profiling Carbon Manna(sm): "Power out of Africa"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576638553875004940.html

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

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And here are the historical Christmas references:

December 25, 2008

Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

The World is Fat [ sic ] -- some parts anyway

Would you like flies with that? [ sic ]

...

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December 25, 2009

Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions -- Volume II

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2009/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

Population expands to eat the food available

By 2050, another 2 billion astronauts on Spaceship Earth ?

Norman Borlaug -- Father of the "Green Revolution" dies at 95

Monkeys with shotguns awarded laureate for marksmanship.

New Nobel Prizes ? -- for Meteorology, Agronomy, Ecology, Oceanography, Atmospheric Sciences, Forestry, Astronomy, Family Planning, Micro Economic Paradigms and ...... Gastronomy ?

...

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When will an "African Carbon Spring" erupt to break the dominance of the White Man in the African carbon-offsets market ?

2011-12-11T07:16:00.001-08:00

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Who will be the Martin Luther King of the African carbon-projects standards-setting and auditing industries ?

Here I re-post my seminal and still-resonate post and tweets from 18 - 25 months ago:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-will-africa-establish-its-own.html

"When will Africa establish its own carbon-projects Standards-Setting Organization and break the dominance of the Carbon White Man?"

24 May 2010

"A good name for it ? -- the Uhuru Green Standards Foundation!"

"Uhuru" can mean "freedom from dependence on white men" -- Bravo!

"I tweeted about this topic back in November 2009, and some web site indexed my ideas and preferred name for this proposed non-profit organization without attribution (see down at the bottom here). So to set the record straight, just below here I re-post my tweets from November 2009 about the Uhuru Green Standards Foundation.

"Ideally some university in Africa will establish an independent non-profit institute or entity on their campus to write carbon-project standards custom tailored for African offset projects.

"All non-profit and for-profit carbon-project standards-setting organizations in the U.S., Europe and Australia are just self-appointed self-anointed "experts" with no legal authorization for their existence. They merely said: "Hey ! -- we're experts, and we make the rules!" -- and everyone kisses their carbon-fiber rings.

"But why ? Can only whities write carbon standards ? Patently no. Africans have the capacity now to write world-class carbon-project standards. They're experts too."

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
skype: dpalella17
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

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REFERENCES -- My 3 Tweets themselves from November 2009:

Can only whities in Europe & America write carbon standards? Duh ! Carbon Manna Unlimited will break the WASP monopoly on GHG standards !

Nov 13th, 2009

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The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own open-source standards for carbon-offsets production -- nyah nyah !

Nov 13th, 2009

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"Uhuru" can mean "freedom from dependence on white men" -- Africans can also write VER carbon standards! Hey ! -- They're experts too !

Nov 13th, 2009

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May 2010 Google search results [finding my own earlier ideas] for:

"Uhuru Green Standards Foundation"

1. The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own ...

2. Nov 13, 2009 ... The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own open-source standards for carbon-offsets production -- nyah nyah !

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http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-will-africa-establish-its-own.html

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Update on Ethiopia and Carbon Manna(sm) projects in planning stages

2011-12-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

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The three Ethiopian friends of mine listed below are in the process of implementing 2 large-scale carbon-offset projects in Ethiopia that will include aspects of my Carbon Manna(sm) System.

If you can make a substantive contribution to these projects in terms of expertise, time and/or funding, please do contact them. But do not contact them if your main aim is to bill their projects for 10s of thousands of dollars of your time. That doesn't help.

Drop my name with them and mention this post:

Mr. Moges GORFE
Executive Director
The RATSON HOME
Women, Youth & Children Development Program
Debrezite Town
ETHIOPIA
cell: +251-091 140 0384
office +251-0114 33 9029
email: mgorfe@yahoo.com
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=74104384

Mr. Kebede GASHAW
CEO
EthAmCo & Organics Ethiopia LLC
[ EthAmCo = Ethiopian American Company ]
Sacramento, California area
USA
tel: 916.509.7207
email: kdgashaw@ethamco.com
http://www.ethamco.com
web site #2: http://www.OrganicsEthiopia.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kebede-gashaw/1a/630/6ab

Ms. Marta Tewodros
San Diego, Calif.
USA
cell: 619.723.5805
email: marta.tewodros@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marta-tewodros/1/b83/738

Finally, allllll the folks listed above will be in Ethiopia for the Christmas/New Year's holidays, so you can meet them there if you too will be passing thru the Cradle of Humankind.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder [ Emeritus, Retired ]
CARBON MANNA(sm) UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

web site: http://www.carbonmanna.org
blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

Wall Street Journal article: "Power out of Africa"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576638553875004940.html

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna(SM) announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

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Carbon Manna(sm) System featured in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)

2011-12-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

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The Carbon Manna(sm) System invented by David Palella is profiled in The Wall Street Journal in this article below coinciding with the COP 17 Copenhagen "Climate Change Conference" taking place in Durban, South Africa, 28 Nov - 09 Dec 2011:

"Power out of Africa"

The Wall Street Journal -- 06 Dec 2011

By Ms. Andrea CHIPMAN -- Reporter / Journalist
The Wall Street Journal
email: andreachipman1@btinternet.com

...

"Incentives -- The pinnacle of sustainable development is a system that rewards changes of behavior on an individual level and at the same time allows families to raise themselves out of poverty.

"This is easier said than done, particularly in Africa where few individuals have bank accounts and most people still eke out a subsistence living far from the reach of established financial institutions.

"San Diego businessman David Palella, however, thinks he has found a way to overcome these difficulties. His not-for-profit organization, Carbon Manna Unlimited, has developed a system of direct micro-payments to rural people who offset their carbon production through the use of high-efficiency stoves.

"The project aims to establish cell-phone based carbon micro-credit systems, using a simple message service (SMS) to allow families to monetize the carbon offsets they produce. Its key advantage is that it's based on existing infrastructure. While few rural Africans have landlines, mobile telephone ownership is rapidly increasing, and companies such as Kenyan telecom provider, Safaricom, have already introduced systems that allow subscribers to transfer money via cell-phones.

"Africa has the most advanced cell-phone-based payment systems using simple text," Mr. Palella says. "You can establish a sustainable carbon reduction project almost anywhere in Africa and share the money through these systems."

"Mr. Palella acknowledges that most voluntary emissions reduction (VER) trading systems require those that benefit from them to go through a series of time-consuming steps, as well as wade through the necessary paperwork. This can be difficult to prepare and costly, especially when it is contracted out to carbon project consultants. Still, he notes that the voluntary emissions reduction market in Europe is worth over $50 billion a year, and that Carbon Manna(sm) is a sustainable, open-source, micro-profit-sharing system in which the paperwork can be standardized and streamlined.

"Realizing a first demonstration project has been tricky for Mr. Palella. A Kenyan offshoot strayed from the guidelines of the original concept, he says, while an Ethiopian project is looking to build its system on the structure of an existing charity for poor farmers.

"However, some industry experts say the expiration of the Kyoto Treaty in 2012, by disbanding the separate United Nations emissions trading framework, could potentially create more impetus for innovative approaches such as Mr. Palella's Carbon Manna(sm)."

...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576638553875004940.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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See also:

web site: http://www.carbonmanna.org

blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

conference site: http://www.cop17-cmp7durban.com/

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Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder [ Emeritus, Retired ]
CARBON MANNA(sm) UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

web site: http://www.carbonmanna.org
blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna(SM) announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

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Service Mark for "CARBON MANNA" awarded by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

2011-08-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded a Service Mark for the name "Carbon Manna" for use in commerce in the classes or fields-of-use noted below.

"Carbon Manna" refers to my invention on 25 April 2008 of the Carbon Micro Credit and a cell-phone-based Micro-Profit-Sharing System now being implemented in Kenya, and possibly in other countries worldwide without my knowledge. Which is fine -- it's an open-source, sustainable, self-funding micro solution for global poverty -- available for appropriation by anyone.

Except for the name, of course, which should not be used without permission.

Finally, for Posterity and future reference, here below is the exact text of the Service Mark certificate:

United States of America

United States Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO )

CARBON MANNA

Registration Number: 3,872,089

Registered Nov. 9, 2010

International Class 35

Service Mark

Principal Register

Carbon Manna Unlimited
(California Non-Profit Corporation)
3830 Valley Center Drive
PMB 581, Suite 705
San Diego, CA 92130

For: Public Advocacy Services to promote Micro-Economic Empowerment of the Poor in the Developing World and to increase awareness in the Developed World of the Micro-Property Rights of the Poor anywhere worldwide, in International Class 35 (U.S. Classes 100, 101 and 102).

First Use: 7-28-2009; In commerce 7-28-2009

The mark consists of standard characters without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color.

Serial Number 77-818,694, Filed 9-2-2009

Alicia Collins, Examining Attorney

-------------------------------

POSTED 13 August 2011 by:

David A. Palella
Founder [ Emeritus, Retired ]
CARBON MANNA(SM) UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

Web site: http://www.carbonmanna.org

Blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CarbonManna

LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna(SM) announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

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A short Obituary of DEBT-based Microfinance

2010-08-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

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Or, the Imminent Death of MicroDebt, Micro Loans & MIVs (microfinance investment vehicles)

Palella's Next-10 Laws, Corollaries & Predictions for MicroFinance (Numbers 11 - 20):

(11) As the Euro and US$ are debased to Zero during the Terrible 2000 Teens (2013-2019), their associated short- and loooooong-term interest rates will rise into the 9 - 19 % range so their governments can continue to attract "stimulative" deficit spending. When investors can make so-called "risk-free" returns like this in established currencies in "safe" developed countries, why would they invest in "risky" MIVs (microfinance investment vehicles) yielding about the same rate? They will not, and the global microfinance industry will enter a decadal "Slough of Despond". Likewise, the EU and Uncle Sam (America) will pay credit-card rates to feed their debt binges.

(12) As a corollary -- The Euro will become toilet paper and the the U.S. Dollar patriotic confetti. When "risk free" EuroAmerican interest rates are 9 - 19%, what fool will invest in "risky" MIVs (microfinance investment vehicles) in the Developing World? Why take the added risk? Thus, liquidity for the microfinance industry in the Developing World will decline precipitously.

(13) Stagflation -- "That '70s Show!" -- economic stagnation + "inflation" or hyper-debasement of the Euro and US$ (aka "inflation" for dummies) will lead to a coming Stagflation of the 2000 Teens (2013-2019), which will cause the MicroStagnation of microfinance or microdebt (or micro payday loans).

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagflation

(14) The Economic Root of all Evil will not be traditional "inflation", but rather "Debaseflation" -- a word I coined in June 2009 -- google it to check, and read my nonconformist financial blog from that time period:

http://dekadrakma.blogspot.com

(15) The Club of Rome and their 1972 book, "The Limits to Growth", finally come of age, in particular as applied to energy supplies and national energy autarky (no typo -- google it). In short: any national energy dependence on US$ 100+ per barrel imported oil = a national balance of trade deficit = a debased currency = high interest rates = no need for investors to take risks on micro loan derivatives such as MIVs (microfinance investment vehicles).

In sum, MIVs in energy-dependent countries will offer poor risk-reward. Better to stay home. "The world may be known without leaving the house" -- Lao Tzu [ approx. 500 BC. ]

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_of_Rome

(16) The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was the tombstone of microfinance -- a leading indicator of the Death of the field. It led directly to idol worship, the abandonment of independent THINKING & QUESTIONING, the CREMATION of micro INNOVATION, and thus the end-stage renal disease of microdebt finance or micro loans. In short, the Recognition of Mere Men led to clonal soldier microants bereft of Innovative Thinking pursuing IPO profits via micro-bank equity offerings in the Developing World. In sum, microSenescence by nobel idolatry, or microIdolatry, sadly.

In contrast to these mere men, rather, what would the Son of Man do in the micro world? Something, probably, that rhymed with "Carbon Manna". Hence the name, which came to mind spontaneously, like a Gift from Heaven.

(17) "Creative Destruction" and the nano world of microfinance are still mutually exclusive. The Deep Debt Rut from Dhaka runs deeper still. In all other fields, it is agreed the student must surpass his master = creative micro destruction:

"Grasshopper, when you can snatch the micro pebbles from my hand, then it will be time for you to leave."

But the microfinance "industry" perpetuates staleness and the worship of senescent graven images.

(18) What's in a name ? Micro debt or micro loans = pay-day loans supersized & internationalized -- is this progress? Or nobel progress? No, rather, the microfinance industry must recognize its limitations and seek customer-oriented solutions that truly lead to Virtue for themselves and microeconmic Liberation of The Poor, rather than to IPO riches for themselves.

(19) No barriers to entry -->> there are toooo many parvenus, posers & pretenders in the microfinance "industry". The micro gold rush will continue until returns to investors fall to Zero or below Zero. That is "The Way of all Economic Flesh". Micromyopia in microfinance = the Death of Vision and horse blinders issued to all those in the deep debt micro rut from Dhaka. Hence, they never even see the walls entombing their careers -- and souls.

(20) Micro hero worship, combined with insurmountable Macro Economic Trends during the Terrible Teens (2013-2019), will cause end-stage Microsclerosis, Microossification, Microeconomic dyslipidemia and terminal Micronecrosis in the field of debt-based microfinance that will continue to reduce micro innovation and micro-financial returns towards Zero.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED &

The Robin Hood of Microfinance

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

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"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

4th Microfinance Investment Summit

06-07 October 2010, Central London

http://www.microfinancesummit.com

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2nd Annual Investment & Innovation In Microfinance:

Widening the impact of Microfinance through a commitment to
innovative microfinance product development

26-27 October 2010, Washington, DC

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

http://www.microfinance-innovation.com

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Palella's 10 Laws, Corollaries & Predictions for the field of MicroFinance published on Twitter

2010-08-04T03:18:00.000-07:00

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Palella's 10 Laws, Corollaries and Predictions for the field of MicroFinance were published 03 August 2010 on Twitter. The 10 visionary, sardonic, tongue-in-cheek tweets are:

(1) MFIs (micro finance "institutions") will proliferate worldwide until Micro Investment Vehicle (MIV) returns decline asymptotically to zero

(2) The doubling time of the number of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) worldwide will decline until MFI investment returns fall below Zero

(3) Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) are particularly vulnerable to global Black Swan events that could & will destroy their business models

(4) Microfinance Investment Vehicles (MIVs) that do not hedge currency risk will be devastated by a collapse of the U.S. dollar & Euro in 2011+

(5) Developing world economies and MFIs (Micro Finance Institutions) that serve them will be bankrupted by US$100++ per barrel oil in 2011+

(6) The business models of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) must be adapted to take into account imminent debasement of the U.S.$ and the Euro

(7) Credit Default Swaps on MIVs (Microfinance Investment Vehicles) and MIV-backed Securities will spawn a new micro Bear Stearns-like calamity

(8) Microfinance loans expand to deplete the capital available, in spite of country & political risks and the creditworthiness of borrowers

(9) Microfinance "professionals" worldwide will inflate bubbles in their field that pop, sadly, leading to a "Lost Micro Decade" of poor returns

(10) And #10 ! - Sustainable Micro PROFIT sharing & Micro Savings, as well as Micro EQUITY investments, are the Future of the microfinance field

REFERENCE: http://twitter.com/CarbonManna

------

Remember: "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

Respectfully submitted for debate by:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED &

"The Robin Hood of Microfinance"

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

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Carbon Manna(SM) Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines

2010-06-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

**

Carbon Manna(SM) Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines --

Fairness Standards for Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing Projects

[ written during March-April 2009 and published here for the first time ]

Author:

David A. Palella
Founder
Carbon Manna Unlimited
San Diego, California

The guidelines and equations below are meant to set baseline standards for Fairness in allocating the economic rewards from Carbon Manna(SM) projects worldwide. Projects that do not meet these guidelines are not recognized as bona fide by Carbon Manna Unlimited HQs in San Diego, California, nor may such projects make use of or appropriate the "Carbon Manna(SM)" name to describe themselves.

Assumptions:

(1) Carbon Manna(SM) projects based on improved cook stoves, solar cookers or solar lighting should include at least 5,000 families to ensure economies of scale. A minimum of 10,000 - 15,000 is better and more realistic.

(2) Gold Standard Organization-approved VER (Voluntary Emission Reduction) permits or offsets will vary in price from as low as US$ 5 - 10/ton of CO2 and go up over time. The lower the price goes, the more advantageous for the Poor, as the Rich will not find it worth their effort/time to produce offsets at low prices. In contrast, the higher the prices go, the better for Rich & Poor alike.

(3) Cook Stove costs will be in the range of US$ 5 - 15.

(4) Mobile phones used in Carbon Manna(SM) projects will cost in the range of US$ 10 - 25+. The handset cost in some programs may be subsidized by mobile carriers or corporate sponsors. In other programs such as in Kenya, a high percentage of families will already own a cell phone and not need one to participate in the program.

Definitions:

nr/tCO2 = Net Revenue per ton of CO2 -- net after all sales commissions

tCO2/Stove = Tons of CO2 offset per stove

XF = X number of Families in the project

GR = Gross Revenue for the entire project

NR = Net Revenue for the entire project

TC = Total direct Costs for the entire project = stoves & phones

GM = Gross Margin for the entire project

%GM = the % Gross Margin

SC/Unit = Stove Cost per Unit delivered, including training cost

PC/Unit = Phone Cost per Unit delivered, including training cost

%FP = Percentage of Families in the project needing a Phone

AExp = external Audit Expenses

MExp = Management Expenses (e.g., salaries)

LExp = Legal Expenses

CPAExp = Accounting (CPA) Expenses

OExp = Operational Expenses

* = Multiply or times

PM = Project Manager

CM = Carbon Manna(SM) = the share of Net Revenue paid to the Poor

PM:CM = Project Manager:Carbon Manna(SM) split of NR (Net Revenue)

Equations:

(1) NR = GR - TC
-->> Net Revenue = Gross Revenue - Total direct Costs

(2) GR = nr/tCO2 * tCO2/Stove * XF

(3) TC = [(SC/Unit * XF) + (PC/Unit * XF * %FP)]

(4) NR = GR - [ (SC/Unit * XF) + (PC/Unit * XF * %FP) ]

(5) NR / GR * 100 = %GM
-->>[ Net Revenue / Gross Revenue ] * 100 = % Gross Margin

Discussion:

Because project credits are pre-sold every year, the variables above will change each year, and the final project % Gross Margin (%GM) will need to be re-calculated every year.

In Year 1, the %GM will be lower due to the start-up costs of buying stoves and phones. In Year 2 the %GM should be much higher. In Years 3 - 5, the %GM should be higher and about the same every year. In short, something like this:

Year 1 % GM = 10 %
Year 2 % GM = 35 %
Year 3 % GM = 60 %
Year 4 % GM = 70 %
Year 5 % GM = 80 %

Cook stoves have a 3 - 5 year lifetime. If they break or wear out, they can be repaired or replaced, of course. The higher the %GM, the better the economics of the project both for the poor families, and the Carbon Manna(SM) project manager. In the early years where the %GM is low, it is crucial for the Carbon Manna(SM) project manager to seek corporate sponsorships to offset indirect start-up expenses, and the ongoing direct and indirect expenses of managing the project.

Based on the foregoing, and subject to further fine-tuning with actual field data, the following split of the Net Revenue would be appropriate:

If %GM = 0 - 19 %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 90:10

If %GM = 20 - 29 %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 80:20

If %GM = 30 - 39 %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 70:30

If %GM = 40 - 49 %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 50:50

If %GM = 50 - 59 %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 30:70

If %GM = 60 + %, then the PM:CM Net Revenue (NR) split = 20:80

------------------

Or, re-formatted:

If %GM = then ... PM:CM NR split =

0 - 19 % ........ 90:10
20 - 29 % ....... 80:20
30 - 39 % ....... 70:30
40 - 49 % ....... 50:50
50 - 59 % ....... 30:70
60 + % .......... 20:80

-------------------------------

Why a Net Revenue Split & not a Net Income Split?

For those of you who are familiar with the history of the American movie industry, you know that net income splits or net profit-sharing agreements do not work. Why? Because unscrupulous accountants and/or managers can add overheads and other indirect costs into the cost structure until net income goes to Zero. Or becomes negative even.

The result? -- poor movie stars in the 70s and 80s who agreed to a net-income split ended up being paid Zero. Which is why all movie agreements now give movie stars a "% of the gross movie receipts". It is much harder for accountants and managers to manipulate receipt records or gross revenue numbers. In short, movie stars now take their money "right off the top" -- directly from the top line or revenue line.

Likewise in Carbon Manna projects, Poor families have no control over the cost structure. The only 2 costs that concern them are the expense of the stove and phone, if the latter is needed. And even these they have no control over.

But under the Carbon Manna(SM) System, they are required to pay back the project manager for the cost of the stove and phone. Hence, these are the only 2 costs that should affect their share of the economic rewards or Carbon Manna(SM).

As a corollary, in all bona fide Carbon Manna(SM) projects, participating families have the right to require the project manager to document the actual direct costs of the stove & phone. If requested by the families or by Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, the project manager must provide certified receipts documenting the actual costs.

Project managers that do not provide documentation in a timely manner will not be allowed to use the Carbon Manna name and logo.

Summary / Conclusion:

Carbon Manna(SM) is based on the principles of Fairness, Disintermediation, Individual Empowerment, Micro-entrepreneurism, Micro Property Rights, Worldwide Standardization and Personal Freedom.

The guidelines above are meant to provide a fair and equitable framework for Carbon Manna(SM) projects worldwide. These guidelines are open to debate and refinement over time. Input/feedback from managers of bona fide Carbon Manna(SM) projects worldwide is highly welcome. Please contact us with your suggestions for improvement. We look forward to hearing from you.

---------------------

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
The Robin Hood of Microfinance

& Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be a speaker at:

4th Microfinance Investment Summit

06-07 October 2010, Central London

http://www.microfinancesummit.com

--------------------------------------------------------

Equity Manna(SM) -- a concrete example of “micro” innovation a la India

2010-06-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

***

One form of "manna" in India for 1,000s of years has been Gold -- so how do the very Poor save it ?

Voila ! -- a cell-phone-based golden Carbon Manna(SM) micro-ETF or micro-DRIP or micro-Equity nirvana for the homeless and/or very poor in India

As invented in March 2010, here below is the text from the slides I presented at the Hanson Wade microfinance conference in Amsterdam in May 2010.

This is just another example of micro innovation from the Micro Revolutions Institute(SM) in San Diego, California. Clearly the deep-debt purgatory rut from Dhaka is impossible to escape:

--------------------------

Slide # 1:

Equity Manna(SM) -- an example of “micro” innovation

Equity Manna(SM) = Cell-phone-based purchasing of micro amounts of stocks & ETFs via MMT (mobile money transfer)

Using existing DRIP plan (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) software that divides shares of stocks or ETFs into 1/10,000ths, any financial instrument can be micronized for a micro-DRIP or a micro-ETF investment plan for the poorest of the Poor

Using 100 years of stock returns as a guide, the Poor in any country should buy stock in their own national telecom carrier -- viz., in Safaricom (Kenya), PT Telkom Indonesia or China Mobile. Etc.

Question: Are national lotteries a better asset allocation plan for the Poor in Africa or Asia ? There is a strong inverse correlation between annual income and participation in lotteries and gambling. Which, then, is better ? -- Equity Manna(SM) or games of chance ? Let the Poor decide.

--------------------------

Slide # 2:

Equity Manna(SM) -- an example of “micro” innovation (cont.)

One concrete and important example -- even the poorest of the Poor worldwide should be able to own part of the so-called "People's Central Bank" -- the SPDR (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt) Gold Trust ETF or "GLD" on NYSE

Even poor (and wealthy) Indians have stored their wealth in gold jewelry for centuries. This new idea is merely a modern version of owning physical gold

At least one gold ETF already trades on the Bombay & National Stock Exchanges in India -- the Kotak Gold ETF (KGEFT), meaning this innovation could be implemented immediately for 100s of millions of the Poor in India

References:

-->> http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GLD

-->> http://dekadrakma.blogspot.com

-->> http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2010/02/micro-revolutions-off-wall-street-micro.html

-->> http://www.kotakmutual.com/kmw/product/kotak-gold-ETF-funds.htm

--------------------------

Cited from my presentation at:

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

----------------------------

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
The Robin Hood of Microfinance

& Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
--------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

4th Microfinance Investment Summit

06-07 October 2010, Central London

http://www.microfinancesummit.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Carbon Manna(SM) System -- Two Novel Cell-phone-based microfinance Mechanisms -- inter alia (among others)

2010-05-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

**

Update re the original "micro" economic/finance inventions of The Micro Revolutions Institute(SM) in San Diego

Improved cooking methods Revolutionize Life for "The Bottom 2 Billion" in the Developing World

Here is the updated introductory email for the Carbon Manna(SM) System:

We at Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego (a non-profit corporation) have established the "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) as a think-tank charged with continually creating novel & SUSTAINABLE micro-economic and micro-financial mechanisms to materially elevate "The Bottom Two Billion" in the Developing World. Reference:

     http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Most notably, beginning 2 years ago in April 2008, we developed two novel, universally-applicable, cell-phone- and NON-debt-based, highly-scalable forms of microfinance that we call the Carbon Manna(sm) System. They are:

-->> (1) the Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System -- comprising monetization of 1,000s of aggregated carbon-micro-offsets via the European GS-VER market (Gold Standard - Voluntary Emission Reduction market); and

-->> (2) the Reduced-fuel-expense Micro-SAVINGS Program -- an SMS-based behavior-modification program that trains families to bank their daily cash savings on fuel of 15 - 40 U.S. cents/day (based on field studies in Kenya, July 2009).

Both mechanisms are based on reduced combustion of non-renewable biomass fuel and employ a highly efficient, low-cost (< US$ 10) cook-stove that we designed ourselves in Kenya, although any efficient cookstove may be used. Almost all efficient stoves reduce fuel use by 40 - 50 % -- and deforestation by a similar percentage.

The stoves are serialized and matched uniquely with each family's cell phone number.

Broadcast SMS messages (short message service) and customized content regarding public health, women & children's rights, nutrition, personal finance, etc., will also be sent to participating families.

Monetized carbon offsets and cash fuel savings may be banked and converted back to cash as needed using existing MMT (Mobile Money Transfer) systems such as Safaricom's M-Pesa or Zain's ZAP systems in the case of East Africa. In the absence of an MMT system, families may be paid with cell-phone minutes, either credited to their accounts or in the form of distributed pre-paid calling cards.

The two mechanisms can be implemented sequentially (and then run in tandem) -- the Micro-Savings Program immediately, and the Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System later as paperwork is completed for the carbon-offset market.

The Carbon Manna(SM) System is "freeware" and fully open-source.

Thus, currently, independent for-profit carbon project managers, NGOs and charities are attempting to incorporate Carbon Manna(SM) principles into carbon-offset projects in The Philippines, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Kenya and Indonesia, as well as, most likely, in other countries not known to us.

Most notably, we believe these two novel microfinance mechanisms have a number of advantages over, and will scale much faster than, micro-debt, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Finally, in the case of corporate sponsors in the wireless or consumer products industries, Carbon Manna(sm) offers an auditable "ROI on CSR" investments, a rare result in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) field.

In the case of individuals, donations to Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego (a California-incorporated public charity) are 100% tax-deductible through our umbrella 501c3 status with The GlobalGiving Foundation in Washington, DC.

We hope you will support our efforts in Africa and/or some other part of the Developing World of interest to you. Being cell-phone- and markets-based, Carbon Manna(sm) is universally applicable.

More background about Carbon Manna(sm) may be found by visiting the links below and viewing my Amsterdam presentation (May 2010) available on:

-->> http://www.slideshare.net/dpalella/carbon-manna-amsterdam201005

-->> http://tinyurl.com/23jzrh2

We look forward to hearing from you.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
SAN DIEGO, California

cell: 619-787-5767
skype: dpalella17
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): carbonmanna@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/CarbonManna

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

Carbon Manna Unlimited to Present at Kenyan Business Conference
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

"One Cell Phone per Child" Grand Challenge Announced by CarbonManna(C) Unlimited
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited Announces Solar Manna(C) & Forest Manna(C),
and Filing of a U.S. Patent Application for the Cell Phone-Based
Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing System
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

World's First Cell-Phone-Based Carbon-Micro-Credits Implementation
Progressing in Kenya
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

--------------

I will be/was a speaker at:
---------------------------------

    2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

               20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

             http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

            "Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

                 21-23 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

              "Micro Financial Services World"

   10-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

                  http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

             4th Microfinance Investment Summit

            06-07 October 2010, Central London

             http://www.microfinancesummit.com

----------------------------------------------------------------

When will Africa establish its own carbon-projects Standards-Setting Organization and break the dominance of the Carbon White Man ?

2010-05-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

**

A good name for it ? -- the Uhuru Green Standards Foundation !

"Uhuru" can mean "freedom from dependence on white men" -- Bravo!

I tweeted about this topic back in November 2009, and some web site indexed my ideas and preferred name for this proposed non-profit organization without attribution (see down at the bottom here). So to set the record straight, just below here I re-post my tweets from November 2009 about the Uhuru Green Standards Foundation.

Ideally some university in Africa will establish an independent non-profit institute or entity on their campus to write carbon-project standards custom tailored for African offset projects.

All non-profit and for-profit carbon-project standards-setting organizations in the U.S., Europe and Australia are just self-appointed self-anointed "experts" with no legal authorization for their existence. They merely said: "Hey ! -- we're experts, and we make the rules!" -- and everyone kisses their carbon-fiber rings.

But why ? Can only whities write carbon standards ? Patently no. Africans have the capacity now to write world-class carbon-project standards. They're experts too.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
skype: dpalella17
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

-------

REFERENCES -- My Tweets themselves:

Can only whities in Europe & America write carbon standards? Duh ! Carbon Manna Unlimited will break the WASP monopoly on GHG standards !

Nov 13th, 2009

-------

The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own open-source standards for carbon-offsets production -- nyah nyah !

Nov 13th, 2009

-------

"Uhuru" can mean "freedom from dependence on white men" -- Africans can also write VER carbon standards! Hey ! -- They're experts too !

Nov 13th, 2009

---------------------------------------

May 2010 Google search results for:

"Uhuru Green Standards Foundation"

1. The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own ...

2. Nov 13, 2009 ... The Uhuru Green Standards Foundation in Nairobi will write its own open-source standards for carbon-offsets production -- nyah nyah !

---------------------------------------

Carbon Manna(SM) System implementation in Ethiopia

2010-05-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

**

Hello Ethiopia Friends,

Moges (see below) is interested to implement in Ethiopia the open-source Carbon Manna(SM) System of micro-PROFIT-sharing and micro-SAVINGS, so please do contact him directly if you would like to join this sustainable, markets-based effort to elevate the Poor in Ethiopia:

Moges Gorfe
Executive Director
Ratson Home
Debrezite Town
ETHIOPIA

cell: +251-091 140 0384
office +251-0114 33 9029
email: mgorfe@yahoo.com

And you can learn more in general about the Carbon Manna(SM) System via the several links below, and/or by contacting me in San Diego, Calif.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
skype: dpalella17
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

Carbon Manna announces The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
-------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

4th Microfinance Investment Summit

06-07 October 2010, Central London

http://www.microfinancesummit.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna Unlimited

2010-04-24T04:16:00.000-07:00

***

Here is the full text of the news release from PRweb.com:

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) Established by Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) was established today by Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California, the world's first think tank to focus exclusively on developing novel, sustainable, open-source, low-cost and immediately implementable micro-economic, micro-financial and micro-ecological paradigms to benefit the Developing World.

http://tinyurl.com/2448km4

Or: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 22, 2010 --

Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California, an international non-profit "micro" standards-setting organization, announced today the establishment of the "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM), the world's first think tank to focus exclusively on developing novel, sustainable, open-source, low-cost and immediately implementable micro-economic, micro-financial and micro-ecological paradigms or mechanisms to benefit the Developing World.

By ideating and promulgating multiple open-source and revolutionary micro-paradigms, the Institute will enable economic micro-empowerment of "The Next 2+ Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid by, for example:

(1) Popularizing NON-debt-based, cell-phone-enabled "micro" financial instruments, such as Equity Manna(SM), which will allow the Poor to directly invest in micro-equity -- micronized stocks, ETFs, hard assets (gold) or other economic stores of value -- and, thus, control their own financial fate;

(2) Liberating children and women from religious oppression by developing cell-phone-based, remote micro-education or micro tele-education curricula;

(3) Disintermediating middlemen from economic processes by using existing cell-phone-based and low-cost mobile money transfer (MMT) systems;

(4) Providing advertiser-supported crop-price information free to poor farmers via SMS to eliminate gross price-discovery frictions;

(5) Increasing the use of broadcast SMS (short message service) to convey public health messages to the Poor where little or no TV or radio broadcasting capability exists, e.g., for notification of vaccine campaigns, and rewarding compliant families with cell-phone minutes or airtime -- another economic and non-inflatable store of value

(6) Encouraging global political recognition of the micro-property rights of the Poor, e.g., even in the case of their carbon footprints and offsets; and

(7) Advocating worldwide implementation of Carbon Manna Unlimited's existing sustainable micro innovations in the areas of Micro-PROFIT-Sharing, Micro-SAVINGS, and solar and forestry projects, as well as adoption of Carbon Manna Unlimited's Foreign Aid Micro Credit (FAMC) concept in the Developing World during times of national emergencies.

Thomas Ichim, a Carbon Manna Unlimited board member commented, "Individuals wishing to augment their family's philanthropic legacy are invited to sponsor Carbon Manna's revolutionary and universally-applicable micro-paradigms, several of which represent a quantum leap in innovation compared to the first "micro" financial mechanism (micro-debt or micro loans), which won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and the U.S. Presidential Medal in 2009."

The "Micro" Revolutions Institute(SM) will also administer the “Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)” competition -- the world’s first truly open competition to encourage the invention of other sustainable and markets-based micro economic and micro-ecological mechanisms that directly benefit the Poor. Only a 1-page Executive Summary is needed to enter the competition. School children worldwide, in particular, are encouraged to participate, and anyone may enter, regardless of educational qualifications or socio-economic status. Reference:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

Finally, Carbon Manna Unlimited is pleased to announce the filing of its 501(c)3 petition with the IRS on 16 March 2010, via the kind pro bono offices of the law firm of Latham & Watkins in San Diego. Our special thanks and appreciation go to Latham attorneys Ms. Nicole Baker, Mr. Div Gupta, and Ms. Kendra Archer (now retired).

About Carbon Manna Unlimited:

Carbon Manna Unlimited, a public charity, is a "micro" think-tank and international open-source standards-setting organization popularizing various universally-applicable, cell-phone-based, self-funding micro-economic paradigms such as the markets-based Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System (CMPSS) and the Reduced-fuel-expense Micro-SAVINGS Program. A pilot project that will utilize these concepts is now in the early planning stage in Kogelo, Kenya, the ancestral hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama. Reference:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella(at)san.rr(dot)com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

###

"Micro" Revolutions Institute news release:

http://tinyurl.com/2448km4

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3908584.htm

--------------------------

"The Micro Revolutions Research Institute(SM)" -- Visionary Past as Productive Proactive Prolog ?

2010-04-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

**

"The intellectually bankrupt MFIs, like dust..."

Counter-Revolutionary Micro Thinkers welcome at The Micro Revolutions Institute(SM) in San Diego

Macro Freedoms from Micro Innovation

Worldwide there is no organization nor institute nor academic department nor NGO nor charity nor government unit nor for-profit company actively ideating and innovating novel MARKETS-based, sustainable, NON-debt-based forms of microfinance, or micro economic paradigms, or micro-wealth-transfer or micro-income-generation mechanisms.

There are, however, indeed 1,000s or tens of 1,000s of NGOs, charities, academics and MFI organizations worldwide hopelessly mired in the Deep Debt Rut from Dhaka, singing choruses of sycophantic praise for interminable and minute permutations of micro-debt, and likewise completely bankrupt in imagination and resolutely resourceless.

Kenya alone, a "small" country the size of France with less than 40 million residents has over 4,000 registered charities -- 1 for every 10,000 people. India has over 1 million registered charities -- 1 for 1,200 people ! And allll these charities have their hands out for donations to support their infinitely duplicative overhead & adminstrative budgets.

Yet where is their innovation in the field of NON-debt-based microfinance or microeconomics?

In macro contrast, over the past 2 years, only Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego has invented and described in detail -- in the pubic domain -- multiple and novel forms of NON-debt-based micro-finance. We embrace "creative micro destruction" -- so why don't you ? Even destruction of our own ideas.

Thinking expansively, all economic progress since Sumerian times has begun with Individual Freedom and Property Rights. Thus Carbon Manna Unlimited's focus the past 18 months on the novel concept of "micro property rights" -- beginning with the "Sovereign Individual's" right (anywhere worldwide) to own, control and monetize their own Micro Carbon Footprint.

From divinely granted and legally protected Micro Property Rights spring Micro Free Will, Micro Political Choice, and Micro Democracy. Hence, all Macro Progress in the Developing World depends substantially on Micro Property Rights and Micro Economic Freedoms -- concepts that will also be broadly addressed by The Micro Revolutions Research Institute(SM).

To wit -- here are today's relevant Tweets re-published for Posterity:

The innovations of "The Micro Revolutions Research Institute(SM)" will stun millions of MFI minions stuck in the Deep Debt rut from Dhaka

E.g.: "The Micro Revolutions© off Wall Street -- Micro Financial Services in the Developing World = Equity Manna(SM)" -- http://tinyurl.com/yk5jdpm

And don't forget my seminal post from Christmas Day 2008: "Global Moral Lipodystrophy & The Micro Revolutions" -- http://tinyurl.com/yfna2qc

The full references:
------------------------

December 25, 2008

"Global Moral Lipodystrophy & The Micro Revolutions"

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

http://tinyurl.com/yfna2qc

---------------

February 7, 2010

"The Micro Revolutions©" off Wall Street -- Micro Financial Services in the Developing World = Equity Manna(C)

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2010/02/micro-revolutions-off-wall-street-micro.html

http://tinyurl.com/yk5jdpm

----------------

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"The Micro Revolutions Institute(SM)" to be established in San Diego, California -- May 2010

2010-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

***

World's first "Micro Economic Think Tank(SM)" to brainstorm novel & Sustainable Micro Paradigms to economically elevate "The Bottom Billion"

The gist can be found here in today's Tweets:

(1) Carbon Manna(SM) will establish "The Micro Revolutions Institute(SM)" in San Diego next month - another world first. Why us ....?

(2) Because the 1,000s of micro "professionals" worldwide stuck in the Deep Debt Rut from Dhaka can't "Think Different" - only parrot the past

(3) Will a Nobel Prize ever be given again for "innovations" in DEBT-based micro-finance ? "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme"

In short, "The Micro Future(SM)" can be found now in San Diego -- not in Bangladesh, not in India, not in New York City, not in Washington, DC, not in Nairobi, not in London, not in... __________ <<-- add your favorite ossified metropolis or country here.

With all due respect & jocularity I remain, as always,

Very globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

Founder
X-tech Roundup(SM) - San Diego
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/2836926

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carbon wolves in Carbon Manna(SM) sheep's clothing

2010-04-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

**

Hello CarbonManna Illuminati --

In response to feedback from one of the Carbon Manna(SM) group members on LinkedIn.com who did not CC me on his correspondence the past few months with people in Kenya -- that's his fault -- I want to make it very clear that NO ONE worldwide is now actively working on a "Carbon Manna" project approved & supported by us at Carbon Manna UNLIMITED HQs here in San Diego.

If you are interacting with anyone worldwide who claims to be implementing the Carbon Manna(SM) System invented by David Palella at Carbon Manna UNLIMITED in San Diego, you should verify the facts by contacting me directly.

If in doubt, then CC me on alllll your correspondence related to "Carbon Manna" or "Carbon Micro-PROFIT Sharing" or "Carbon Micro Credits", and I will chime in to set the record straight, if needed.

And, again, the only bonafide legal entity working on the Carbon Manna(SM) System is our legal entity here in San Diego -- Carbon Manna **UNLIMITED**.

Any other company in the world with the words "Carbon Manna" in its name is an unauthorized imposter, fraud, and is violating our international trademark on "Carbon Manna(SM)".

Avoid these cunning carbon carpetbaggers & occult opportunists at all costs.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carbon Manna Unlimited Re-announces !! -- "The Micro Sustainability Prizes(SM)" for Innovations in Markets-based “Micro” Paradigms

2010-03-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

**

In spite of extensive worldwide promotion the past 2 months and over 10,000 hits on Google for the exact phrase we invented: "Micro Sustainability Prizes" -- still not a single credible entry has been received for this novel prize competition. And even though the application or entry hurdle is child's play -- merely a 1-page executive summary required !

The conclusion ? -->>

-- We at Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego have already ideated and reified the best NON-debt-based micro-economic paradigms in the world.

If you disagree, please enter your NON-debt-based micro models in the competition. The deadline, again, is 30 April 2010. And, again, we don't steal other folks' ideas, and we embrace "Creative micro Destruction". Viz., if your idea is better, we will embrace it and propagate it immediately with attribution for the Benefit of Womankind & Mankind !

And for everyone's handy reference, the text of the original news release appears below again.

May the best micro ideas win !

Alllll our best,

David A. Palellllla
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-palella/3/4b6/2b5

See the original news release on-line at:

http://tinyurl.com/y992auy

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

---------------

Carbon Manna Unlimited announces "The Micro Sustainability Prizes©" for Innovations in Markets-based “Micro” Paradigms

Carbon Manna Unlimited announces "The Micro Sustainability Prizes©" for Innovations in Markets-based, Self-regenerating Micro-economic and Micro-ecological Paradigms for "The Next Billion" in the Developing World

San Diego, CA (PRweb) January 18, 2010 -- Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California, a non-profit think-tank and international "micro" standards-setting organization, announced today the Carbon Manna(SM) "Micro Sustainability Prizes©", the world's first awards designed to recognize innovation and creativity in the field of markets-based, self-sustaining, micro-economic or micro-ecological paradigms implementable in the Developing World.

The Micro Sustainability Prizes© will be awarded annually to the most novel open-source ideas in markets-based, sustainable "micro" paradigms, also known as "The Micro Revolutions©". If you have developed or even just conceptualized a self-funding, universally-applicable micro paradigm or wealth-creation system for the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) or "The Next Billion", we encourage you to apply today for this awards program.

"Richard Feynman, the late American physicist, said, 'There's plenty of room at the bottom!', and nowhere is this truer than in the areas of sustainable micro-entrepreneurism, micro-environmentalism and micro-economic initiatives for the Developing World that embrace naturally regenerative mechanisms or self-renewing funding sources, such as Bono's Product (Red)™ campaign," remarked David Palella, Founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited.

And because good ideas come from anywhere, these cash awards are open to all comers worldwide including school children, entrepreneurs, homemakers, refugee camp residents, corporations, professors, sanitation workers, government employees, the homeless and Nobel Prize winners. In particular, student teams from any country are strongly encouraged to apply.

The application process is simple -- submit a 1-page Executive Summary in English via email to Carbon Manna Unlimited by 30 April 2010. All ideas will remain the sole property of the inventors/creators, and Carbon Manna Unlimited will make no attempt to implement nor utilize any of the ideas submitted. On 31 May 2010 we will publish the 3 winning entries on our web site.

Nota bene that absolutely NO debt-based microfinance "solutions" will be considered for these awards as by definition micro debt or micro loans are self-limiting, economically regressive, and no longer an "innovation" in the realm of micro-economic paradigms. Similarly, any "solutions" that include direct governmental involvement are also verboten.

Rather, preference will be given to inventions or novel processes that stress:

(1) disintermediation or elimination of administrative layers and any NGO/NPO/MFI middlemen

(2) direct, documentable and incorruptible conveyance of material or monetary benefits to poor families, e.g., via mobile money transfer (MMT)

(3) technologies appropriate for a Developing-World context, e.g., 2G handsets and SMS (short message service); and

(4) free markets, protection of micro-property rights, open-source or freeware principles, self-governance and self-reliance.

For inspiration, applicants are encouraged to study the various novel and self-funding micro-economic, micro-ecological and micro-environmental paradigms described in detail here:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2009/12/carbon-manna-two-novel-cell-phone-based.html

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

The Micro Sustainability Prizes© are partially funded by a generous donation from Dr. Sergey O. Sablin. Other benefactor inquiries are welcome.

About Carbon Manna Unlimited:

Carbon Manna Unlimited, a public charity, is a "micro" think-tank and international open-source standards-setting organization popularizing two universally-applicable, cell-phone-based, self-funding micro-economic paradigms: (1) the markets-based Carbon-Offset Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System; and (2) the Reduced-fuel-expense Micro-SAVINGS Program. Our pilot project is now in the advanced planning stage in Kogelo, Kenya, the ancestral hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama. Reference:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-palella/3/4b6/2b5

See the original news release on-line at:

http://tinyurl.com/y992auy

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

*****

Micro Wager Sharing -- another form of Micro Profit Sharing

2010-03-29T01:34:00.000-07:00

**

Tapping another unlimited pool of capital for Charity -- the Betting Pool!

Taxing the betting receipts of the Japan Racing Association (JRA) -- a semi-markets-based means to fund charitable activities in Japan

Betting against the micro-debt-laced status quo in microfinance

In addition to the almost unlimited pools of capital discussed earlier in this blog that can be tapped via markets-based mechanisms for charitable or income-equilibration purposes -- (1) the global carbon-trading markets, and (2) consumer discretionary spending -- a third attractive pool is...... (3) betting receipts !

Japan presents a good example in the JRA -- the Japan Racing Association, which controls all betting on horse racing in Japan. To quote the JRA's web site:

"JRA contributes 10% of its turnover to the National Treasury, as well as 50% of any surplus profits remaining at the end of the fiscal year. In fiscal 2007, JRA paid approximately 2,862 million US dollars into the National Treasury, the use of which is specified by law: three-quarters must be designated for improvement of livestock breeding and the remaining one-quarter for public or social welfare."

In short, in 2007 (the latest data available) taxation of betting revenue & profits supplied about US$ 700 million to support charitable organizations in Japan. Thus, every individual bet on a horse in Japan is equivalent to a micro-donation to charity or social programs.

Of course, the involvement of the Japanese government means this mechanism is not completely markets-based; however, bettors in Japan willingly wager their money on the races and willingly lose it to the JRA, to the Japanese government and to downstream charities.

Could more such sin tax-based mechanisms be conceived and used to spread income / donations / wealth more broadly worldwide to elevate the Poor ? Certainly. Let your imaginations run wild...

Aaaaaaand they're off !

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

References:

http://www.jra.go.jp

http://japanracing.jp/en/index.html

http://japanracing.jp/en/organization/structure.html

----------

Bono's Product (RED) as another markets-based micro-mechanism to transfer wealth

2010-03-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

**

Buy a "grande" cup of coffee in America and micro-treat AIDS in Africa

(Red) is another form of sustainable "Micro Profit Sharing"

"Micro Revenue Sharing" is better than Micro Profit Sharing when "profits" are malleable

Similar to the Carbon Manna(SM) System, Bono's Product (Red) campaign is another markets-based micro-mechanism for transferring wealth or income from the Haves in the Developed World to the Have-nots in Africa. Carbon Manna(SM) taps the essentially unlimited European carbon-trading markets (US$ 125 billion/year), and Product (Red) taps the even larger global consumer discretionary spending markets.

Participating companies or (Red) partners agree to donate up to 50 % of their profits from co-branded (Red) products to Product (Red)'s partner in Africa, The Global Fund, which uses the money to support HIV / AIDS programs in Africa. (Red) partners include Apple, American Express, Emporio Armani, The Gap, Hallmark, Comverse, Dell, Nike and Starbucks.

But after alllll this time, why are there so few (Red) partners, one might ask ?

But more importantly, considering that this micro-mechanism is both obvious and not patented, why haven't more celebrities, non-profits and/or companies started their own (Red) knock-off campaigns to fund charitable work around the world ?

Is Bono the only charismatic celebrity in the world ? What about Madonna? What about Brangelina ? What about Miley Cyrus ? Why don't they start similar campaigns -- and just call them a different color or a different name ?

The lack of emulation, cloning, imitation or just plain theft of this admirable and sustainable pro bono business model is remarkable. Why don't more entities copy the (Red) model and tap the unlimited pool of funding represented by consumer discretionary spending ?

If you know the answer, please enlighten me.

But if clones or pseudo-clones should arise, rather than contribute "profits" from co-branded products, participating companies should be required to contribute a percentage of top-line revenue or net revenue. "Profits" can be like statistics -- toooooo easily manipulated -- and many smaller for-profit companies that claim to contribute some or all of their "profits" to a charitable cause are grossly misrepresenting the magnitude of their magnanimity.

Regardless, when will Product (Red) be flattered by equally flamboyant imitators ? Or is it permanently unique like its creator, sadly ?

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carbon Manna Unlimited to present at "Micro Financial Services World" conference, 10-12 May 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2010-03-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

***

David Palella, the Founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited will present at:

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

10-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

For more info about the conference in general, please contact:

Ms. Charlotte Whewell
Marketing Director
Micro Financial Services World Conference
10-12 May 2010, Amsterdam

HANSON WADE
2nd Floor
13-15 Carteret Street
London SW1H 9DJ
U.K.

tel: +44 203 141 8700
twitter: @Microfinance_HW
email: charlotte.whewell@hansonwade.com
http://www.mfs-world.com
http://www.hansonwade.com

We look forward to seeing you there !

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Micro Visionary
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

CarbonNapping & CarbonJacking: Micro Property Rights of the Poor Re-visited

2010-03-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

***

Hello Folks,

Here are my latest 3 tweets, now blogged on Google, to indexo-petrify them for Posterity:

(1) Stop CarbonNapping & CarbonJacking by greedy carbon project carpetbaggers in poor countries. Promote adoption of the Carbon Manna(SM) System !

(2) Flash ! - Somalian pirates hijack carbon-offset projects of poor Kenyan villagers & demand ransom for value of carbon credits income stream!

(3) Theft of carbon micro property rights in the Developing World x 100,000 = "Grand Theft Carbon" -- Carbon-based life forms imitate art !

-----

In sum, let's honor the MICRO PROPERTY RIGHTS of the Poor in the Developing World and not steal their carbon offsets produced by cooking more efficiently and/or using solar panels (instead of burning parafin to produce light).

The Carbon Manna(SM) System allows conversion of carbon micro offsets to cash or cell phone minutes (another fungible store of value). Hence, there is no justification for carbon project managers anywhere worldwide to malappropriate the carbon footprints of poor families.

Illegitimus non micro carborundum !

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Micro Visionary
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

X-tech Roundup(SM) - San Diego
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/2836926

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

X-tech Roundup© -- happy hour, 05 March, Friday, 4:00-8:00+ PM @ Harry's Bar in UTC, La Jolla, California

2010-02-28T05:05:00.000-08:00

***

X-tech Roundup© -- "The Bio-High-Clean-tech X-treme Networking Fusion Reactor"

Hello Everyone,

Tired of talking to other non-profit people with no money and no new ideas ?

Then please join us for the 1st installment of "X-tech Roundup©" -- a no-agenda / no-host / no-rules / cross-industry / happy-hour networking fusion reactor at:

Harry's Bar & American Grill
4370 La Jolla Village Drive
Suite 150
San Diego, CA 92122

tel: 858-373-1252
http://www.harrysamericangrill.com

There is no entry fee -- this time! Everyone pays for their own drinks and food -- NO moochers allowed !

Bring lots ! of business cards and talk to strangers. Your Mom was wrong. It's OK.

No RSVP needed. First come, first served. Mark your calendar now — no reminders will be sent.

Validated parking available in the garage numbered **4370** La Jolla Village Drive -- north of / behind the bar. Turn on your GPS !

We look forward to seeing you there -- Woohoo !

Allll my best, David Palellllla

David A. Palella
Founder
Philanthropy Net - San Diego &
BioScience Ventures Inc. & Carbon Manna Unlimited
SAN DIEGO, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

----------

To learn more about our charity, Carbon Manna(sm) Unlimited, visit:

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

--------

"The Micro Revolutions©" off Wall Street -- Micro Financial Services in the Developing World = Equity Manna(C)

2010-02-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

***

Where is the Upside or Equity Manna(C) for the poorest of the Poor ?

Equity Manna(C) = Cell-phone-based purchasing of micro amounts of stocks & ETFs via MMT (mobile money transfer)

Can stocks be micronized for a micro-DRIP or a micro-Equity investment plan?

E.g., Safaricom stock? Or PT Telkom Indonesia stock? Or China Mobile stock? Etc.

Are national lotteries a better asset allocation plan for the Poor in Africa or Asia?

The microfinance world continues to over-focus on debt-based approaches or products, and foolishly touts micro-savings and micro-insurance as stunning innovations. In truth, micro-moaners are stuck in a deep-debt mental rut from Dhaka they will never escape.

For this reason The Micro Revolutions© ideated and advocated by Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego will only be embraced by rebellious young minds with innate urges to smash intellectual pumpkins and spray paint gang slogans on the group-think bridge abutments of BIG Microfinance Limited.

Very Limited.

For example, the field of financial services is obviously a fertile area for micronization, but where are the "new" or "novel" ideas for micro-investments or micro-equity participation by the Poor ? Lamentably and predictably, no such innovations will come from London, Washington (DC), Dhaka, New Delhi, Seattle, Geneva or New York City.

Rather, let us country bumpkins in San Diego, who are smarter than we look, list them here and detail how they will be implemented...

To wit, manifestations of "The Micro Revolutions©" off Wall Street as applied to Financial Services -- or Equity Manna(C) -- will include:

(1) micro DRIPs / microDRIPs (dividend re-investment plans)

(2) micro ETFs / microETFs (exchange-traded funds)

(3) micro mutual funds

(4) micro IRAs / microIRAs (individual retirement accounts)

(5) micro bond funds

(6) micro hard-asset purchase plans -- reference:

--->> http://dekadrakma.blogspot.com

(7) micro ________ <<-- Add your favorite financial service or product here!

# 1 -- Cell-phone-based micro DRIPs (dividend re-investment plans) are the easiest to implement as the software already exists to buy DRIP-plan stocks on-line split down to 1 ten-thousandth of a share --> 1/10,000th --> or 4 decimal places. Hence even the poorest person could use their cell phone and existing MMT (mobile money transfer) systems in Africa & Asia to buy small amounts (less than one U.S.$) of common stock. The middleware needed to interface existing DRIP-plan software with existing MMT system software could be written by a high school AP (advanced placement) programming class over a looooong weekend.

Micro-moaners and well-fed nano-detractors with high body-mass indices will immediately say stock investing is toooo risky for the Poor in the Developing World, but why are the Poor denied all potential to participate in their domestic or international equity markets ? Why are they deprived of all Upside ?

And what do they do now ? All studies show a strong inverse correlation between annual income and participation in legal lotteries or illegal gambling. So will micro-moaners say, then, that a better use of the Poor's little income is losing it to their national governments in lotteries, or to "the house" or their neighbors in games of chance ? Clearly "No". But that's where the Poor "invest" or lose their money now, sadly.

So let them not eat cake, but, rather -- buy stocks !

Stock in what ? -- you might ask ? As one example, there is a 100-year history of highly reliable stock-market gains from investing in the national telecommunications carrier of any country. Examples include British Telecom Plc, Deutsche Telekom, AT&T (and its predecessors) and Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT). Investing in publicly-traded legal monopolies or oligopolies is hardly "risky" and 100+ years of data show good gains for stockholders. We suggest the Micro Financial Services Industry start with these.

And, obviously, purchases of any particular stock could be limited to small weekly or monthly allotments so no Poor family could become "overweight" in any financial instrument or asset category, thus mathematically enforcing a portfolio approach to investing. Our Nobel Prize-winning friend & neighbor here in San Diego, Harry Markowitz, the "Father of Portfolio Theory", will be very pleased...!

# 2 -- Micro ETFs (exchange traded funds) -- technical implementation of these would follow the exact same process as the micro DRIP above. In particular, and as one concrete and important example, even the Poorest of the Poor worldwide should be able to own part of the so-called "People's Central Bank" -- the SPDR (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt) Gold Trust ETF or GLD on the NYSE:

-->> http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GLD

or:

-->> http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AGLD

The most obvious Developing World market for such a cell-phone-based gold micro-ETF would be India -- historically the world's largest importer of gold. China would be next. Thus, even the poorest of the Poor, who already own a cell phone or who have access to one via a neighbor, could invest 50 cents or a few rupees or a few yuan in a gold-backed asset.

Now the Poor in India store their limited wealth in gold jewelry worn on the body. So when the worldwide market price of gold has declined periodically during its unrelenting ascent since August 1971 when Nixon abrogated/eliminated the Gold Standard in the U.S., are the Poor therefore poorer and stupider for having bought their gold jewelry? Patently "No!"

But many micro-moaners and nano-ninnies will whine that periodic declines in the price of a gold ETF would be "risky" and catastrophic for the Poor investor. But can a poor pedicab driver in India or a rural peasant in China buy 50 cents worth of physical gold ? Probably not.

But it is easily possible using a cell-phone-based MMT-enabled gold ETF. As well, the Poor then do not have to worry about theft of their now electronic gold (e-gold or m-gold = mobile-gold) physically stored safely in a vault in New York City or London or Geneva (where the physical gold backing the ETF is really kept). Imagine their peace mind at night ! :-)

Again, pico-pea-brains who doubt the 3,000-year track record of hard-asset investing and wealth preservation are directed to this blog for remedial instruction:

-->> http://dekadrakma.blogspot.com

And for # 3 through # 7 above ?? -- Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto !

But what about "transaction costs" !?!?! -- some micro-moaners and nano-debt junkies will interject. Who cares ?

"Transactions want to be free!" Transaction costs want to be zero!

Inevitably, transaction costs will naturally and asymptotically approach zero over the next few years via new technology, enlightened corporate sponsorships or subsidies, and grants from self-aware foundations such as The Gates Foundation, The Omidyar Network and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Right ?

In sum, will contrite micro-moaners of the world unite, innovate and bring financial Upside within reach of the poorest of the Poor ? Nope. Rather, instead -- new minds, new paradigms, new companies and new organizations will bring Change & Wealth Accumulation to the Developing World, as the Old "Micro" Guard and pico-minded debt-prone Dhaka hyper-apparatchiks enter terminal ossification, sclerosis and marginalization.

Let the micro-enabled Poor save themselves financially via Equity Manna(C). Like us here in San Diego, they're smarter than you think.

Warmly & Richly yours,

David A. Palella
CIO - Chief Investment Officer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
SAN DIEGO, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpalella

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
-------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

The "Grand Micro Challenges©" or "Micro Grand Challenges©" to be announced by Carbon Manna Unlimited

2010-01-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

*****

Smashing the pumpkins of microfinance

"All progress depends on the unreasonable man" -- or woman

The student surpasses the master, who gives way graciously

The Gates Foundation and other non-profits have issued Grand Challenges for global healthcare or space travel or mathematics, but where are the "Grand Micro Challenges©" or "Micro Grand Challenges©" that will generate New Markets-based Micro Ideas to economically liberate "The Next Billion"?

Where are these novel paradigms ?

The poverty of global imagination traps the "Bottom of the Pyramid" in "a cruel and malignant Fate" that no NGO nor charity nor government agency has ever been able to alter. The Deep Debt Rut from Dhaka shackles Womankind & Mankind in usury and existential penury -- and sycophantic accolades for simplistic ideas continue in the face of the conceptual progress manifested on this digital record of Micro Progress.

Can you too shatter the micro stereotypes and "Think Different" ?

History will judge us, not mere micro women or micro men.

Globally & warmly yours, David Palella

David A. Palella
Visionary in Chief
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
SAN DIEGO, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Micro Financial Services World"

[ organized by Hanson Wade ]

11-12 May 2010, Amsterdam City Centre, The Netherlands

http://www.mfs-world.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

02-04 June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carbon Manna Unlimited announces "The Micro Sustainability Prizes©" for Innovations in Markets-based “Micro” Paradigms

2010-01-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

*****

Carbon Manna Unlimited announces "The Micro Sustainability Prizes©" for Innovations in Markets-based, Self-regenerating Micro-economic and Micro-ecological Paradigms for "The Next Billion" in the Developing World

San Diego, CA (PRweb) January 18, 2010 -- Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California, a non-profit think-tank and international "micro" standards-setting organization, announced today the Carbon Manna(SM) "Micro Sustainability Prizes©", the world's first awards designed to recognize innovation and creativity in the field of markets-based, self-sustaining, micro-economic or micro-ecological paradigms implementable in the Developing World.

The Micro Sustainability Prizes© will be awarded annually to the most novel open-source ideas in markets-based, sustainable "micro" paradigms, also known as "The Micro Revolutions©". If you have developed or even just conceptualized a self-funding, universally-applicable micro paradigm or wealth-creation system for the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) or "The Next Billion", we encourage you to apply today for this awards program.

"Richard Feynman, the late American physicist, said, 'There's plenty of room at the bottom!', and nowhere is this truer than in the areas of sustainable micro-entrepreneurism, micro-environmentalism and micro-economic initiatives for the Developing World that embrace naturally regenerative mechanisms or self-renewing funding sources, such as Bono's Product (Red)™ campaign," remarked David Palella, Founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited.

And because good ideas come from anywhere, these cash awards are open to all comers worldwide including school children, entrepreneurs, homemakers, refugee camp residents, corporations, professors, sanitation workers, government employees, the homeless and Nobel Prize winners. In particular, student teams from any country are strongly encouraged to apply.

The application process is simple -- submit a 1-page Executive Summary in English via email to Carbon Manna Unlimited by 30 April 2010. All ideas will remain the sole property of the inventors/creators, and Carbon Manna Unlimited will make no attempt to implement nor utilize any of the ideas submitted. On 31 May 2010 we will publish the 3 winning entries on our web site.

Nota bene that absolutely NO debt-based microfinance "solutions" will be considered for these awards as by definition micro debt or micro loans are self-limiting, economically regressive, and no longer an "innovation" in the realm of micro-economic paradigms. Similarly, any "solutions" that include direct governmental involvement are also verboten.

Rather, preference will be given to inventions or novel processes that stress:

(1) disintermediation or elimination of administrative layers and any NGO/NPO/MFI middlemen

(2) direct, documentable and incorruptible conveyance of material or monetary benefits to poor families, e.g., via mobile money transfer (MMT)

(3) technologies appropriate for a Developing-World context, e.g., 2G handsets and SMS (short message service); and

(4) free markets, protection of micro-property rights, open-source or freeware principles, self-governance and self-reliance.

For inspiration, applicants are encouraged to study the various novel and self-funding micro-economic, micro-ecological and micro-environmental paradigms described in detail here:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2009/12/carbon-manna-two-novel-cell-phone-based.html

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

The Micro Sustainability Prizes© are partially funded by a generous donation from Dr. Sergey O. Sablin. Other benefactor inquiries are welcome.

About Carbon Manna Unlimited:

Carbon Manna Unlimited, a public charity, is a "micro" think-tank and international open-source standards-setting organization popularizing two universally-applicable, cell-phone-based, self-funding micro-economic paradigms: (1) the markets-based Carbon-Offset Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System; and (2) the Reduced-fuel-expense Micro-SAVINGS Program. Our pilot project is now in the advanced planning stage in Kogelo, Kenya, the ancestral hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama. Reference:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-palella/3/4b6/2b5

See the original news release on-line at:

http://tinyurl.com/y992auy

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459274.htm

*****

Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions -- Volume II

2009-12-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

*****

Population expands to eat the food available

By 2050, another 2 billion astronauts on Spaceship Earth ?

Norman Borlaug -- Father of the "Green Revolution" dies at 95

Monkeys with shotguns awarded laureate for marksmanship.

New Nobel Prizes ? -- for Meteorology, Agronomy, Ecology, Oceanography, Atmospheric Sciences, Forestry, Astronomy, Family Planning, Micro Economic Paradigms and ...... Gastronomy ?

---------

Since this seminal Christmas-Day post a year ago today, not much has changed in the world:

Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions

The World is Fat [ sic ] -- some parts anyway

December 25, 2008

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-moral-lipodystrophy-micro.html

---------

Indeed, a year later, the moneyed flabby in the Developed World have gotten fatter, and the un-moneyed Poor in the Developing World have gotten skinnier. And not a single NGO, charity, foundation, government agency nor corporation worldwide has stepped forward to financially support any of the Micro Revolutions advocated a year ago by Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, even though over 1,000 of them have been contacted 1 by 1. So there are no fatsos at Carbon Manna either.

Lamentably, today, 700 million to 1 billion+ human beings are malnourished and experience hunger daily. But the body mass indices of 100s of millions of the wealthy in the Developed World continue to balloon.

Feted agronomist Norman Borlaug recently joined the pharaohs, and 1,000s of news sources laud his contributions to crop science that allowed "billions" more people to burden the Earth. But were the peta-calories or exa-calories that Norman created evenly distributed across the waistline of Mankind ? No. Did he successfully photoshop or Botox the creased Face of Global Hunger ? No. Did his work mitigate in any way the matricidal environmental externalities inflicted on Mama Gaia by these new billions of mouths ? No.

So today, 100s of millions more human beings are hungry. And Mother Earth still suckles us excess billions though we kick against Her shins daily. So why the accolades for Norman Borlaug ?

Rather, Mankind should anoint anyone who could PREVENT billions more people from being born into a bleak existence in the Maw of Despair (or, as they might say in Kenya -- in the Mau Forest of Despair). And Womankind should praise anyone who could invent sustainable, markets-based systems or paradigms to redistribute existing wealth and calories more equitably across time-space barriers and national and international borders.

Just as work expands to fill the time available, population expands to eat the food available. Mortifying projections call for another 2 billion astronauts on Spaceship Earth by 2050. But should allll these new people even be born? Cannot the current 6.6 billion Homo sapiens on Earth fulfill all our needs ? Will crop science produce new "miracles" to unevenly "feed" even more mouths ? And are the externalities imposed on Planet Earth by each new human being offset just because that person is "fed" ? -- however poorly ?

No, rather, each incremental human life kills Mother Earth a little bit more. Technology will never innovate fast enough to mitigate the incremental environmental externalities inflicted by each human born.

"...and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the Heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore..." -- Genesis 22:17.

Easter Island is the Future of this Blue Dot in the Heavens. In the end we will eat our seed corn, and then eat our own seed -- a la Leningrad, medium well, cooked over broken furniture...

Would you like fries with that ?

Therefore, for the Redemption of Mankind, and for the Salvation of Mother Earth, I propose the inauguration of new Nobel Prizes or Kyoto Prizes or X Prizes or ..... Palella Prizes !? -- for the following fields:

* Meteorology
* Hydrology
* Agronomy / Crop Science
* Food Science / Nutrition
* Ecology
* Oceanography
* Atmospheric Sciences
* Forestry
* Astronomy / Space Sciences
* Family Planning / Population Management
* Animal Husbandry & Fisheries Management
* Green Energy / Alternative Energy
* Markets-based/Sustainable Philanthropy
* Conflict Resolution (historical, not projected. Duh.)
* Micro Economic Paradigms [ my favorite ], and
* _________...? <<-- add your favorite here.

Accelerated innovation in all these fields is now more important to Mankind's and Earth's survival than the current prize categories. Time is of the essence to save Ourselves. Philanthropists ! -- if you love Mankind as your name says -- step forward now and richly incentivize and reward innovators in these other fields as well.

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

[ "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- written December 25th, 1864. ]

Merry Christmas ! -- December 25th, 2009

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Santa
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): dpalella@gmail.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

~~~~~~~~

Carbon Manna -- Two Novel Cell-phone-based Microfinance Mechanisms

2009-12-12T04:16:00.000-08:00

*****

Carbon Manna -- Two Novel Cell-phone-based Microfinance Mechanisms based on reduced use of non-renewable biomass fuel

Carbon Manna Unlimited's reduced-fuel-expense Micro-Savings Program, and separate Carbon-Micro-Offset Monetization System will provide timely and sustainable liquidity to the savings poor in East Africa

Daily Cash Savings on fuel of 15 - 40 U.S. cents/day will Sustainably Fund
Micro-Savings Programs in Kenya/East Africa and Allow Faster Repayment of Traditional Microfinance Loans

[from ideas conceived during November 2009]

We at Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego (a non-profit corporation) have developed two novel, universally-applicable, cell-phone- and NON-debt-based, highly-scalable forms of microfinance that we call the Carbon Manna(sm) System. They are:

(1) the Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System -- comprising monetization of 1,000s of aggregated carbon-micro-offsets via the European GS-VER market (Gold Standard - Voluntary Emission Reduction market); and

(2) the Reduced-fuel-expense Micro-Savings Program -- an SMS-based behavior-modification program that teaches families to bank their daily cash savings on fuel of 15 - 40 U.S. cents/day.

Both mechanisms are based on reduced combustion of non-renewable biomass fuel and employ a highly efficient, low-cost cook-stove custom designed by our for-profit sister company in Kenya, Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. The stoves are serialized and matched uniquely with each family's cell phone number.

Broadcast SMS messages and customized content regarding personal finance, public health, women & children's rights, nutrition, etc., will be sent to all families.

Monetized carbon offsets and cash fuel savings may be banked and converted back to cash as needed using existing MMT (Mobile Money Transfer) systems such as Safaricom's M-Pesa or Zain's ZAP systems in the case of East Africa.

The two mechanisms can be implemented sequentially -- the Micro-Savings Program immediately, and the Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System later as paperwork is completed for the carbon-offset market.

Our large-scale, pilot cook-stove project in Kenya (managed by Carbon Manna AFRICA Ltd.), which includes the ancestral hometown of President Obama, is in late-stage planning. See:

-->> http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

We plan to scale the Kenyan effort up to 100,000 - 250,000 families within 5 years.

Most notably, we believe these two novel microfinance mechanisms have a number of advantages over, and will scale much faster than, micro-debt, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Finally, in the case of corporate sponsors in the wireless or consumer products industries, Carbon Manna(sm) offers an auditable "ROI on CSR" investments, a rare result in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) field.

In the case of individuals, donations to Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego (a California-incorporated public charity) are 100% tax-deductible through our umbrella 501c3 status with The GlobalGiving Foundation in Washington, DC.

We hope you will support our efforts in Kenya and/or some other part of the Developing World of interest to you. Being cell-phone- and markets-based, Carbon Manna(sm) is universally applicable.

More background about Carbon Manna(sm) may be found by visiting the links below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Globally & warmly yours, David Palella

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
SAN DIEGO, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
email (backup): carbonmanna@gmail.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/CarbonManna

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

Carbon Manna Unlimited to Present at Kenyan Business Conference
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

"One Cell Phone per Child" Grand Challenge Announced by CarbonManna(C) Unlimited
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited Announces Solar Manna(C) & Forest Manna(C),
and Filing of a U.S. Patent Application for the Cell Phone-Based
Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing System
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

World's First Cell-Phone-Based Carbon-Micro-Credits Implementation
Progressing in Kenya
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

--------------

Want an extra $250 a year? Adopt fuel-efficient stoves
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/629584/-/r1ooaez/-/index.html

Kenyan farmers could reap from carbon trading
http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144016370&cid=457

Personal carbon trading
http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144016369&catid=476&a=1

--------------

I will be/was a speaker or keynote speaker at:
------------------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-23 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. Announces Collaboration With the Town of Kogelo, Kenya -- the Ancestral Home of President Barack Obama

2009-10-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

*****

Mama Sarah Obama Welcomes Introduction of the Cell-Phone-Based Carbon Manna(SM) System to Kogelo to Address Copenhagen Consensus Challenges

SAN DIEGO, CA and KOGELO, KENYA--(Marketwire - October 27, 2009) - Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego, California, a non-profit standards-setting organization popularizing the world's first form of non-debt-based microfinance -- the highly-scalable, cell-phone-based Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing system -- announced today an exclusive agreement between its affiliate, Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. (Nairobi, Kenya), and the Kogelo Community Development Foundation (KCDF) in Kogelo, Kenya. Kogelo is the childhood hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama's late father.

Carbon Manna Africa and KCDF will jointly utilize the sustainable Carbon Manna(SM) Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System to address various healthcare, nutrition and education challenges common to the Developing World as enumerated in the Copenhagen Consensus.

"The self-funding Carbon Manna(SM) System is now in the ancestral home of President Obama through a collaboration with the Kogelo Community Development Foundation (KCDF), whose patroness is Mama Sarah Obama -- President Obama's paternal grandmother," announced the Chairman of KCDF, well-known Kenyan movie star Mr. Joseph Olita. He further remarked: "Through the stewardship of Mama Sarah Obama, KCDF will harness the carbon markets-based economic engine of the Carbon Manna(SM) System to address in particular Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT), funding of nutrition programs in grade schools for at-risk children, and reductions in the incidences of malaria, cholera and illegal child labor."

To the delight of Mama Sarah Obama, on 25 October 2009, representatives of KCDF and Carbon Manna Africa (CMA) visited Kogelo and presented her with the first CMA-designed "Mulindi Stove," engraved with the now-historic campaign refrain of her grandson: "Yes, we can!"

Geoffrey Kiringa, President of Carbon Manna Africa Ltd., noted: "Our Carbon Manna(SM) System implementation in Kogelo will also sensitize the 10,000 residents to proactively reduce environmental degradation by encouraging reforestation and conservation of other natural resources such as rivers and lakes, thus empowering the community to fully participate in Income Generating Activities (IGAs) such as fish farming and beekeeping."

Companies interested in purchasing the GS-VER credits (Gold Standard - Voluntary Emission Reduction credits) to be produced in the ancestral hometown of the Obama Family and in the surrounding Kenyan countryside, should contact Carbon Manna Unlimited or Carbon Manna Africa. Inquiries from accretive strategic partners in the healthcare, nutrition and education areas are also encouraged.

The Carbon Manna(SM) System employs mobile phones, SMS (short message service) and unique stove identifiers that will allow millions of families in the Developing World to claim and monetize on a monthly basis the validated carbon micro-offsets they produce by utilizing more efficient cooking methods such as well-designed charcoal or wood stoves, instead of using an inefficient 3-stone fire burning excessive non-renewable biomass. As a result, each family becomes a self-reliant micro-PROFIT center and is able to monetize directly its own contribution to reducing CO2 emissions, while also slowing regional deforestation.

The highly scalable Carbon Manna(SM) System is one of the few extant and tenable markets-based mechanisms that will allow attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. By tapping the US$ 125 billion annual carbon-trading markets and transferring payments directly to each participating family via SMS message and existing mobile money transfer (MMT) systems, Carbon Manna(SM) eliminates multiple levels of bureaucracy that to date have economically hobbled all large-scale, family-level economic empowerment programs in Africa.

After Kenya, in 2010 and beyond the Carbon Manna(SM) System will expand to Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Botswana and South Africa.

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited and/or Carbon Manna Africa; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://www.carbonmanna.org

Or:

Geoffrey Kiringa
President
CARBON MANNA AFRICA
Nairobi Kenya
cell: +254-721-922-135
email: gkiringa@gmail.com
Skype: geoffrey.kiringa
http://www.CarbonMannaAfrica.com

Visit these links for the original release & a picture of Grandma Obama:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1065919.html

http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/mmframe?prid=551940&attachid=1098813

-----

Carbon Manna(SM) Update-o-rama

2009-08-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

*****

Hello Carbon Manna(SM) Aficionados,

We just made a completely new PowerPoint presentation for Carbon Manna -- only 16 slides. Please send us your email address if you would like to see it.

We also sent out a news release on 19 August 2009 -- see:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1033328.html

We're on Twitter now too:

-->> http://twitter.com/CarbonManna

And our pilot project in Kenya's Siaya & Mbeere districts continues to advance daily (which includes President Obama's grandmother's hometown of Kogelo, Kenya, which I purposely included in the project).

Your brutal feedback about Carbon Manna(SM) is always highly appreciated.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella & Hong Ma

Co-Founders
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/CarbonManna
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/629584/-/r1ooaez/-/index.html

http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144016370&cid=457

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144016369&catid=476&a=1

I will be a speaker or keynote speaker at:
-----------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-22 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

-------------------------------------------------------------

Philanthropy Net - San Diego -- started on LinkedIn.com

2009-08-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

*****

Hello Friends & Neighbors,

Due to a screaming unmet networking need here in San Diego, we were forced to start a new in-person socializing group. Spreading the word & promoting meetings will be done on-line via LinkedIn.com:

-->> Philanthropy Net - San Diego

-->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/2185731/

If you have a sincere interest in Philanthropy, pro bono work or charitable giving, please sign up today, whether you're really in Southern California or not. We'll be liberally sharing pithy information via the group, which will also enrich the out-of-towners.

And if you prefer highly structured social engagements, don't come to our human-level Brownian motion-like near-random networking events. Rather, go to a yoga or square-dancing class. Equality, flat organization, and semi-organized social chaos -- that's the American way. Or, the corollary in China is: "Better to rumble like rocks, than to tinkle like jade."

Very leptonically yours,

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

&

Co-founder
PHILANTHROPY NET - SAN DIEGO

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

Join our Carbon Micro-Credits/Carbon Manna discussion groups:

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

I will be a speaker or keynote speaker at:
-----------------------------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora Int'l Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-23 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

Fund-raising campaign for Carbon Manna AFRICA / Kenya pilot project

2009-07-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

*****

Our first and large-scale implementation of the Carbon Manna / Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System (CMPSS) in Kenya is progressing well, but they need beer money for the start-up costs, which are mainly allll the documentation/audits required to pre-sell offsets on the European VER (Voluntary Emission Reduction) carbon markets.

Us folks on the U.S. side here at Carbon Manna UNLIMITED in San Diego have already contributed about US$ 20,000 cash. Our team in Kenya needs another US$ 100,000 - 150,000 before their operations become self-sustaining via pre-selling the carbon offsets from their large-scale cookstove projects.

Flush and visionary donors should contact me for more details about kicking in for the next keg in Kenya.

Nota bene that Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. is a for-profit company because it is tooooo difficult and expensive to form a charity in Kenya. Hence, if you file your tax returns in the U.S., you may not receive a deduction for your donation. We didn't and won't receive any deductions.

Our intrepid Carbon Manna leader in Nairobi, Geoffrey Kiringa, may be able to accept donations via an NGO or official charity based in Kenya, but this is not assured. And even so, it may not qualify you for a tax deduction here in the U.S. Consult first with your CPA if you have tax sensitivities.

For allll the reasons above, then, donations below about US$ 2,500 are definitely not cool, and we won't even remember to call you the next morning. So think BIG ! before contacting us.

So for anyone who sends more than US$ 10,000 to Carbon Manna AFRICA in Nairobi, we will add you to the guest list whenever Bono finally realizes that he can't live with or without Carbon Manna and says, "Hey, let's do lunch in Santa Monica next time I'm there!"

For cash transfusions over US$ 20,000 -- ditto whenever Angelina Jolie finally calls us for brunch.

Brash cashed-up donors should wire money directly to Carbon Manna AFRICA in Kenya; we here in San Diego don't need to touch the money. We'll fund our own keggers all by ourselves via major corporate sponsors based in the U.S., Europe & Japan.

Contact me or Geoffrey Kiringa directly for wire instructions.

Finally -- quick ! -- name the 13th Apostle !

Can you? Almost no one can. Why?

Because when you join a winning team late, no one gives you any credit and no one remembers your name.

Hence, support Carbon Manna early, before its Fame overshadows us all.

Globally & warmly yours, David

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, Calif.

tel: 858-793-0741
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-1007638.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

CC:

Geoffrey Kiringa, MBA
President
CARBON MANNA AFRICA
Nairobi KENYA

cell: +254-721-922-135
email: gkiringa@gmail.com
Skype: geoffrey.kiringa
http://www.carbonmannaafrica.com

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/9/105/b7b
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1370029560

http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144016370&cid=457

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144016369&catid=476&a=1

----------

Conference participation by Carbon Manna Unlimited

2009-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

*****

Hello Folks,

I will be speaking at these upcoming events, which may interest many of you too. I hope to see you there.

Globally & warmly yours, David

David A. Palella
Carbon Manna Unlimited
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://www.carbonmanna.org

-------------------------

2nd Kenya Diaspora International Conference & Investment Forum

20-22 August 2009, Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, GA

http://www.kenyaopen4business.com

---------------------------------------------------------

"Microfinance for Institutional Investors"

21-23 Sept. 2009, Washington, DC

http://www.hansonwade.com/events/microfinance-for-institutional-investors/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------

Green Business Africa Summit & Expo

June 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

http://www.greenbusinessafricaexpo.com

---------------------------------------------------------

"One Cell Phone per Child" Grand Challenge Announced by Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited

2009-06-25T05:02:00.001-07:00

*****

Our latest press release...

SOURCE: Carbon Manna Unlimited

"One Cell Phone per Child" Grand Challenge Announced by Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited

Carbon Manna(C) Programs in Africa to Subsidize the Cost of One Handset per Child for Micro-Education and Micro-Healthcare Initiatives

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - June 23, 2009) - Carbon Manna Unlimited, an international non-profit standards-setting organization, announced today a new Grand Challenge for Carbon Manna© project developers worldwide to provide one handset for every school-age child of families enrolled in cell-phone-based Carbon Manna© carbon-offset monetization programs. Starting with the oldest child, profits realized by each family from their produced carbon offsets should be used to buy low-cost handsets that include a built-in calculator, keyboard, LED flashlight, and FM radio (already a common feature in mobile phones sold in Africa today).

"In contrast to other announced programs featuring intractably expensive devices, a 'One Cell Phone per Child' goal is patently tenable, and an appropriately designed solar-powered handset serves many of the same educational functions in a much more portable and theft-proof package. Whether using push or pull technologies, micro-education initiatives based on the cell phone are the only currently actionable strategy for educating the Bottom Billion children intellectually shackled in the basement of pharaoh's pyramid," remarked David Palella, Founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited.

"The asymmetrically wealthy in the Developed World habitually underestimate not only African cell-phone penetration rates and cellular-signal coverage, but also the educational, public healthcare, and personal-safety functionality of a simple cell phone with built-in torch," said Geoffrey Kiringa, President of Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. in Nairobi, Kenya. He further observed: "In the case of newer handsets featuring FM radios, combined with the standard SMS (short message service) capability of all current phones, even simple handsets with low direct manufacturing costs of $15-20 offer children in Africa a hall pass to savannahs of knowledge, especially very poor children unable to attend schools."

Dr. Hong Ma, Executive Director of Carbon Manna Unlimited, also noted: "Our proprietary, cell-phone-based Carbon Micro-PROFIT-Sharing System provides a sustainable, carbon-markets-based financial engine for subsidizing or completely funding the purchase price of low-cost handsets in the Developing World, in stark contrast to all other Child empowerment programs that rely excessively on self-limiting charity and/or government subsidies to buy much more expensive and power-intensive electronic devices. Thus, the mobile money transfer-enabled handset in Africa is now not only an ATM and bank, but will also become the public library, the school and teacher, and an economic lucky charm of hope for poor children."

Dr. Sergey O. Sablin, a Board Member and major benefactor of the Carbon Manna© organization worldwide, encapsulated the announcement by saying: "Once again Carbon Manna's quantum innovation and revolutionary self-funding 'micro' paradigms offer the prospect of accelerating the emancipation of millions of poor families in Africa from pandemic poverty and ignorance. I am very honored to be affiliated with Carbon Manna© and to contribute materially to its success."

More details about the benefits of Carbon Manna's "One Cell Phone per Child" Grand Challenge may be found at this blog entry from November 2008:

"One Cell Phone per Child / The Cell Phone is the School"

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/11/one-cell-phone-per-child-cell-phone-is.html

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited and/or Carbon Manna Africa; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://www.carbonmanna.org
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

Or:

Geoffrey Kiringa
President
CARBON MANNA AFRICA
Nairobi Kenya
cell: +254-721-922-135
email: geoffrey.kiringa
Skype: geoffrey.kiringa

http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144016370&cid=457

*****

Papal Encyclical Divine Illumination on Carbon Manna ?

2009-06-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

*****

The Pope's upcoming Encyclical due to be released on 29 June 2009 echoes many of the key themes detailed in this blog the past year, in particular:

-->> New micro-economic paradigms that benefit the Poor are needed

-->> New ways of thinking that eliminate the gap between Rich & Poor in today's unfavorable world economy are needed

-->> Micro-property rights of the Poor must be respected

-->> Environmental problems unduly affect the Poor compared to the Rich, and

-->> Just men with pure hearts are the prerequisite for economic justice for the Poor.

Carbon Manna is an apotheosis (perfect example) of these themes in action for the Benefit of Humanity.

Carbon Manna cook-stove projects in Africa, in particular, will vastly improve the standard of living of the rural Poor -- 5,000 - 20,000 families at a time. This is the scale needed for economic efficiencies. So only 100 projects over 5 years would comprise about 1 million families, or 6+ million people. Although our Carbon Manna Africa Ltd. team in Kenya is thinking even BIGGER than this.

And being open source, any other groups worldwide are welcome to implement Carbon Manna projects in their countries or territories. Within the next year we will publish on our web site all the documentation needed to undertake a cell-phone-based Carbon Manna project. Anyone will be welcome to download it and adapt it to their own projects.

Our goal ? -- within 5 - 7 years have at least 5 - 10 million families enrolled in cell-phone-based Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing programs worldwide, which approximates about 30 - 60+ million people.

In sum, if he knew about Carbon Manna, we're sure the Pope would find it, well, like Manna from Heaven.

Very religiously yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Evangelist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

Join our Carbon Micro-Credits/Carbon Manna discussion groups:

-->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

-->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

---------------------------------

Main Reference -- begin quote from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caritas_in_Veritate

"On February 26, 2009 Pope Benedict met with parish priests and clergy of the Diocese of Rome for a question-and-answer session. In response to a question concerning how the Catholic Church should respond to injustice and continue in its defence of vulnerable persons, he outlined key themes from the upcoming encyclical:

[...]

What is needed is the reasonable and reasoned denunciation of the errors, not with great moral statements, but rather with concrete reasons that prove to be understandable in today's economic world. [...]

To realize that these great objectives of macro-science are not realized in ***micro-science*** -- the macroeconomics in the microeconomics -- without the conversion of hearts. If there are no just men, there is no justice either [...]

Justice cannot be created in the world only with good economic models, even if these are necessary. Justice is only brought about if there are just men. And there are no just men without the humble, daily endeavor of converting hearts, and of creating justice in hearts.

On June 13, 2009, the AP reported:

Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday his new encyclical on the economy and labor issues will focus on ways to make globalization more careful to the needs of the poor amid the worldwide financial crisis. The document will outline the goals and values that the faithful must "tirelessly defend" to ensure "true freedom and solidarity" among humans, Benedict said in a speech. He said the global downturn shows the need to "rethink economic and financial paradigms that have been dominant in the last years."

[ End of quote ]

-----------------

Secondary Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclical

*****

Kenya press coverage of Carbon Manna

2009-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

*****

Hello Folks,

Here are 2 articles about our cell-phone-based Carbon Manna™ Micro-Profit-Sharing System that appeared in "The Standard" last week (the largest- or 2nd-largest-circulation paper in Kenya):

http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144016370&cid=457

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144016369&catid=476&a=1

Questions? Comments? Please contact me in San Diego or Geoffrey Kiringa directly in Nairobi (his full contact info appears down below).

Globally & warmly yours, David

David A. Palella
Founder
Carbon Manna Unlimited
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

Join our Carbon Micro-Credits/Carbon Manna discussion groups:

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

CC:

Geoffrey Kiringa
President
CARBON MANNA AFRICA
Nairobi KENYA

cell: 011-254-721-922-135
email: gkiringa@gmail.com
Skype: geoffrey.kiringa
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/9/105/b7b
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1370029560

-------

Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited Announces Solar Manna(C) & Forest Manna(C), and Filing of a U.S. Patent Application...

2009-05-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

*****

Here is the Carbon Manna news release that came out on MarketWire on 19 May 2009:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-991442.html

Carbon Manna(C) Unlimited Announces Solar Manna(C) & Forest Manna(C), and Filing of a U.S. Patent Application for the Cell Phone-Based Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing System

Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Reforestation, Micro-Entrepreneurialism, Women's Empowerment, Micro-Property Rights and Improved Family Health -- All Features of the Carbon Manna(C) System

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - May 19, 2009) - Carbon Manna Unlimited, an international non-profit standards-setting organization, announced today new uniformity initiatives for solar-power projects in the Developing World -- Solar Manna©, as well as for reforestation projects -- Forest Manna©, which make use of the Carbon Manna© cell phone-based Micro-Profit-Sharing System.

Moreover, to exclude profiteers who would manipulate Carbon Manna projects for personal or corporate gain, a detailed provisional U.S. Patent application has been filed to provide a future legal framework for safeguarding the micro-property and micro-profit-sharing rights of poor families participating in Carbon Manna-certified programs.

The Carbon Manna system employs SMS (short message service) and unique identifiers that will allow millions of families in the Developing World to claim by mobile phone on a bi-weekly basis the carbon offsets they produce by converting to more efficient cooking methods such as a modern charcoal stove or solar cooker, instead of an inefficient 3-stone fire burning biomass. As a result, each family becomes a micro-profit center and is able to monetize directly its own contribution to mitigating global climate change, while also slowing regional deforestation and desertification, which are metastatic ecological scourges in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular.

Cell phone-based Carbon Manna projects may also include reforestation programs that sequester CO2 (Forest Manna©), as well as solar-powered lighting and village-level phone-recharging stations that reduce green house gas emissions (Solar Manna©), thus allowing entrepreneurial families to claim via cell phone two or three types of Carbon Micro Credits or Profits at the same time.

Most importantly, the Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing System is NOT a form of self-limiting, debt-based microfinance; rather, courtesy of the US$100 billion global carbon-trading markets, it provides potentially unlimited and definitely immediate micro PROFITS to the Poor, and therefore is similar in concept to frequent-flyer miles, which are an asset, not a liability. Thus, Carbon Manna programs produce micro-assets (profits or savings) that may be used as micro-collateral in a traditional microfinance (loan) setting. In short, Carbon Manna provides a tenable basis for supersizing debt-based microfinance, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Moreover, Carbon Micro Profits or Credits may be easily converted to cash, e-money, cell phone minutes/airtime, or any other non-inflatable store-of-value. And where mobile money transfer systems are available such as Safaricom's M-Pesa and Zain's ZAP systems in Kenya and Tanzania, every handset becomes an ATM, and cash may be withdrawn at thousands of stores and banks nationwide. Hence, Tanzania and Kenya, plus the other East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi and Ethiopia, realistically offer a fertile ground for the rapid growth of Carbon Manna to the level of millions of families over the next five years.

"Because of the power and uniqueness of the Carbon Manna System and the potential for carbon-offset carpetbaggers to maliciously exploit it to violate the micro-property rights of the Poor, especially in Africa, on 24 April 2009 we filed a provisional U.S. Patent titled: Micro-Credit / Micro-Profit Sharing Method and System for Claiming and Monetizing Personal Emissions Reductions," remarked Tom Ichim, a board member of Carbon Manna Unlimited in San Diego.

For the same reason, Dr. Hong Ma, Executive Director of Carbon Manna Unlimited, stated: "To further ensure the fair treatment of poor families in the Developing World, in a white paper titled 'Carbon Manna Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines,' we have detailed economic and accounting ground rules for equitably sharing monetary gains from Carbon Manna programs. And because we directly and efficiently transfer payments wirelessly to participating families, we disintermediate all middlemen, minimize chances for graft, and maximize cash flows to the Poor."

Finally, David Palella, the Founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited, highlighted: "The cell phone-based Carbon Manna System represents an entirely novel form of microfinance, let us call it GigaFinance X.0, that uniquely utilizes markets-based mechanisms to address multiple topical themes including sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR), reforestation, micro-property rights, women's empowerment, micro-entrepreneurism and improved family health -- all in one elegantly scalable vehicle."

For corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropic, sponsorship or collaborative opportunities with Carbon Manna Unlimited and/or Carbon Manna Africa; or for speaker requests or celebrity inquiries; and to co-opt a sustainable and universally applicable micro-paradigm that can indeed quickly scale to benefit the "Next Billion" at the Base of the Pyramid, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
tel: 858-793-0741
email: Email Contact
http://www.carbonmanna.org

Or:

Geoffrey Kiringa
President
CARBON MANNA AFRICA
Nairobi Kenya
cell: 011-254-721-922-135
email: Email Contact
Skype: geoffrey.kiringa
http://www.carbonmannaafrica.com

-------

Carbon Manna creates Micro-Profits, Micro-Assets & Micro-Collateral to salvage Microfamineance [ sic ]

2009-05-07T02:21:00.000-07:00

*****

NOTA BENE:

### This post has been edited & expurgated for political correctness.

### And names have been changed to protect micromoaners from a horrible self-discovery.

### Even so, "professional" micromoaners may not want to enter this site without parental guidance.

*********** FOR YOUR EYES ONLY ! ***********

Micro Assets & Micro Collateral -- courtesy of the Carbon Micro Profit Sharing System (CMPSS)

Now every Poor Family qualifies for a Microfinance Loan ! -- whether they need it or not.

Here ! -- take my micro-debt, please !

Micro-savings = no save for microfinance -- Yurrrrr out! -- of money!

MicroDebt & MicroSavings = rental Port-a-Potties in a construction famine?

The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Profit Sharing System (CMPSS) described at length in this blog enables poor families in the Developing World to directly monetize their carbon offsets realized from more efficient cooking equipment without the intervention or intercession of any intermediaries, except for their local CMPSS Project Manager.

All other parties such as charities, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and MFIs (micro-finance institutions) are disintermediated, and all profits therefore rightly and righteously fall to the bottom line of the "Bottom of the Pyramid".

All profits that is, save for a reasonable project management fee paid to the local CMPSS Project Manager. And this fee scales down over the life of each project (3 - 5 years), such that a larger percentage of the money is paid directly to the participating families each year.

As a result of this ultimate, cell-phone-enabled, micro-trickledown economic model, every family participating in a Carbon Manna project now has micro-ASSETS -- assets from two sources:

(1) profits realized from their sold Carbon Micro Offsets, and

(2) even greater "profits" realized from savings on fuel from using their more efficient cookstove, which creates the offsets (50 - 70 % more efficient versus an open-pit fire).

The sum of these 2 cash flows for a typical family amounts to approximately US$ 90 - 150 per year. For folks living on US$ 1/day, this money is a godsend. A godsend called Carbon Manna.

But as a bone for the now disintermediated microfinance professionals worried about their careers -- take heart ! -- now every family participating in a Carbon Manna / CMPSS project has ...... Micro-COLLATERAL!

Bingo ! Ka-ching ! Ka-ching ! -- Now you can indebt them with little fear of default ! .......... Heavenly !

In short, courtesy of MFIs (microfinance institutions) desperate to preserve their now-archaic business models, I foresee a future, booming, unregulated MFI market in:

-->> Carbon Manna equity loans

-->> Carbon Manna pay-day loans

-->> Carbon Manna pawn shops

-->> Carbon Manna loan collection agencies

-->> Carbon Manna-backed micro-credit cards

-->> Carbon Manna collateralized debt obligations, and

-->> Carbon Manna credit default swaps.

Forgetting for now the MFI loan sharks and their usurious debt instruments, and looking at MFI's much-trumpeted micro-SAVINGS concept, the cash flows from each family's participation in a CMPSS program will now allow them for the first time to actually fund their micro-savings account. Previous efforts to establish giga-scale micro-savings programs for the proverbial and hallucinated "Next Billion" were effete and flaccid -- how can people living on US$ 1-2 / day set aside savings ? Duh !

Or how can they, even if their accounts are initially seeded with a few dollars by The Gates Foundation? Double duh ! The poorest Poor must often eat their seed corn to survive another day or week. Seeds in a Time of Famine are called "Food", and they no longer lead to growth. Nor to savings.

But now, in sum, the fruit of Carbon Manna is the saving grace for both microfinance/micro-debt and micro-savings. Carbon Manna will repay the first (debt) and fund the second (savings). For a very real, not imaginary, "Next Billion" (just as approximately 1 billion frequent-flyer-mile accounts now exist in the Developed World). All this without charity or debt. Courtesy of the US$ 100 billion global carbon markets.

Will MFI "professionals" drinking vintage-1980s group-think Kool-Aid wake up anytime soon to the Miracle of Carbon Manna ? And will their crippled business models of MicroDebt and MicroSavings become rental Port-a-Potties in the coming economic famine? -- unwanted, unused, un-rented -- empty thrones for long-dead kings wearing no clothes?

I challenge them all to look in a mirror and reflect deeply.

Ahhhhh ! -- I love the smell of Carbon Manna in the morning !

Very frankly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Manna Visionary
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Join our Carbon Micro-Credits/Carbon Manna discussion groups:

-->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

-->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

*****

Carbon Manna Unlimited updates for April 2009

2009-04-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

*****

Provisional U.S. Patent filed on the Carbon Manna System

"Carbon Manna Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines" finalized

The "CarbonManna" channel on Youtube.com -- now in studio production

(1) Provisional U.S. Patent filed on the Carbon Manna System:

On 24 April 2009 we filed an 18-page provisional U.S. Patent on the Carbon Manna / Carbon Micro Credit system entitled:

"Micro-Credit / Micro-Profit Sharing Method & System for Claiming and Monetizing Personal Emissions Reductions"

Our sole reason for filing the application is to exclude copy cats who might implement bogus “Carbon Manna” programs with the surreptitious aim of exploiting the Poor. Malicious copy cats will be prosecuted to the full extent of the Law.

On the other hand, we don’t mind if copy cats do indeed copy us faithfully. That’s welcome. We want Carbon Manna to be an “open source” solution to global poverty.

And don't ask us if we profit from Carbon Manna programs worldwide. Manna is God's gift; it cannot be sold or bought.

(2) Carbon Manna Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines finalized:

In a related vein, detailed economic and accounting ground rules for sharing economic rewards in a Carbon Manna program have been finalized in a white paper entitled:

"Carbon Manna Economic-Rewards Allocation Guidelines --

Fairness Standards for Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing Projects".

For the time being, this paper will remain confidential, but it is available upon signature of a 5-year CDA / NDA (secrecy agreement). If you are deadly serious about imminently implementing a Carbon Manna program in your country and you are a knowledgeable accountant / economist or have access to such expertise, please contact us to receive our draft CDA / NDA.

No idle eco-Looky Lou's or drive-by microfinance gawkers with Carbon Manna venus envy need apply. Only serious and seriously-qualified inquiries will be entertained. Be prepared for an FBI background check and breathalyzer test. All microfinance "professionals" that cannot "get it" within 5 minutes due to previous non-profit group-think Kool-Aid will get the Neuralyzer.

(3) "CarbonManna" channel reserved on Youtube.com:

The "CarbonManna" channel has been reserved on Youtube.com, so watch for our upcoming video series on how Carbon Manna and Carbon Micro Profit Sharing will drive a 32-ounce marbled steak into the calcified and cholesterol-filled heart of microdysfinance [sic, sic]. And finally:

(4) Carbon Manna web site updated:

The web site has been updated extensively by Ms./Dr. Hong Ma, the Co-founder of Carbon Manna Unlimited, so please visit us again at:

-->> http://www.carbonmanna.org

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Manna Architect
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Join our Carbon Micro-Credits/Carbon Manna discussion groups:

-->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

-->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

*****

"Carbon Micro Credits" -- A Genealogy & Ontogeny

2009-04-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

*****

Hello Everyone,

On 11 April 2009, Otto Newhouse made a nice and informative post on our Facebook page about my using the term "Carbon Micro Credits" first, which I reproduce down below, and which I replied to there. But I also reproduce here my response to him for your information:

Hello Otto !

Thank you for your kind post. Great minds think alike.

And to be fair and transparent, to my knowledge two other people/groups used the term, or a variation thereof, of "Carbon Micro Credit" before -- some academics at the University of Wollongong in Australia, and one blogger who made a one-paragraph post 18 - 24 months ago, about the same time I was registering a few hundred domain names related to carbon credits, including: http://www.CarbonMicroCredit.com -- which I still own.

The academics sole line of discussion was that supercomputers or the expansion of computing power would make it possible to keep track of micro carbon credits. But their focus was on micro credits for rich consumers in developed countries who changed their energy-consumption level, such as by adding insulation to their homes.

And the one-shot one-paragraph blogger said utility companies in the U.S. would offer carbon micro credits to customers who, for example, bought an energy-efficient refrigerator. But that's all he wrote; end of story.

So, to emphasize, none of these people/groups ever mentioned using Carbon Micro Credits in the Developing World, where only a "micro" something has real value to the recipients (the Poor) anyway.

No one else ever proposed to use a cell phone and SMS messages as the information technology base to lower transaction costs almost to zero.

No one else ever proposed to redeem/monetize Carbon Micro Credits with cell phone minutes as the payment form or currency.

No one else ever took a markets-driven approach based on PRE-selling Carbon MACRO Credits -- the aggregated and crowd-sourced Carbon Micro Credits -- in order to secure all the needed start-up capital to fund a large-scale carbon micro-offset program including 1,000s or 10s of thousands of families.

Etc. Etc.

In sum, Carbon Micro Credits as defined under the Carbon Manna paradigm are very very unique. And close to large-scale implementation in 2 districts in Western Kenya. Not to contradict King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, but there are some new things under the sun.

Thanks again for posting here. If you send me your email address, I will forward our Carbon Manna PowerPoint presentation to you.

Globally & warmly yours, David

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://www.carbonmanna.org

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

-------------------------------

Otto Newhouse wrote at 8:19pm on April 11th, 2009

Hi David, ---

Recently started a discussion on openmoney.ning with folks who develop platforms for targeted complementary currencies:
http://openmoney.ning.com/forum/topics/micro-carboncredit

The idea that is developing there is to apply a bottom-up micro-market for ANY type of energy efficient verified deep ecology micro-act and we use the term "micro carbon-credit" for a want of a better term, such as "micro resourcefulness-credit" which is a tad tedious to get used to and might still not give the full picture.

Since then I have been actively seeking out complimentary ideas, stumbled on your carbonmanna and find it pretty inspirational. It is my duty to admit your primacy to the term of Carbon Micro-credit, though non of us I believe knew about your initiative before. And it may serve as a matter of pride for your innovative concept, that others independently came to the same conclusion, that such credits can only really work from the bottom up in small but growing measures.

Warmly, Otto Newhouse

From: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

*****

Welcome to CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

2009-03-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

*****

Home of CARBON MANNA & the Cell-phone-based:

--> Carbon Micro Credit (CMC)

--> or the Carbon Micro-Profit-Sharing System (CMPSS)

And:

--> the Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)

Please visit our web site & related web pages:

http://www.carbonmanna.org

The Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna groups on:

-->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

-->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

-->> http://www.cooltribe.com/member/david-a-palella

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

http://sustainableenergyinafrica.ning.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

Primary Contact:
--------------------

David A. Palella
Chief Micro Carbon Megalomaniac
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

*****

The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC) -- Micronizing Foreign Aid for Mega Impact

2009-03-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

*****

Concepts Foreign to Foreign-Aid Jingoists -- & Micro-moaners ! -- Disintermediation, Self-determination & the "Invisible Hand" of the Poor "Consumer" in Africa

Now you see it, now you don't ! -- "A billion here, a billion there, before you know it, you're talking about real money." -- Ronald Reagan

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal vindicates again my "other invention" -- the cell-phone-based Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC) -- about which I have written at length in this blog before:

"The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)"
[ 13 December 2008 ]
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-famc.html

"The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit in a Time of Famine"
[ 19 December 2008 ]
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-revisited.html

"The Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC) -- U.S. Marines style"
[ 31 January 2009 ]
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2009/01/foreign-aid-micro-credit-famc-us.html

Here are some quotes from The Wall Street Journal article:

"Why Foreign Aid Is Hurting Africa" -- 21 March 2009

By Dambisa Moyo -- The Wall Street Journal

"Money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial, says Dambisa Moyo."

"Dambisa Moyo, a former economist at Goldman Sachs, is the author of 'Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa'."

"Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Yet real per-capita income today is lower than it was in the 1970s, and more than 50% of the population -- over 350 million people -- live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades."

Reference: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123758895999200083.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123758895999200083-email.html

---------------------------

My proposed cell-phone-based Foreign-Aid Micro Credit could eliminate 80 - 95 % of the opportunities for graft, theft and fraud in the dispensation of Foreign Aid. Intercepted any photons lately to steal your neighbors on-line banking transactions ? Not likely, even among the sophisticated electronic apparatchiks, digeratti, cognoscenti and uber-mobilemeisters in America & Europe. Hence, the chance in Africa of electronic interception and theft of 1,000s or 10s of thousands of Foreign-Aid Micro-Credit balances sent in-country or directly from overseas banks & governments is almost nil. Zero.

Would 1,000s or 10s of thousands or 100s of thousands of African consumers with cell phones in hand with cash balances received directly from Britain, the U.S. Government, the IMF or the World Bank make better investment and consumption decisions than Generalissimo Dictator Mbenganyakinkisosubaboboloco and his henchmen in African country XYZbia? A few percent of the families might buy beer. But most would buy the first shoes ever for their kids. Others might send their kids to school for the first time because even elementary schools charge tuition in Africa. Others might buy a goat or a cow that produces milk for years. Etc. Etc.

What would Generalissimo Dictator Mbenganyakinkisosubaboboloco do? He would steal the entire foreign-aid balance as soon as it was wired in to his central bank, as recently happened to 100s of millions of dollars of IMF loans to the Ukraine. Or, he would undertake a single infrastructure project such as damming a Nile River tributary ostensibly to produce hydroelectric power because he knows his buddies at all the cement, construction and engineering companies will pay him a 20 % kick-back. And so the Cycle of African Foreign-Aid dysKarma repeats itself, as it has for the past 60 years. As Dambisa Moyo writes above.

Not to mention ! -- You don't like dictators damming Nile tributaries ? Understood. So what is the chance that 10s or 100s of thousands of Poor African Families might make micro-investment and micro-consumption decisions that would displease you? Again, almost nil. Zero.

So how to securely deliver a US$ 20 or $100 or $250 Foreign-Aid Micro Credit to 100s of thousands Poor Africans in an afflicted country or zone ? Please re-read the 3 earlier and detailed posts above, and please note this recent photo caption from our Facebook group:

"When US Airways flight 1549 splash-landed on the Hudson River on 15 January 2009, the US Airways emergency-response team showed up a few hours later with dry clothes for the passengers and mobile phones like this Kyocera KE433 prepaid cell phone already loaded with paid airtime and a pre-assigned telephone number. Sound like a drug smuggler's dream come true? Yes, but it's also the exact delivery vehicle needed for the Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC) that I have described several times on my Carbon Manna blog: http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com. Photonic delivery of foreign-aid in "micro" amounts will frustrate graft, fraud and corrupt foreign governments. In sum, disintermediating, cell-phone-based delivery of micro credits has many revolutionary applications."

--->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

Will the career bureaucrats at the IMF, USAID, the World Bank, the U.N., and the NGOs, charities & foundations "like dust" throughout Africa ever learn to "Think different" ? Will they instinctually yearn to disintermediate themselves out of a job, their generous pensions, sinecures, honoraria and lifetime healthcare benefits ? Hee, hee. Silly you.

Therefore:

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Take action today to do your iota to free Africa from Dante's Inferno of government-administered foreign aid. History awaits you. And me.

Very historically yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Credit Micronizer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna groups on:

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

--->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

*****

"Only believe, and the Carbon Manna shall be made well"

2009-02-27T00:28:00.000-08:00

*****

Hello Everyone,

Just to set some ground rules, BEFORE putting up any comments on this blog, first read allll 100 ++ pages of it.

Then you have earned the right to ask an INFORMED question that is NOT repetitive.

Also, I do not want to hear from "skeptical" people. As I have written in this blog a few times, "skepticism is the luxury of a full stomach". I want all skeptical people to read, in particular, this post below:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/all-you-can-eat-micro-carbon-buffet.html

If you lived on a calorie-restricted diet for a few weeks or months, then your "willing suspension of disbelief" about Carbon Manna would increase dramatically, and "skeptical" would not be a word you even know.

Also, no one at Carbon Manna Unlimited makes any profit on the backs of The Poor, nor do we take any food from the mouths of The Hungry in Africa and elsewhere. So, please, no more questions about any business arrangements behind this Noble & Nobel-caliber Effort.

Finally, again for the "skeptical" Doubting Thomases out there, let me echo Christ when he healed the supplicant's dying daughter at a distance: "Only believe, and the Carbon Micro Credits shall be made well."

"But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, 'Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well'." -- Luke 8:50

Globally & Warmly yours,

David Palella
Chief Carbon Evangelist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California

*****

First Carbon Manna news release sent out over MarketWire

2009-02-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

*****

Hello Everyone,

As earlier disclosed to you below, the first Carbon Manna news release was sent out today (24 Feb 2009) over MarketWire. Here is the link:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Carbon-Manna-Unlimited-953397.html

It was also picked up by MSNBC and Yahoo Business, etc.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Chief Carbon Credit Micronizer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

Join the Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna groups on:

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

--->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

*****

World's first Cell-Phone-Based Carbon-Micro-Credits implementation progressing in Kenya

2009-02-22T04:43:00.000-08:00

*****

Our first news release below will go out over MarketWire on 24 February 2009:

-- Carbon Manna Unlimited Initiates Strategic Partnering Campaign

-- Novel Micro-Profit-Sharing plan enfranchises the "Bottom of the Pyramid"

February 24, 2009 -- San Diego, California

Carbon Manna Unlimited announced today the initiation of a worldwide strategic-partnering campaign to support the world's first roll-out of its cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit system in Kenya, to include the town of Kogelo, Kenya, U.S. President Barack Obama's ancestral home town.

The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit system employs SMS (simple message service) and unique identifiers to allow millions of families in the Developing World to claim on a bi-weekly or monthly basis the carbon offsets they produce by using more efficient cooking methods such as a modern charcoal stove or solar cooker, instead of an inefficient open-pit fire burning biomass. As a result, each family is able to monetize directly its own contribution to mitigating global warming, while also reducing nationwide rates of deforestation and desertification.

Each family that cooks more efficiently may claim approximately 3 tons of CO2 offsets/year, which is worth about US$ 20 - 35 when sold in Europe on a regulated or voluntary carbon-offset market. The family also saves far more on fuel -- from US$ 70 - 150/year. For individuals living on less than US$ 1 - 2/day, these earnings and savings are very significant.

Pre-selling 10s or 100s of thousands of tons of bundled Carbon Micro Credits provides the start-up capital needed to buy stoves and cell phones for the participating families, thus making the system self-funding and markets-based. Later the offsets are crowd-sourced by the tens of thousand of families participating in the program. Lastly, validation and auditing protocols will ensure that the offsets were actually produced.

Carbon Micro Credits are NOT a form of debt-based microfinance; rather, they provide immediate micro profits to the poor and are therefore similar in concept to frequent flyer miles. They are an asset, not a liability. And like frequent flyer miles, they are a fungible, universal currency and non-inflatable store-of-value.

Companies with a strategic interest in expanding their business in Kenya, East Africa, and later in South & West Africa, are invited to contact Carbon Manna Unlimited's headquarters in San Diego for further details. Such companies would include:

-- cell-phone handset manufacturers

-- wireless carriers doing business in Africa

-- manufacturers of wireless transmission equipment

-- cell-phone accessory suppliers

-- providers of cell-phone-based information services or software

-- consumer product companies interested in co-promotion campaigns; and

-- companies from any industry interested in expanding their presence in Kenya via this highly-visible nationwide effort to reduce deforestation and carbon emissions.

Later this year and in 2010, the Carbon Micro Credits system will be rolled out in other East African countries, and subsequently in multiple West and Southern African countries. For major philanthropies that wish to extend their reach in Africa, or companies with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Triple Bottom Line (TBL) programs, the Carbon Micro Credits system provides a novel, rapidly-scalable paradigm for enriching the livelihoods of tens of millions of poor families anywhere in the Developing World.

For more information, please contact:

David A. Palella
Founder
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, California
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Join our Carbon Manna discussions on-line at:

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

--->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

*****

Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna Group debuts on Facebook

2009-02-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

*****

Today we established a discussion group on Facebook at:

--->> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52270598714

And, again, for those of you who prefer LinkedIn.com:

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

Please join the party.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Chief Carbon Networker
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

*****

The Great Carbon-Offset Gravy Train Robbery of 2009 -- The $150 Billion-Dollar Heist?

2009-02-14T04:56:00.000-08:00

*****

OCOEC = The Organization of Carbon-Offset Exporting Countries?

= the CDM scamchiks, methanemeisters, hydro-hijackers & laughing-gas gamesters --> South Korea, India & China

A New Deal for Africa, a Berlin Air Lift for Africa alla carbonara?

Palella's Equation a la Drake's Equation = How Many Intelligent Carbon-Offset Projects exist in the known Universe? --->> Zero ?

In my post of 26 November 2008 entitled:

"Means Testing for Carbon Offset Originators?"

Or: "Carbon Trading -- a USD/US$ 100 billion market by 2010"

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/11/means-testing-for-carbon-credit.html

I proposed that reimbursement or payment for carbon offsets be prioritized by the level of exigency or poverty of the offsets' producer, rather than by grand-father clauses or guidelines in the current U.N. CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) rules, which often favor offset projects originated by larger companies and more economically-advantaged populations in South Korea, China and India -- Yes ! -- economically-advantaged compared to The Very Poor in Africa living on US$ 1 - 2 per day.

That post also noted the oft-stated nice-round-number projection that the carbon trading market would become a USD/US$ 100 billion market by 2010. However: "Consider this: despite the looming recession, the global carbon market grew 84% in 2008 to reach $118 billion. It's forecast to reach $150 billion this year [2009]." Cited from:

http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/carbon-cap-trade/817#rate

In short, the rush to monetize green-house-gas offsets is gaining momentum much faster than forecast.

And into whose pockets will the US$ 150 billion flow in 2009? -- into the Hugo Boss and Brooks Brothers pockets of investment bankers on Wall Street and to the 3 Louseketeers -- the CDM scamchiks, methanemeisters and hydro-project hijackers --> South Korea, India & China ? Lamentably, yes.

But considering all this carbon cash sloshing around, is it possible somehow to provide a New Carbon Deal, a Berlin Carbon Air Lift, a Tennessee Valley Carbon Authority for Africa, by implementing a universal markets-based, self-funding wealth-transfer mechanism called cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits ?

As the 100+ previous pages of this blog adumbrate or foreshadow -- yes indeed !

So what is the theoretical value on the ECX (European Climate Exchange) of allll the carbon offsets of allll families in Africa if every family converted to more efficient charcoal stoves and could monetize their carbon offsets directly via cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits ?

------ Palella's Equation a la Drake's Equation -----

The population of Africa = 935 million people.

Assume 6 people per family.

935 million / 6 = approximately 150 million families.

Assume 20 % are "richer" urbanites and don't cook with biomass =

120 million families still cooking with biomass.

Assume all families converted to efficient Uganda charcoal stoves =

3 tons of CO2/family/year offset X 120 million families =

360 million tons of CO2 offset/annually X US$ 10-15/ton sold on ECX =

US$ 3.6 - 5.4 billion = Total Available African-Family Carbon-Offset Market.

Which = approximately the annual foreign aid budget of the U.K. or the U.S. to Africa (depending on the source you can find)

= only 2 - 4 % of the worldwide carbon-trading market for 2009.

----- On the Family Level -----

US$ 3.6 - 5.4 billion = TAM = Total Available African-Family Carbon-Offset Market

= US$ 30 - 45 worth of carbon offsets/family/year.

+ their annual fuel savings = US$ 70 - 150+/year =

Net annual benefit to each family = US$ 100 - 195

= a 20 - 50+ % increase in their Standard of Living the first year

= Ka-ching !! Ka-ching !!

Moreover, throw in a few million individual families monetizing a few billion planted trees and a few million 2-stroke motorcycles converted to more efficient direct-injection engines and -- voila ! -- the Standard of Living of the average African family could rise 25 - 60 % in just a few years. And this large-scale wealth transfer equal approximately to the annual foreign aid budget of the U.K. or the U.S. to Africa would still represent just a single-digit percentage of the global carbon-trade market.

And most importantly, these savings/earnings/micro profit-sharings would be beamed photonically directly to the Poor Families' cell-phone-based savings/credit accounts with no middlemen trying to skim/scam/score their share of the financial benefit.

Cut out the middlemen -- that is the essence of cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits and Carbon Manna. Empower and enrich The Poor Directly. Respect their Property Rights. Reduce transaction costs to Zero via SMS messages sent via cell phone (only 4 cents/message in Kenya today, for example).

Send the middlemen-tals and middlemidgets to the unemployment line. Disintermediate the intermediators. Zero out the micro-moaning zero-summers. Convert debt to equity, and micro-loans to micro-profits. The Next Generation of Microfinance is here, and it is called Carbon Micro Credits and Micro Profit-Sharing. Intelligent Life can indeed been found in the carbon markets, and it will revolutionize the standard of living of The Very Poor.

So can Carbon Robin Hood steal a single-digit portion of the worldwide carbon markets for the benefit of The Poor?

Can Carbon Samurai Tailor slice off a prosciutto serving of fatty green-house-gas wealth for the Developing World ?

Can Human Compassion combined with the rational microtome of Common Sense vibrate off a négligée-thin serving of U.N. CDM spam for Africa?

To find out -- stay tuned for the next week's episode of Carbon Samurai Tailor !

Very calculatingly yours,

David Palella
Karbon Kagemusha
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

Join us on LinkedIn.com:

--->> Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna Group

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

*****

The Carbon Manna Corps

2009-02-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

*****

An Amway-style Hierarchy to Validate Carbon Micro Credits?

Nationwide Universal Eco Public Service

Ding dong! -- Avon calling! Did you use your Uganda stove today?

Getting the Religion of Carbon Manna

Many folks ask me about the mechanics of validating the Micro Carbon Offsets produced by millions of families taking part in a countrywide cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits (CMC) program. The answer ? -- Generating and claiming Carbon Micro Credits or Carbon Micro Offsets will become a nationwide social movement in many countries in the Developing World. Or, an Amway-style monitoring hierarchy will form to make sure that:

"Larger fleas have smaller fleas

Upon their backs to bite 'em

And these in turn have lesser fleas --

And so ad infinitum!"

In short, all families in the country will participate and all families will watch their neighbors to make sure they are not gaming the system.

But if you read this blog in its grand totality, you will see that no family in their right mind would try to cheat. If they were foolish enough to cook the old way, they would spend much more money on fuel (25 - 60% more), or spend much more time gathering biomass-based fuel from the surrounding countryside. Even the roundly uneducated can do this math.

Moreover, in our under-construction Carbon Micro Credit implementation in Kenya, we are planning to co-opt 1,000s of high school and university students in a nationwide "Carbon Manna Corps" to go into the field, into every town and village, to verify that families are indeed using their efficient Uganda-style charcoal stoves daily and properly. It will be a nationwide program to teach all Kenyan children the importance of religiously producing carbon offsets, and the need to reduce the rate of desertification of their Homeland.

There may be cultural reasons why this kind of nationwide civil service or public service program -- or Universal Eco Public Service -- will not work in some countries, but that's OK, their populations will be poorer as a result. Thus, I think eventually every country will overcome public lethargy and/or government inaction and implement a cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits Program. Otherwise, they are ceding the carbon offset markets to other more organized countries in the Developing World, and to the investment bankers on Wall Street (NY City) and in "The City" (London).

In sum, human creativity can overcome any challenges that may arise when implementing a cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits program, and when validating its output, even if millions of families are involved. Moreover, if your stomach is usually empty and you live on US$ 1 - 2 / day, you would be surprised how quickly you would religiously, methodically and scrupulously embrace production of Carbon Micro Offsets.

So instead of being skeptical all of you Doubting Thomases with full stomachs, why don't you get the religion of Carbon Micro Credits today? Think of solutions, instead of asking me questions about validation.

Children are full of questions because they are so easy to make. But only Women and Men of Great Mind ideate solutions. Only Heroines and Heroes then take Action. Believe in the eco-religion of Carbon Manna -- Carbon Micro Credits that directly enrich and empower the 2 billion Poor at the "Bottom of the Pyramid". They -- and Heaven -- will smile on you.

Civilly & publicly yours,

David Palella
Founder
Carbon Manna Unlimited
San Diego, CA
cell: 619-787-5767
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna group on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

*****

Updates re Carbon Micro-Credits & Carbon Manna Unlimited

2009-02-05T02:24:00.000-08:00

*****
Hello Everyone,

A discussion group to serve as a more open forum for Carbon Micro Credits debate and information exchange has been established today on LinkedIn.com. Anyone may join -- no approval needed:

--->> Carbon Micro-Credits / Carbon Manna Group

--->> http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1794312/

And starting March 17, 2009, don't forget to vote for the Carbon Micro Credits entry in:

--->> Google’s Project 10 to the 100th power Contest

--->> http://www.project10tothe100.com/index.html

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC) -- U.S. Marines style

2009-01-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

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Airdropping an Emergency Banking System, Currency Base & ATM Network into disaster zones

The FAMC 1st Air Calvary ("Airmobile") feeds & liberates The Poor via the Profit Motive

The Disintermediation of Foreign Aid

Manna from Heaven updated for the 21st Century

"...for God maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain to fall on the just and on the unjust." -- [ Matthew 5:45 ]

During the current 2nd Gulf War in Iraq, to quell rebellion, to buy allies on the ground in hot zones, and to pay reparations, U.S. Marines would often walk around Iraqi villages and cities handing out almost randomly US$ 100 or 20 dollar bills to all passersby. Voila ! -- fiat paper manna from Uncle Sam ! -- delivered directly and rapidly to populations in need with no intervening bureaucratic layers.

But where's the traceability of this kind of U.S. Government Foreign Aid? Or, likewise, where's the accountability for this dispensing of tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. taxpayer ? Apparently in a Time of War on Terror, accountability and traceability are optional. Fancy that. Metric- and benchmarking-focused bureaucrats around the world must shudder at the thought.

But is the War on Hunger in the Developing World any less urgent than the War on Terror? Any less important to the strategic interests of the U.S. Government or the European Union? Clearly no. Or so most human hearts would murmur. So shouldn't a similar level of less traceability and less accountability likewise be tolerated in a Time of Hunger and during other Humanitarian Crises? Clearly yes.

Moreover, how can U.S. Foreign Aid or any foreign aid be delivered paratrooper-style, when the U.S. Marines or other national rambo forces from Europe or Japan are otherwise engaged ? Or summarily castrated by political indecision? The answer? -- via the cell-phone-based Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC). I have already written at length about the FAMC in this blog:

"The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)"

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-famc.html

"The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit in a Time of Famine"

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-revisited.html

The above posts mainly discussed electronically transferring small amounts of e-money or mobile money to 1,000s or 10,000s of existing cell phones in an afflicted area to rapidly provide a large population with e-cash to buy food and water. Because, as pointed out before, Food & Water migrate towards Money, regardless of physical, legal, governmental or temporal barriers to trade.

Skeptical? Again, skepticism is the luxury of your full stomach. The proof that goods migrate to cash? -- At the unethical extreme of the scale this concept is called Smuggling. Think heroin, cocaine and cigarettes. At the other, ethical end of the scale, we have the cell-phone-based Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC), which may be used to buy food and water with e-money transfers between cell phones using text-based SMS messages (simple message service). In the case of both extremes, the customer with money is able to buy the desired goods.

How would Foreign-aid Micro Credits (FAMCs) be distributed in a war zone or after a major earthquake or cyclone? -- By broadly airdropping cell phones and portable solar-powered battery chargers into the afflicted area, along with operating instructions in the local language, or instructions "written" in pictograms, icons and other universally-recognizable symbols. The cell phones would be pre-loaded with US$ 100 - 200 of e-cash, transferable by SMS.

At the same time, outside the disaster area, advertise broadly by radio or leaflet drops that the afflicted Poor are now "rich" and liquid, comparatively speaking. Courtesy of the profit motive, an influx of food, water and goods will immediately begin migrating towards the e-money. Going the other direction, at the perimeters of the disaster zone where social infrastructure is still intact, the e-cash could be converted to real cash, either U.S. dollars or the local country currency. The U.S.$ is already the de facto hard currency and store of value, or the main black-market currency, in dozens of countries in the Developing World.

Would some cell phones and e-cash end up in undeserving hands? Did the U.S. Marines in Iraq inadvertently hand out US$ 100 bills to some insurgents and Al-Qaeda operatives, or to their children who were sent into the streets to greet the Marines? Surely yes. Did the Marines waste taxpayer dollars, then? History will deliver that verdict in the Distant Future. So yes, some cell phones and e-cash will "fall on the evil and on the unjust". But the great majority will fall on the Good and on the Just.

As usual, small-minded micro-moaners and disintermediated bureaucrats will raise petty objections against this application of The Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC), but they can all be neutered easily like stray cats:

--(1) The phones will be used by terrorists and criminals -- Then monitor or "wiretap" the phone conversations randomly and disable phones being used for criminal purposes

--(2) There won't be cell-phone transmission towers in the afflicted area -- Wrong, coverage is extensive throughout the Developing World, or just drop in portable towers

--(3) Cell phone transmission towers will be destroyed in the crisis -- Then, again, airdrop in new towers too

--(4) There is no electrical grid to charge the phone batteries -- Right, but don't forget the portable solar chargers

--(5) Foreign governments will prevent the airdrops -- Then don't ask for permission, like U.S. military drones over Pakistan & Afghanistan. That was our mistake in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 -- we foolishly asked the junta's permission to enter the country to provide humanitarian aid. Americans are far toooo polite. We should have just sent in the U.S. Army, Navy & Marines with the aid and shot any Myanmar junta forces that got in the way

--(6) Bureaucrats and "little shits & crooks" will steal the phones or the e-cash in them -- Sorry, the phones will be distributed sooooo broadly and have such small amounts of e-cash in each phone (US$ 100 - 200) that theft, graft, embezzlement and/or confiscation of the phones and e-cash will be almost impossible, or very negligible on a percentage basis

--(7) The national or regional mobile carriers won't cooperate -- Why wouldn't they ? All they have to do is assign telephone numbers to the 10,000s or 100,000s of phones and instantly they have that many new customers with pre-funded accounts. The carriers will be ecstatic. They can start charging the Poor immediately for every SMS message, every call, every cash withdrawal at any bank or store, etc. Woohoo!

--(8) National central banks will not allow, or are not equipped to handle, such an instantaneous engraftment of another banking system and currency base onto their own sovereign financial systems. If so, then forget them and use instead the systems and infrastructure of the African Central Bank, the European Central Bank, or the Asian Development Bank. Or the systems of any transnational commercial bank in any neighboring country

--(9) The present system of U.S. foreign aid works just fine, thank you -- Sorry, no. Refer to the post noted above: "The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit in a Time of Famine". Thousands of children starve to death waiting weeks and months for American food aid to be shipped by truck & train & boat & bicycle & horse and cart to Lands Faraway, sadly. And, finally --

--(10) _______________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Add your own petty objection here -- Now Google around for a few minutes and find out why it's really drop-dead dead wrong.

In this extreme example of the cell-phone-based Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC), an entire banking and currency system (or currency base) is quickly parachuted into a large afflicted area. Although barter systems usually rapidly take hold in a disaster area, those people with nothing to barter can go hungry and often die. In this case, however, a large, uniform, fungible, and recognizable currency base is quickly established to facilitate trade and commerce among 10,000s or 100,000s of people. Most of the currency will be used for daily necessities during the emergency, but as the crisis winds down, remaining e-cash balances might be used for savings or investment and thereby have an economic multiplier effect. Longer term upon the return of normalcy, as a legacy of the disaster, every recipient of a phone will have a cell-phone-based savings account and ATM access via an on-line cell-phone-based banking system such as Safaricom's M-PESA system in Kenya.

Moreover, recent history shows that once The Poor in the Developing World have cell phones in their hands, they quickly develop new uses for them that the well-fed in America and Europe could not imagine, thus leading to more efficient and additional economic activity. Also, as detailed several times elsewhere in this blog already, an established base of cell phones may immediately serve other functions such as for microtele-medicine, microtele-education, and as an emergency broadcast system to warn of or to react to further national disasters.

Finally, by allowing unfettered and largely uncontainable communication among the Common People, a cell phone is the Voice of Freedom & Truth that can liberate The Poor from bad government and military oppression.

The Foreign-aid Micro Credit (FAMC) -- Manna from Heaven updated for the 21st Century.

Semper fidelis,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Paratrooper
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

References:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/mar/20/usa.iraq

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/02/08//military/iraq/2705194540.txt

*****

"The Googlesday Book" -- A Universal Census of the Families of Man in 2009 AD?

2009-01-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

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The Great Survey of 1086 AD for William the Conqueror --> The Domesday Book or The Doomsday Book

Every tweet a haiku ? --- Or ? --> "The Tweets, like Dust" ?

Are there Limits to Google's Granularity ? Or Grainularity ? [sic]

A Billion Points of Light on Google Earth ?

"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." -- [ Luke 12:7 ]

A main concern about Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) is validation of the micro offsets created by 10s or 100s of thousands of unknown families in Strange Lands in the distant Developing World. Who are all these people? What are their names? Where exactly do they live? Do they really even exist?

In order to determine assessment of taxes and conscription of labor, in the years 1085 - 1086 AD, William the Conqueror of Normandy ordered an inventory of the assets of his newly conquered territory -- all England -- as well as a census of the entire population. Books from the time commented, translated into Modern English, that not a single square yard of land nor a single beehive escaped this universal survey of every physical possession and this census of every human being throughout all the Land.

Reference: http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/domesday-book.htm

Now, almost 1,000 years later, what is the capability of Mankind to duplicate this ancient and remarkable feat ? Has technology kept pace with the growth of human populations and their physical possessions, such that a Modern Domesday Book could be written ? Could every Human Being on Earth be numbered and accounted for, and not one missed?

Sadly, no.

The closest approach Man might make today to the Domesday Book is to first apply the surveying and indexing power of Google to numbering and tallying the Families of Mankind, to write, perhaps, a Googlesday Book ?

But what are the limits to the granularity of Google ? Apparently a googol -->> 10 to the 100th power, or more atoms than present in the visible Universe. Recently, for example, Google has started indexing the tweets of Twitter.com. Hard to believe, but true.

Twitter.com is a web site for broadcasting short one-line thoughts ("tweets" of 140 characters or less) to all Humanity -- in sum, an electronic dumpster of instant-messaging nervous ticks, haiku hairballs, trashy SMS confetti, popcorn logorrhea, pseudo-intellectual crumbs, ADHD ramblings, analretentive scratchings in a kitty-litter-box diary, and verbal vacuous vacuity.

In public squares and on broad avenues, Roman emperors ordered the carving of seminal Words in marble that over 60 generations of Man have read, but this generation of children spray-paints alphanumeric flatulence on the Alleyways of Time with electrons that ultimately may prove as durable. But will your great great grandchildren and their endless progeny in the distant future read your randomly puked tweets and be ashamed of your boffo banality? Once it's indexed on Google, you can't erase it, so think deeply before you tweet.

So how could Google begin to index the Families of Man ? Especially in the Developing World where the task is the hardest ? Easy -- Home is where the Hearth is. Or, the Family that cooks together, stays together. In short, the same family unit that claims cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) by reducing their cooking emissions could be the basic counting unit for a new Census of Humanity. And for the dozens of reasons documented in this blog, indeed, every family in the Developing World should be a participant in a Carbon Micro Credit program.

In the Developing World, then, what would be the unique identifier or census account number for this nuclear-family cooking unit? One option ? -- a password-protected account number based on the unique serial number of their low-carbon-emitting stove or solar cooker. Plus the GPS coordinates of the cell phone used to claim their daily, weekly or monthly Carbon Micro Credits. GPS transponders are now built into many cell phones.

With this information, then, the family unit could be plotted as a point of Light on the appropriate map on Google Earth. Fiat lux times 1 billion ? May Carbon Manna make Google Earth twinkle like the Milky Way.

So why not include the cell phone number too in the unique identifier? Because Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) may be claimed via any cell phone. And many families in poorer areas may be using the same cell phone to claim their CMCs. And why the unique cooker serial number and not another number ? Because in the Developing World, the cook stove is the foundation of the home, the source of all sustenance and Life. No other possession of the Poor is more important. Not to mention it being a valuable profit center -- the source of their Carbon Micro Credits too. So what family or woman or man or daughter would lose their stove or forget its serial number?

The password-protected account would also be the Family's on-line bank account, their access to the Developing World's equivalent of an ATM network (e.g., Safaricom's M-PESA cell-phone-based banking system in Kenya), and their depository for not only Carbon Micro Credits earned from low-CO2 cooking, but also from any other green-house-gas offset projects the Family unit might undertake in the future such as installing a small solar panel on their roof to charge a battery to run a light bulb at night so their children could study.

Moreover, the same account number could be used to access a simple record of the family -- the number of members in the household, their genders, their ages, their names, and so on. Small incentives of cell phone minutes or micro-cash could be offered to families that regularly update their census information via text-based SMS messages, which can cost as little as 4 cents/message in Kenya.

Is such a Universal Census of Humanity beginning in the Developing World beyond the capability of Google? If Google can index the limitless tweets of millions of under-employed and over-fed twits in America and Europe, then assuredly Google could count and number the grains of rice in all the billions of bowls of the Poor in the Developing World. And likewise all the human beings holding those bowls -- bowls partially filled with the Carbon Manna of Carbon Micro Credits.

So which is a more noble cause? And a better use of limitless computing power? Indexing tweets? Or counting human beings?

Finally, a Googlesday Book would also facilitate administration and auditing of Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) programs, accelerate adoption of the CMC system worldwide, and ensure the better feeding of The Families of Man.

"Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?" -- [ Matthew 6:26 ]

Very unquantifiably yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Numerologist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

A Beautiful Desert -- Mankind's Dessert from Over-population

2009-01-21T00:21:00.000-08:00

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Unsustainable Biomass Combustion & Planetary-wide Desertification

Global Warming? Global Cooling? Global Pangeastasis? -- You decide.

Gaia alla carbonara or Biosphere flambe ? -- A Scorched Earth Policy -- one meal at a time!

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."
[ Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1 -- William Shakespeare ]

"Naked came I" -- Mother Nature stripped bare in the Concentrated Camp of a Famished Humanity

How do the approximately 935 million people living in Africa prefer to dine out every day? Obviously! -- alla carbonara ! -- from a charcoal grill. Yes ! -- that hickory-smoked flavor is de rigueur in the Cradle of Homo sapiens! -- that is, absolutely required in Africa, where cooking with biomass -- wood, charcoal, savannah grass, leaves, or dried dung -- is a daily Fact of Life.

If ! these can actually be gathered or bought, of course.

Imagine almost 1 billion people on one continent cooking daily with biomass. What is the result? -- desertification, deforestation, denudification, debeautification and terra-disfiguration on a Gaia- or Pangea-wide scale. Not to mention the release of millions of tons of CO2 daily into the innocent bystander atmosphere.

Some dyspeptic detractors of my cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) system have pointed to the decreasing price of carbon on the European Climate Exchange (ECX) -- http://www.ecx.eu -- as a potential weakness in the concept that will scuttle its economics. But it's immediate carbon credit-based economics are just one minor factor in the value of the Carbon Micro Credit system for the Family of Man.

Whether you believe in global warming, global cooling, global fooling or immutable global terrastasis, it's probably better for us to leave the CO2, methane, O2 & nitrogen recipe of Earth's atmosphere just as God made it in The Beginning. Dramatically changing the recipe must have SOME downstream effects on the look and feel of the atmosphere, yes? And most recipe changes result in a bad aftertaste.

Moreover, the most immediate benefit from implementing the Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) system based on solar cooking or more efficient biomass-burning cook stoves is to reduce the rate of desertification in the Developing World. Solar cookers obviously consume no living or dead biomass, and more efficient charcoal or wood-burning stoves can reduce daily biomass combustion by up to 60 %. Yes, sixty percent. Which means the alarming rate of desertification in such countries as Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and The Sudan could be reduced by 1/3rd or more if nation-wide CMC programs were implemented.

What are other benefits of my cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) system? Let me count the ways:

(1) Improved indoor air quality & health in colder regions where the cook stove is also used for heating. Or in warmer/rainy regions where families traditionally cook indoors. Various sources estimate that 1.5 - 2.0 million children and adults per year die prematurely from respiratory diseases caused by indoor cooking. The same number that die each year from malaria.

(2) Improved standards of living resulting from less money and time being spent on buying or gathering biomass:

-- For families that buy biomass fuel, they could reduce their daily fuel expense by 20 - 40 %. In some biomass-denuded countries, families living on US$ 1 - 2 / day spend up to 60 (sixty!) % of their daily income on fuel, sadly. Now, instead of buying biomass, they could buy shoes for their children or pay their tuition to attend elementary school. Yes, you have to pay for elementary school in many African countries.

-- For families that forage for biomass, often making round-trips up to 15 - 20 kilometers a day, many "man-hours" / day can be saved and dedicated to other activities such as education, farming, or commerce. Of course, the burden of gathering biomass usually falls on the shoulders of women and children, leading to over-worked women and under-educated children. Thus, the Carbon Micro Credit system will contribute towards the Emancipation of Women and the Education of the Child.

In sum, ignoring for the moment the additional monetary value of CMCs, more efficient cooking methods immediately boost the living standard of ultra-poor families by 15 - 35 %.

(3) MicroEducation and MicroMedicine:

Elsewhere in this blog I have already mentioned how the cell-phone base of the Carbon Micro Credit system can also be applied immediately to MicroTeleEducation and MicroTeleMedicine:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/11/microfinance-x0-extreme-makeover.html

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/grand-challenges-of-carbon-micro.html

(4) The Foreign-aid Micro Credit:

As detailed at great length earlier in this blog, the cell-phone base paid for with Carbon Micro Credits can also be applied immediately to "air drop" micro foreign-aid payments to distressed populations during famines or national emergencies such as war or natural disasters:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-revisited.html

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/12/foreign-aid-micro-credit-famc.html

(5) Increase in GDP:

A McKinsey study of cell-phone usage in China, India and The Philippines reports the rubric or rule-of-thumb that a 10 % increase in the penetration rate of cell phones in a Developing Country results in a 0.5 % increase in GDP from both productivity gains and overall increases in commercial activities.

(6) Add your own favorite benefits here:

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

So in view of all the upside provided by the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit system, why do almost all NGOs (non-governmental organizations), charities, governments, microfinance institutions (MFIs) and major corporations ignore it?

Because they have terminal boners for the less elegant solutions they invented themselves, or for which they paid toooo much money to BIG-time consulting firms? Because this revolutionary paradigm comes from an unknown voice in San Diego? Perhaps because "micro" means it's very small and for the very Poor? Perhaps because "micro" means it will take tooo loooong to have a mega impact on Planet Earth ?

But millions of hectares of land in the Developing World became desert one small meal at a time. Thankfully, now, millions of the Poor in the Developing World will be elevated from Poverty by one small Carbon Micro Credit at a time.

In sum, is the daily price of a ton of CO2 really important in the Grand Scheme of Carbon Micro Credit Things ? No, assuredly not important at all.

Even if the Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) earned in a year only paid for a US$ 6.00 cook stove and a stripped-down inexpensive cell phone for every family, or every 5 or 10 families to share for claiming their CMCs, the additional HUGE positives noted above for Mother Earth, for Father Time watching the Doomsday Clock, and for the Quality of Life of The Family of Man -- these collective positives roundly outweigh any time-line dilations and minor economic downside caused by today's low carbon prices.

Tsk, tsk. Now the Carbon Micro Credit naysayers and the dispossessed zero-sum micro-moaners must concoct new whining points and petty denials. But an arid and vapid Failure will be their just desserts, happily.

Very verdantly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Iconoclast
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Dis-intermediation of Microfinance

2009-01-08T01:36:00.000-08:00

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"Death of a micro Middleman" -- The Director's Cut

Occam's Razor shaves microfinance industry

Law of Parsimony downsizes micromony

Samurai Tailor frightsizes micro loans !

Zero Transaction Costs -- and not a penny more!

Fiat lux! -- Photons DIRECT to the "Bottom of the Pyramid"

Micro-enablement and Micro-empowerment a la Cell Phone

Frequent Flyer Miles & Carbon Micro Credits: An Analogy

Among a few of the "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" reading this blog, there is a Great Confusion regarding my cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs), which can be used to put any of several forms of hard e-currency or cash DIRECTLY into the hands of poor Individuals in The Developing World.

Again let me say it -- DIRECTLY. With no involvement of middlemen, no intermediaries, no MFIs (micro finance institutions), no bankers, no brokers, no hangers-on, nor other NGO or government officials seeking to "add value" or cravenly craving personal gains for themselves. Zippo for them.

Rather, courtesy of the miraculous cell phone, which even the poorest of the poor have access to in Africa and many parts of Asia, Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) or Carbon Micro Revenue or Carbon Micro Earnings or Carbon Micro Currency -- or whatever future flatulent flattering imitators want to call them -- CMCs can appear magically in the cell-phone accounts of millions of Individuals -- like Manna from Heaven.

For a typical family in Africa using a more efficient charcoal stove (e.g., the Uganda stove), weekly Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) earnings from selling their carbon offsets could amount to US$ 0.40 to over one U.S. dollar. CMCs can be claimed weekly via an SMS message sent wirelessly, which can cost as little as 4 cents in Kenya, for example.

Do you see what I see? -- pharmaceutical margins ! when a poor family DIRECTLY sells their carbon offsets and claims their Carbon Micro Credits via their cell phone or any cell phone owned by an extended-family member or friend:

----->> Weekly Revenue = 40 --> 100 cents.

----->> Weekly Expenses = 4 cents.

----->> Weekly Profit = 36 --> 96 cents/week.

And the weekly fuel savings from using the more efficient stove? -- much more ! -- an additional US$ 1 - 2 / week.

For the so-called Ultra Poor living on US$ 1 - 2 / day or even less, these Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) revenues earned + the fuel savings represent a very LARGE increase in their standard of living.

And the Middleman?

Disintermediated ! -- Or should I spell it? -- Dys-intermediated ? Pity the now-poorer highly-misunderestimated middleman -- now dis-middleman-ated, dismandated, dis-integrated, displaced, dispossessed, financially disemboweled, dissed and disgusted to be dis-employed.

And the unwashed unholy Illicit Brood of the Middleman ? -- namely his children named Graft, Embezzlement, Theft & Usury? The chances of these devious children being spawned are also HUGELY reduced or totally eliminated as speedy and invisible photons deliver Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) earnings DIRECTLY to millions of different, Individually-owned cell-phone accounts.

Have you stolen any worthwhile photons lately ? It is technically possible, but not within the repertoire of 99 % of middlemen and thieves in The Developing World.

Microfinance is only 30 - 35 years old. Over time it will evolve as any paradigm does. Today the smart microfinance practitioner will devise self-funding, self-renewing mechanisms that permanently empower and enable poor Individuals DIRECTLY with no intermediaries involved, and WITHOUT initially indebting them.

Today the astute microfinance apparatchik will work diligently to make his own job obsolete, as any intelligent and reputable consultant does. In sum, he will disintermediate himself permanently from the microfinance food chain. Why? Because, is there ever enough food for everyone in The Developing World ?

And so why does the word "microfinance" mean "loans" or "debt" to almost everyone? Because that's how it started. But now, behold ! -- in this blog a new field, a new non-debt-based micro-paradigm is born, which could be labeled variously as:

----->> MicroRevenue

----->> MicroEarnings

----->> MicroProfit / Micro Profit Sharing

----->> Micro-entrepreneurism

----->> Micro-enablement

----->> Micro-empowerment

----->> Micro-emancipation

----->> Micro-enfranchisement

----->> Micro-disintermediation, or

----->> Micro-disfinance ?

Finally, as noted before in this blog, Carbon Micro Credits are the same as frequent flyer miles. Just as every airline in the world has a frequent-flyer program -- therefore to maximize disintermediation ! -- so every mobile carrier in The Developing World should have a Carbon Micro Credits program. It's that simple.

Moreover, let me ask: Do your frequent flyer miles indebt you? No. Are they immediately worth money, or convertible into valuable goods or services? Yes. Are they tiny in value? Yes, most major airlines sell frequent flyer miles to other merchants (to use as customer incentives), often to credit card companies for example, for around One U.S. Cent. Yes -- one cent. But do all these one cents add up to large amounts eventually? Yes. A free plane ticket to Europe? Several free nights in a 5-star hotel? Yes, one cent at a time.

Ditto should and can apply to Carbon Micro Offsets produced by the Poor. A few cents earned per day will start to keep Poverty away. So why not let cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits or Carbon Micro Offsets DIRECTLY fund the immediate Emancipation of the Poor in the Developing World -- without ever indebting them, and without usurious (excessive) interest burdens?

Very directly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Disintermediationist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

Don't sell the Carbon -- Sell the Sizzle !

2009-01-06T01:11:00.000-08:00

*****

Branding the Carbon Stone ?

Retail Micro-Branding & Micro-Positioning of Carbon Offsets

Branding on the Wholesale/Producer side of Carbon Micro Offsets

"Natural Artesian" Carbon Offsets ?? -- Fiji water did it !

Every Carbon-Micro-Offset a snowflake

Celebrity Endorsements for Carbon Offsets ?

-- The Tiger Woods/Al Gore personal-jet Carbon Offset ?

-- The Britney Spears Global Carbon-Overdose Rehab Center ?

News flash ! -- "Burning Man Festival" buys carbon offsets !

The Coca Cola™ Carbon-Micro-Credit cell phone ?

Don't sell the steak -- sell the sizzle ! -- is a well-known phrase to salespeople in the U.S. In short, don't sell cold uncooked meat, rather, sell a sound associated with atavistic cooking aromas that would light a fire under any Neanderthal's taste buds. Like popping grease, your chances of a sale will explode appetizingly.

In this spirit, if you are a bicycling, tree-hugging registered Democrat in the U.S., would you want to buy cold uncooked carbon offsets scammed up at a methane-capture project on a registered Republican's tax-payer-subsidized pig farm in Iowa? No, rather, wouldn't you love to buy Micro Carbon Offsets democratically produced in Barack Obama's ancestral hometown of Kogelo, Kenya? Or be able to buy Micro Carbon Offsets handcrafted anywhere in Kenya? Wouldn't that be a dandy conversation piece at the next Democratic fund-raising dinner you attend ? Or if you meet the man himself someday? Certainly!

If you're in the marketing dept. at Godiva Chocolate and you're word-smithing an eco-friendly marketing message for your core target market (single, college-educated females 30 - 55 with blazingly white teeth, no lumbar tattoos or body piercings, who live in metropolitan areas), wouldn't it make great sense to offset your corporate carbon footprint by buying Micro Carbon Offsets from the West African nations where your cocoa beans are, perhaps, unsustainably harvested? -- namely, The Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Wouldn't that make Godiva look in tune with the times and socially responsible ? Certainment !

If you're in the advertising dept. at Starbucks and similarly want an eco-sensitive corporate branding message, why not go carbon neutral by buying carbon offsets from the coffee-growing regions of Colombia, Brazil and Indonesia? A perfect touchy-feely win-win branding message that boosts sales in American & Europe and saves Planet Earth -- all in one cup. Plus builds more goodwill for Starbucks in the coffee bean-producing regions where it sources raw product. Grande beango!

And if you're the Environmental Compliance Manager at Arcelor Mittal's steel plant in Bremen, Germany, should you, as an employee of an Indian-owned company, buy your 100s of thousands of tons of carbon offsets each year from just any old place? No, it would seem you should try to purchase permits or offsets produced in India, particularly offsets from the home state of the Mittal family. Wouldn't that impress the CEO and improve your chances for a promotion? Obviously.

Branding of carbon offsets -- viz., creating or sourcing "designer offsets" -- is a new field. But as you see in the examples above, branding and positioning of offsets is a boffo business opportunity during the entire process from offset production to the final sales point. Is it really possible to brand a roundly unsexy industrial commodity such as CO2 or methane?

The best parallel or validation I see for branding of Carbon Micro Offsets is some companies' success with branding of the most abundant and plain-vanilla commodity in the world -- water. For example:

(1) Evian's "natural spring" water
(2) Fiji's "natural artesian water"
(3) Coca Cola's Dasani
(4) Perrier -- or is it just the shape of the bottle that sells it?
(5) Nestle's "Pure Life" & Aquarel brands; and
(6) add your favorite H2O brand here.

Amazing. Package it, position it, market the mystique, and charge a lot for an "exclusive brand" that is often just filtered tap water. So why not do the same with carbon offsets from the Developing World?

Likewise, the evolution over the past 30 - 40 years of 100s of different "brands" of coffee beans from micro-environments or micro-growing regions all over the world is another successful example of branding a commodity. Most of us are too young to know that before the mid-1950s there were no brands of coffee in the world, and coffee was just "coffee" in a plain tin can, no matter where it came from in the world. Imagine the abject poverty of a world with no coffee brands at all? How did people survive?

So as you can see on the web site below, on the retail or micro-retail end, there are already dozens of new companies breaking bulk and positioning & branding offsets or micro offsets:

----->> http://www.carbonoffsetreview.com

Bravo. But in most cases, its not clear from where their offsets originate, and when it is stated on their sites, they don't seem to drill down to the level of the region or company or group or village or individual that originally produced the offset. Vague offset-project descriptions such as "wind farm project in Eastern Europe" or "methane capture project in India" don't inspire brand loyalty nor resonate with end-buyers.

Or, horrors ! -- were the green house gas offsets that you or your company bought really produced by a glue-vapor-reduction project at an unnamed athletic shoe factory in an unnamed Developing Country employing illegal child labor? Or, were the offsets produced by a CO2-reduction project at a Mexican cement plant near the U.S. border that is at the same time polluting the Rio Grande and the water table in Texas with heavy metals? Etc. Etc.

Ugh. How can you really know ?

So as you can see, the reasons for tracking the provenance or origin of Carbon Offsets down to the Micro or Mini level are numerous. Such tracking would allow both the seller and the buyer to gain more value from a sale or purchase of Carbon Micro Offsets. My Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry described in detail in the post below dated November 22, 2008, would allow such fingerprinting and tracking of Carbon Micro Credits or Offsets:

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com/2008/11/carbon-micro-credit-cmc-registry.html

Once implemented, the Registry would also facilitate so-called "perfect price discrimination" -- allowing a group of Poor Individuals selling Carbon Micro Offsets to identify the One customer worldwide that valued their offsets the most. Or nearly so. Of course, some economic "frictions" will always obtain and prevent absolute revenue maximization by sellers. But the Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry could be the database for a global eBay-like auction marketplace that allowed Poor Individuals to eliminate multiple middlemen in the marketing & sale of their individual carbon offsets, or the sale of the collective carbon-offset project of their village or town.

Continuing the discussion on the offset production side on the ground in Africa and Asia, there are many opportunities for major corporations to sponsor carbon-offset origination projects and while so doing extend/expand awareness of, and loyalty to, their brand down to the level of the Individual in the Developing World.

The hypothetical Coca Cola™ Carbon-Micro-Credit cell phone captioned above is one example. Why is there no Coca Cola™ branded cell phone? And why not in the hands of the Upwardly Mobile Poor in Africa so they see the brand name every day of their lives when they claim their daily carbon manna? What strong "fixation", as a zoologist would say, and brand loyalty that would cause! So far the widespread marketing concept of affinity cards or group cards in the credit card world has not yet spread to cell phones, but why not ? It's just a different plastic shell and logo on the outside of the same cell-phone electronics.

Any multinational corporation focused on sales of inexpensive consumer goods like Coca Cola would be wise to embrace sponsorship of Carbon Micro Offset-origination projects in the Developing World. Such companies would include L'Oreal, Nestle, Lever Brothers, Kao, Pepsi, Yum Brands, Procter & Gamble, Lion, Shiseido, Sony, and many others. The Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry will allow companies to easily identify micro-offset projects that meet specific geographic, demographic, philanthropic, product marketing and/or corporate or product brand-building requirements. Companies will be able to micro-target product promotion efforts and build goodwill with the exact target markets most likely to become long-term customers as their earnings potential grows over time, courtesy, initially, of the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC).

Branding of Carbon Micro Offsets is the wave of the Near Future. So don't be surprised if someday soon you find not just any ole plain-cocoa carbon offsets, but, rather, delicious aromatic Colombian Carbon Micro Offsets -- individually hand-picked by Juan Valdez -- in a coffee cup near you.

Think globally & act locally yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon FireBrand
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Non-prophet Corporation

2009-01-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

*****

"The Charities, like Dust"

!! DONATE !! an organ NOW !!

Micro stick-ups and Macro interest rates

26 % !! -- Are U-surious ?

If you visit the web sites of the thousands of non-profit corporations or "charities" in the U.S., you'll note immediately the most prominent feature is a brightly colored button flashing the words: DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! DONATE NOW! -- But how annoying! How annoying! How annoying! How annoying! How annoying!

Secondary come-on's include guilt-inducing pictures of children with cleft palates or empty rice bowls. Or both.

But I challenge America's charities to replace their "Donate Now" buttons with a higher-value-added one flashing: INNOVATE NOW! INNOVATE NOW! INNOVATE NOW! INNOVATE NOW! INNOVATE NOW!

Or IDEATE NOW ! -- Meaning: "Give us a Good Idea! -- instead of cash, for nothing is more valuable than a Good Idea!"

But non-prophets (sic), lamentably, are mostly non-flexible and non-innovative by definition. They do not seek new ideas nor new paradigms. They do not see The Future, sadly. They are often populated by infinite legions of zero-sum thinkers who cannot fathom markets-based solutions nor execute on new Ways of Thinking.

Their lists of staff with job titles including the word "Development" are longer than a Quaker's beard. At first I thought this meant "Economic Development", such as growing the economies of poor African countries...? But no. They mean Develop or increase their membership to increase their own treasury. They mean Develop a higher revenue stream to fund their own organization and salaries & benefits.

And where are sooooo many of these non-prophets and charities located? In New York City -- the American city with the highest cost of doing business. So your donation is funding either their lifestyle or their 50 % tax-bill. Or both. Or they are located in London -- so ditto. Charities should rusticate (move to the countryside) and reduce their cost of doing business. Try Omaha, Nebraska. There are more millionaires there per capita anyway than anywhere else in the U.S. -- sounds like Heaven for a fund-raiser.

And Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)? What does this term mean ? In many cases -->> Macro Stick-ups with a Micro label -- small loans with interest rates sooooo high that they would be termed usurious or usury (illegally high) in the U.S. If the repayment rate on micro finance loans is sooooo high, why are the interest rates also soooo high ? Either due to defaults or non-repayment of principal, or due to high transaction/processing costs for each small loan. Or both. In short, another paradigm that needs INNOVATION and new IDEATION.

But where is Innovation in the microcosm of micro finance? I search diligently with my lantern. In sum, many micro finance institutions should, as their name implies, indeed be duly institutionalized.

And what does the near-term Future hold for both non-profits/charities and for-profit MFIs (Micro Finance Institutions) ?

Hard Times. The world economy will struggle for the next 3 - 5 years, private donations and government grants will decline sharply, default rates on MFI loans will increase greatly, staffs will be right-sized, and the repo man cometh for the lease cars, laptops and lattes.

And this is the upside. Once Israel bombs Iran, which is already carved in stone -- "Never again" -- leading to The Third Gulf War, once oil resumes its march to US$ 200+ per barrel, once the U.S. Dollar collapses, once U.S. Government treasury bonds are downgraded to junk status, once Russia invades ________ (fill in the blank with the name of any 10 countries), once....once...once -- liquidity for the niceties of donations and micro finance loans will swirl around the bottom of the toilet bowl.

And the world dys-economy will flush twice.

And so, will New Ideas and Markets-based, Self-funding Solutions such as the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) described in this blog be the Deus ex Machina (god from out of the machine) that saves the Poor? And, tangentially, saves the charities, non-profits and MFIs that embrace it?

And what other Good Ideas are also before our eyes now but also ignored? Light your lantern and look first under your feet. Then, ask a child for New Ideas. Then inquire earnestly among naïve strangers. Then, like Dilbert, ask your garbage man for advice. The rough and uncouth unencumbered by knowledge and experience often see most clearly.

Warnest personnel retards,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Visionary Missionary
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

P.S.: You can soak up the wisdom of Dilbert and his garbage man here:

----------->> http://www.dilbert.com/

----------->> http://dilbert.com/blog/

----------->> http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/

*****

The All-you-can-eat Micro Carbon Buffet !

2008-12-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

*****

From the Mega Nitrogen Revolution to the Micro Carbon Revolution

The South Beach Diet a la Leningrad

I'll eat my hat if you can guess what this post is about !

If you are lucky enough to be reading this blog, you are most likely a well-fed caloric beneficiary of The Mega Nitrogen Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries. Courtesy of man-made fertilizers produced from ammonia, natural gas and potash, you and your billion+ peers in America, Japan & Europe are unduly-fortunate recipients of calories and protein beyond the comprehension of most residents of today's Developing World.

Are your pants a touch tight? Your skivvies now a wedgie? Is your dress riding up? Your full-capacitance bra now an electrifying double Jack-in-the-box? Is your face full and are your cheeks rosy ? Praise the Lord ! -- you are very well fed !

Now, do me a favor -- if you are reading this blog on a full stomach, sign off now, don't eat for 18 - 24 hours, and then come back.

......tick tock tick tock tick tock.....

......18 - 24 hours later -- are you hungry now ?

If so, you will definitely think more clearly and rationally. Now your priorities are correct -- now you are in the basement of Maslow's Hierarchy.

Welcome ! -- to the "Bottom of the Pyramid" ! -- where the Poor in the Developing World regularly miss meals and go hungry. Hey ! -- why not miss another meal, just to build up an appetite for the dessert of this post? Come back and read this blog tomorrow -- after fasting again.

......tick tock tick tock tick tock.....

Keep trying this routine for weeks, or months, or years. Now you truly feast in the Dungeon of Alimentary Despair. Now you would even eat a mud pie, like the Poor are doing today in Haiti. Hunger is the First Mother of All Invention. Case in point ?

Thirty years ago when I learned Russian at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California, one of my teachers was a Russian émigrée who lived through the German Siege of Leningrad during World War II -- "The 900 Days." In fact, fittingly, as a survivor of the Siege, she was chosen in the early 1970s to translate Harrison Salisbury's book of the same title from English into Russian for distribution (surreptitiously) in the Soviet Union.

How did the residents of Leningrad survive almost 3 years of German siege without food imports? I'll eat my hat if you can guess! No, of course not! -- the dogs and cats were first to go. Silly you. They were eaten looooong ago. Then all the wild animals at the Leningrad Zoo. Then tasty leather goods -- purses, belts and seat coverings -- were cut up, cooked and eaten. Then the starchy glue used to apply wallpaper in houses made a dandy soup, and then, then....

Cannibalism. -- Yes, man ate man, woman and children. Woman ate woman, man and child. And how could you tell the man-eaters from the rank & file starving living on bread and water? She told me -- the cannibals had fuller faces and "rosy cheeks".

Uh-oh......go look in the mirror now. How do you look ? Whose protein have you been eating ? OK, only a cow's ? Only a pig's ? Well, still, how lucky you are! And moreover, how BIG your carbon footprint is! Remember, one Big Mac alone generates about 4.7 pounds of CO2.

So, now, after this experiment, do you still begrudge the Poor in the Developing World their daily Carbon Micro Credit (CMC), whether they were able to earn it or not by NOT cooking with biomass? If mentally and physically you were truly at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" when you read this, TODAY you will start supporting our Crusade to help feed the World's hungry via the MARKETS-BASED, SELF-FUNDING mechanism of the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC). It does not cost you anything, nothing but your Conscience if you do not take action.

The Mega Nitrogen Revolution served you well. Now let the Micro Carbon Revolution set the table well for the next billion, or two or three.

"Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth" -- Ecclesiastes 11:2

"Woe unto you that are full now! for ye shall hunger" -- Luke 6:25

Happily, however, the World will never run out of man-made CO2. So for the next few centuries at least, pull up a chair to the all-you-can-eat carbon buffet. Bone appetit ! [sic].

Hyper-calorically yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Nutritionist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Laws of Nature and Carbon Footprints -- Grrrr !! Growl !! Hissssss !!

2008-12-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

*****

"The Sovereign Individual" as Micro Profit Center

The Right of Eminent Domain versus the Right of Immanent Domain

Carbon Claim Jumpers & Micro Property Rights

The International Micro Social Security Payment

The Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem

"Property Rights are always and everywhere a genetic phenomenon."

Sound familiar? It's a parallel re-statement of Milton Friedman's well-known economic dictum: "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." For centuries natural philosophers and economists have debated the origin of property rights. What are they?

-- (1) a Divine Right from Heaven or God ?

-- (2) the Natural Order of Things = a Law of Nature ?

-- (3) a recent Human Artifact of modern society and law ?

-- (4) something else ?

#2 is most likely -- the natural human proclivity for property rights is genetic. In short, it is programmed by genes and is the human gene expression equivalent of territorial instinct in animals.

Ants, which evolved 120 million years ago, know instinctively to kill other species of ants that invade their territory. Male hummingbirds zealously defend their most fragrant flower patch to the far asymptote of neutral net energy gain. Even dogs, domesticated for thousands of years, like land surveyors, still know instinctively to pee in the corners of their yards. The Spartans knew naturally to resist the incursion of the Persians. And a San Diego man this week instinctively fought off two barbarians who tried to pillage his beer at gunpoint, even taking a bullet in the buttocks to preserve his territorial right to get buzzed.

Another way of defining territorial instincts or property rights in animals? -- it is the physical space containing the minimum caloric or minimum energy content needed to support the animal and its mate (or mates) and offspring. Without this minimum caloric content under its control, the animal will starve to death or undergo gene expression changes unfavorable to its reproductive success (e.g., low sex-hormone levels). In sum, animals instinctively know how much property/space they need to successfully avoid genetic death.

In fact, I predict that scientists will soon identify a single human gene coding for territorial instinct. Counter-intuitively, complex behaviors in animals are often monogenic. Many scientists being male, they will christen the gene -- mi6PaK -- and the gene product or protein -- dysBdZ4u. Or, alternatively -- Hu8miKSO ?

A murine gene-deletion model will result in stoner love-prone mice that happily give away all their pot with no expectation of reward. Thus proving that communal "ownership" of property and communes are unnatural territorial constructs of crackpots and potheads. Parenthetically, this gene, or a splice variant of it and its protein product, may already be known to us as a stress-induced hormone or metabolic (hunger-related) hormone.

Regardless, modern economists and rational thinkers agree that private Property Rights are the fundamental basis of all economic activity and wealth creation. But what do we see happening in the Developing World today? -- corporate carbon carpetbaggers & claim-jumpers and well-meaning but over-weaning NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and charities are exercising de facto eminent domain and unjustly taking the carbon footprints of Poor Individuals for a spectrum of misplaced reasons ranging from the "positive" extreme -- for the communal good -- to the very negative extreme -- for corporate profits.

Yet if the Poor slaving at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" knew the true economic value of their abstract and now-offset footprints, their natural instinct to protect their territory or property rights (let us call it "the Right of Immanent Domain") would certainly be aroused -- Grrrr !! -- it's in their genes! Hence, if the Poor knew, they would autonomously say: "Pharaoh! -- Let my carbon offsets go!"

Our Mission at Carbon Manna Unlimited is to reawaken the Poor worldwide, make them aware that their property rights are being violated, and establish each of them as a Micro Profit Center and "Sovereign Individual" free to monetize the value of their own carbon offsets. The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) described at length in this blog empowers any Poor Individual in Africa or Asia to benefit directly and solely by selling his or her own carbon offsets to the highest bidder in Europe or America.

Are you skeptical? How nice! -- skepticism is the unnatural luxury of a full stomach and a partially empty mind. Rather than be skeptical, be a Renaissance Man and wholistic problem-solver, which is much harder.

As a natural corollary of the discussion above, what is another way to define the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described in earlier posts here ? -- it is the CO2 released per human-being per day by cooking with biomass the daily caloric content Homo sapiens can gather from their genetically-determined range or territory. Or, from the territory they would normally dominate, ceteris paribus, if Planet Earth were not unnaturally over-crowded, as it is sadly today.

The SICMC in the Developing World is guesstimated in posts below as 2 kgs of CO2/person/day. Individuals who qualify under the means-testing formulas described below in this blog should be paid the full retail value of this daily offset if they cook with solar or a more efficient charcoal stove (instead of biomass) -- even if some days a Cruel Providence prevents them from gathering and cooking their minimum daily-required caloric content.

In short, on some days the SICMC instead becomes a form of International Micro Social Security (IMSS) -- a social micro-transfer payment or a social safety-net for the World's poorest Poor. This logical and daily monetary allowance in the range of only 5 - 10 cents/day/person should also be the Natural Order of Things in a now overcrowded and Unnatural World.

As well, whether the SICMC on any specific day is paid for a produced carbon offset or paid partially as a social welfare payment should not matter to carbon project managers and offset accreditation agencies. They should give the Poor the benefit of the doubt. And allow the Poor to receive a Living Wage as compensation for days they could not find or afford enough food to cook. The Poor can then use that Living Wage to go buy food and make up their caloric deficit. And make up their carbon-offset deficit at the same time.

Another way of describing the latter situation is to instead call the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem.

If you are an American, your state congressmen collect per diems while they are in your state capitol ranging from US$ 60 - 200/day -- whether they actually incur any expenses or not. Are they poor and living on only US$ 1 - 2/day ? No, but they still collect this daily free money from taxpayers. If your well-off congressman merits up to US$ 200/day for free, cannot the Poor merit 5 - 10 cents/day/person "for free" on days they are unable to cook adequate food?

Any rational human-being in America or Europe should instinctively realize the economic equity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) and the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem, and likewise recognize the Sanctity of Property Rights in the Developing World, no matter how micro the Property, and no matter how poor the Individual.

Let's all honor micro-property rights worldwide. It's the Law of Nature.

And let's all allow the Poor to eat without being "skeptical". That's the Law of Grace. Can you feel it?

Very territorially yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Geneticist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions

2008-12-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

*****

The World is Fat [ sic ] -- some parts anyway

Would you like flies with that? [ sic ]

Lipodystrophy is maldistribution of an individual's body fat, often caused by disease or treatment of a disease such as AIDS/HIV. But it is also a planetary-wide phenomenon as evidenced by the high obesity rates in America and Europe and the very low body-mass indices that prevail among the poor at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" in the Developing World.

In sum, the world is not flat, but fat. In some parts anyway.

Sadly, the space-time continuum or fabric of Planet Earth is hugely pockmarked and grossly distended by deep gravity wells that mal-accumulate wealth, nutrition and economic opportunity. The deepest of these amoral and unduly wealthy gravity sinks is, of course, Wall Street. At the other extreme, "gravity's rainbow" is almost completely absent on the convex, barren and achromatic plains of Africa.

So what liposuction techniques will equilibrate this global and amoral maldistribution of body fat, dietary protein, caloric intake, income and wealth ? What drastic plastic surgery will dermabrade away the scandalous and hideous stretch marks and cellulite of America and Europe?

As Richard Feynman wrote: "There's plenty of room at the bottom."

The answer to this macro imbalance are the various micro mechanisms and paradigms described in this blog, most of which are based on the ubiquity of the cell phone and the low transaction costs of the fully-electronic networks of mobile carriers. Some of these micro-mechanisms are self-funding and markets-based, requiring no charity but only implementation and moral and political will. These new Micro Revolutions include:

(1) the Carbon Micro Credit (CMC)

(2) the Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)

(3) the School-lunch Carbon-Micro-Offset Program

(4) Micro Property Rights / Micro Private-Property Rights

(5) Micro-tithing / Micro-charity

(6) Micro Loans / Micro Finance

(7) International Micro Social Security

(8) Micro Medicine or Micro-telemedicine

(9) Micro Education or Micro tele-education, and

(10) Micro________ ? -->> You fill in the blank.

Micro mechanisms and micro paradigms such as these, again, based mainly on the globally ubiquitous cell-phone network, could eventually liposuction excess economic fat and surplus nutrition from America & Europe and redistribute it equitably, accountably and efficiently to the Poor in the Developing World.

Will you be part of these Micro Revolutions and take the moral high-ground? Or, rather, would you like fries with that ?

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- written December 25th, 1864.

Merry Christmas -- December 25th, 2008

David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Santa
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC)

2008-12-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

*****

2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- more or less ?

A New Universal Constant

"Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting" ? [ Daniel 5:27 ]

In my November 20, 2008 post below I defined the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) as approximately 2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- the amount of CO2 emitted per day per person by cooking with biomass if a human being is to survive at a subsistence level. This equates exactly, of course, to the carbon offset created by instead cooking with solar, for example.

Sadly, this New Universal Constant probably applies only to a protein-poor diet in the Developing World. If the Poor in the Developing World are actually fortunate enough to experience a more "normal" nutritional composition in their diet and a higher caloric intake, then the SICMC could approach 3 - 4 kilograms of CO2/person/day. Whatever, I leave it to environmental and nutrition scientists to debate the fine points and weigh the issues down to the gram.

Once rigorously defined, the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) should be accepted by all governments, NGOs, and carbon project originators, managers & auditors without debate and equivocation. The Poor are already hungry. We should immediately respect their Micro Property Rights and let them claim already what is rightfully theirs.

So taking into account the average family size in the Developing World (5 - 6 persons...?), the daily value of the Carbon Micro Credits a family could earn by cooking with solar or an efficient charcoal stove is substantial for people living on US$ 1/day. For details, see the calculation down below from one Indonesian study prepared for submission to the U.N. CDM (Clean Development Mechanism).

The revenue a family could earn might range from US$ 40 - 100/year or more, depending on offset market prices in Europe. So what if millions or 10s of millions of families reduced their emissions and claimed their credits every year? Would excess carbon offsets be produced? Would market prices drop? If so, who will be victimized? The Poor in the Developing World? Or rich corporations gaming the U.N.'s CDM scheme ?

The answer in short ? -- the loooooong discussions on Means Testing in my posts below of 26 & 28 November 2008. Let the Poor sell their offsets first and at a higher price. Let the Rich find another financial game to play.

Can the well-fed and often overweight Rich in America & Europe submit to the Rule of Common Sense and the Divinity of Compassion and share the Manna of carbon-offsets trading? Or, will they be weighed in the balances and found wanting?

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

--------------------------------

Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) --

CO2 Emission Calculation

Reference:

"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.
[ authors' full contact info down below ]

An undated PDF document from late 2005 or early 2006...?

This rigorous technical proposal prepared for submission to the U.N. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) states that the average family not cooking with biomass reduces CO2 emissions by 3.5 tons/year. Very similar figures from JPMorgan's British subsidiary Climate Care echo this amount.

So the value of Carbon Credits from using 1 solar cooker/year/family is:

3.5 tons CO2/device/year X $25/ton or credit = $87.50

Based on December 2008 forward contract price from:

http://www.carboncapitalmarkets.com/home.php

Therefore, let's define a Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) for a family as the CO2 saved/day by not cooking with biomass =

(3.5 tons/year x 2,000 lbs/ton)
--------------------------------------- = 19.18 lbs/day of CO2/family
365 days/year

This carbon credit calculation is only for CO2 emitted when burning deadwood or other biomass such as dried grass, cow dung, etc. Of course, an assumption about average family size must be made to find the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) per person.

<<------------------------------------------------------------>>

Reference Details:

"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.

Authors:

Herliyani Suharta
Agency for the Assessment & Application of Technology
The Center for Energy Technology
(BPPT-BBTE)
c/o PUSPIPTEK, Serpong
Tangerang, Indonesia
email: herli@iptek.net.id

Dieter Seifert
Advisor
CDM Solar Cooker Project
Development Germany
email: bdiv.seifert@t-online.de

AAM Sayigh
World Renewable Energy Network
Brighton, U.K.
email: asayigh@netcomuk.co.uk

<<------------------------------------------------------------>>

*****

Carbon Micro Property Rights & the Death of Microfinance

2008-12-21T01:29:00.000-08:00

*****

Will Carbon Micro-Property Rights supplant Microfinance?

Will the Death of Microfinance be greatly exaggerated?

A pan-African sushi buffet ?

Over 1 billion dispossessed ! ?

Has anyone ever asked the question: "Is there really a need for micro-charity and/or microfinance?"

Perhaps not. In short, as described at length in this blog, if the carbon micro-property rights of the Poor in the Third World were respected, and if they could indeed monetize their reduced-carbon footprints by cooking with an efficient Uganda stove and selling their earned offsets, for example, would there be such a need for micro-charity and micro-finance? I venture to say, the need for them both would be reduced 50 - 75 %. Or more.

If the world's NGOs and major governments would just embrace the Common Sense of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described below in detail in my post of November 20, 2008, and engage in a "willing suspension of disbelief" regarding the indisputable fact that human beings do indeed have to eat a certain amount of cooked food every day (or they unwillingly go hungry, in which case the SICMC then becomes a well-merited social-transfer payment), then the need for traditional microcharity and microfinance would be hugely reduced.

Are Africa's one billion people eating sushi every day?

Are they not cooking at home daily with biomass but, rather, dining out at the local McDonald's?

Are they cooking with electric stoves or gas ranges instead of biomass?

Are they fasting 1 or 2 days per week by choice for religious or health reasons?

The answer to all of these foolish questions, of course, is "No!"

But the vast majority of the "intelligentsia" in America & Europe wearing overcoats of subcutaneous body fat doubt the assumption that hyper-low body-mass-index Africans consume food cooked with biomass, and therefore doubt the validity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC). When the topic of Carbon Micro Credits is raised, they repeatedly express "concerns" about "validation" and "fraud", while the Poor in Africa starve, as happened again recently in southern Ethiopia. Lamentably, excessive feeding starves the brain of Common Sense, and the Rich are poor in compassion.

If we respected the Micro-Property Rights of the Poor in the Developing World and enabled them to sell their annual carbon offsets every year for US$ 45 - 100 per family, as well as allowed them to save 20 - 60 % of their daily income by not having to buy expensive cooking fuels or biomass, then they could immediately elevate their standard of living by 25 - 75 %. If so, then the need for both microfinance and micro-charity in the Developing world would be greatly reduced.

If we further compensated Africans at the village-level for reforestation programs, methane-capture projects, and other green house gas-mitigation efforts, the income of the average African could be elevated even further. As written before below, the Rich in the Developed World should let the Poor in the Developing World inherit the carbon markets.

Respecting Carbon Micro Property Rights worldwide would be the beginning of the end for micro-charity, and likewise reduce the role of microfinance. Markets-based solutions are the economic Natural Order of Things. Property Rights are similarly Divine and "self-evident". Remember, "the Poor shall inherit the Earth." Let Rich Stupidity die so they may inherit their rightful Property now.

Warmly & rightfully yours,

David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit in a Time of Famine

2008-12-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

*****

Over-nighting Foreign Aid to Ethiopia by cell phone?

e-Manna / micro-Manna -->> Photons to Food in a Flash

Directly empowering the "Bottom of the Pyramid" to feed themselves immediately

Many of you may have noticed, sadly, this headline below which did not have to be written, but was due to the heinous obstructionism of farm lobbyists in the U.S.:

"Dead Children Linked to Aid Policy in Africa Favoring Americans"

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aU7BLQWMss2k

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20081208/pl_bloomberg/au7blqwmss2k_1

In my post below dated December 13, 2008, I first described "The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit" (FAMC), which could have reduced the 6-month aid-shipment process -- lamentably described in the article above -- down to only a few minutes or hours.

How ? -- just have the appropriate U.S.-based government agency or NGO (non-governmental organization) such as USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) wire a few million dollars to the Central Bank of Ethiopia, which then apportions it among the country's mobile carriers that support SMS-based money transfers. Then transfer the millions of dollars $ 20 at a time directly to cell phones in villages and towns in the famine area, or adjacent areas.

Can starving people eat money or e-money? No, but as written in Ecclesiastes:

"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things" -- Ecclesiastes 10:19.

In short, even in an area of famine, food can be bought, or it would soon be buyable when regions neighboring the famine area learned that the starving people now had cash or e-cash.

What if you don't trust the Central Bank of Ethiopia nor any intermediaries between the U.S.-based agency and the famished on the ground? Then transfer the cash directly from Washington, DC to any cell phone user/owner registered or living in famine area. This is technologically possible today -- see:

"Vodafone, Safaricom and Western Union Announce Partnership to Deliver International Mobile Money Transfers; Pilot Launched between U.K. and Kenya"

Englewood, Colo., London & Nairobi, Kenya, Dec 08, 2008 (Business Wire)

http://ir.westernunion.com/press/releaseDetail.cfm?releaseid=352835

Let me guess? -- You're worried about graft, fraud and "leakages"? Well, now the same things occur 6 months after the food-aid is shipped -- and after the children are already dead. The greatly delayed food is often stolen by Third-World soldiers, government officials, pirates & brigands just a few miles from the mouths of the despairing.

So I ask you, what is easier to steal? -- a ton of rice worth $500 on a truck? Or $500 sent wirelessly from Washington, DC or from a bank in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, $ 20 at a time to 25 different cell-phone owners in the Slough of Despair?

I would bet it is mathematically infinitely harder to steal 25 separate packets of photons going to 25 different numeric destinations compared to stealing one physical truck. Now multiply this scenario by 10,000 or 100,000 e-money transfers to the afflicted region. Would a few cell phone owners in the area with full bellies undeservingly receive an e-money transfer? Of course -- but just consider it the price of building goodwill in Africa for the often-maligned United States of America. "Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days" -- Ecclesiastes 11:1.

Let me guess? -- you suppose there are no cell phones in southern Ethiopia, especially in an area of famine? But there are, and even more so in the surrounding urbanized areas where food could be bought if money or e-money were in the hands of local church groups, charities or NGOs. Africa is home to almost 300 million cell phones, and the penetration rate is over 30%. In sum, access or coverage is not the problem.

American farm lobbyists are the problem.

Write to your congresswoman or congressman today and demand that America's barbaric farm-aid policy be changed immediately. But while you wait for those hearts of glaciers to melt, tell them also about the cell phone-based Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC), which could be implemented immediately.

The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit -- another form of e-Manna to feed Mankind -- courtesy of the cell phone.

Globally & telephonically yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

Civil Disobedience & Carbon-Market Inequities

2008-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

*****

A Carbon Manifesto

Will Carbin Hood return to the Poor their rightful Carbon Offsets?

The Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights revisited

The End Justifies the Means Testing

Carbon-offset trading rules under the U.N./Kyoto Protocol "Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) and other carbon-market regimes have led to a few grossly inequitable projects valued to the tune of US$ 150 - 200+ million/year (no typo) such as the two described in the articles cited below. As written before in this blog, the benefits and monetary rewards of global carbon trading should be pushed down to the "Bottom of the Pyramid" as soon as possible.

Rich companies should not benefit from green-house-gas reduction projects that they should have ethically undertaken anyway for the good of Humankind, as in #1 below. And the carbon-footprint property rights of the Poor in Africa should be respected and not taken without consent, as is happening in #2 below.

Means testing, Fairness testing, Fair Trade Principles and Common Sense must be applied to the U.N. CDM approval process and to other project-monetization regimes to protect the carbon property rights of the Poor, as well as to prevent the unfair flow of more wealth to the already-wealthy.

What Robin Hood-like entities will take back these unjust gains and return them to the Poor? Or what new carbon-market mechanisms will be developed to negate the undue influence of wealthy corporations in the Developed World? Which international NGO or sovereign government will be the first to endorse the Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights written below in the entry of 02 December 2008?

Until these questions are answered resoundingly, I call on all people with Common Sense and a Spirit of Fair Play to resist the implementation of unfair carbon-market mechanisms, and to boycott companies and their products that manipulate the current carbon trading "rules" for unfair gain.

Let the Poor inherit the carbon markets. Let the last now be first, let the "Bottom of the Pyramid" now be the top.

Warmly & fairly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

References:

(1) "Rhodia S. Korea Plant Leads World in Carbon Credits"

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/44463/story.htm

"Laughing Gas: How To Game the Carbon Markets"

http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/07/23/laughing-gas-how-to-game-the-carbon-markets/

(2) "Cooking up carbon credits: By distributing energy-efficient stoves in Africa, JPMorgan Chase aims to reduce greenhouse gases - and increase profits"

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/11/technology/jpmorgan_carbon.fortune/

*****

School-Lunch Carbon-Micro-Offset Program

2008-12-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

*****

Carbon-Micro-Offset School Lunch Program

Elementary education about carbon offsets

Environmentally programming young minds

A nickel a day keeps Dr. Doom away ?

It takes a classroom to adopt a village

How do we teach our children the importance of daily offsetting of their own carbon footprints and the carbon pawprints of their meat-eating pets too? Shazam ! -- the Carbon-Micro-Offset School Lunch Program !

Every day require children in all elementary, middle and high schools in America to buy a micro or nano carbon offset at lunch time to mitigate the green-house-gas emissions caused by producing their own food -- not to mention the emissions from their own diesel-powered school bus.

How about 5 cents payable per child per day? As noted before below in an earlier post, the carbon footprint of a single Big Mac is almost 5 lbs of carbon -- which today would cost about 5 - 8 cents on the European Climate Exchange.

The 5 cents per day per child could be aggregated by each classroom or each grade level in a school, and then used to buy micro or nano carbon offsets from any of the dozens or hundreds of retail green-house-gas offset providers listed on this very useful and educational web site:

--- http://www.CarbonOffsetREVIEW.com

--- [ Carbon Offset Review ]

Many thanks to fellow blogger Olliegator for pointing this site out to me.

In essence, each classroom or grade level in a school could support a cause or microfinance project somewhere in the world that resonated with the children -- a solar-cooking project in a village in Africa, a reforestation project in Brazil, a methane-capture project in Indonesia, and so on. Whether you believe in global warming or not, this exercise would at least teach all children in America the importance of charity and something more about world geography.

Come January, why not write to the new Secretary of Education in Washington, DC, and why not write now to your own state's and local school district's equivalents, and propose your own statewide or local Carbon-Micro-Offset School Lunch Program ?

Teach your children well, "for they shall inherit the Earth".

Warmly & elementarily yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

Toying with Planet Earth -- Ho! Ho! Ho! -- ??

2008-12-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

*****

Honey ! -- I shrunk the Yule Log !

Carbonized Roasts of Christmas Past ?

Toys' carbon footprint: The gift that gives for centuries

In the spirit of the Holidays, let us ask where are the toys that will teach our children and grandchildren to love Planet Earth ?

I suppose they exist, but after a recent trip to the local toy store and after scanning the extensive toy ads from the Sunday paper here in San Diego, I can only assume they rarely escape from Santa's workshop. Or, perhaps Santa's North Pole workshop is now underwater, sadly?

As another climate-insensitive barometer...? -- a recent list of Top-10 toys from a supposedly savvy American nonprofit group, which they judged to be very cool for kids and good buys for parents, contains not a single toy with any global warming- or recycling-related content or meaning. Dumb and dumber.

Hence, to rectify the collective oversight of the American toy industry, here below I list my own Top-20 suggestions for toys, board and video games to teach our children well that carbon footprints are not left in sand, but in concrete -- forever:

(1) Carbie Doll cooks with solar !

(2) Carbon Capture Cowboys corral beef-eaters !

(3) Let's Play Greenhouse Gas !

(4) Grand Theft Carbon Footprint !

(5) Global Warming Sea-level Simulation Kit

(6) Guess that Extinct Species !

(7) Hot Topics in Global Warming !

(8) Name that Carbon Offset Scam !

(9) Cloning around with today's New Dinosaurs

(10) 1st-person Carbon Looter Video Game !

(11) Continental Desertification in 10 easy steps !

(12) Septic tank Methane-capture home-lighting kit !

(13) Whack-a-Coal-fired Power Plant !

(14) Pinocchio Swears he Really Produces Offsets !

(15) Thomas the Tank Engine™ ditches Coal, goes Nuclear !

(16) Curious George™ inhales Nitrous Oxide !

(17) Solar Power Rangers™

(18) Edible carbon-based Beanie Babies™

(19) Winnie the Pooh™ home-brew organic gardening kit, and, finally

(20) Street-legal U.N. Clean Development Mechanism Cashectomy Kit !

Whether you believe in global warming or not, it's probably best to teach our children to leave Planet Earth just like God made it, without modifying His original atmospheric recipe tooooo much. Therefore, all toys sold today should carry labeling describing:

-- (1) the carbon footprint that resulted from their manufacture, and how this was or was not offset (don't buy the latter)

-- (2) the percentage content and origin of recycled materials, and

-- (3) directions for later disposing of or recycling the toy to further minimize its carbon footprint.

Vote with your holiday dollars today by only buying environmentally-sensitive toys. Low carbon-footprint toys will be a gift not just for your children, but for all future generations of children too. Once carbon is released into the atmosphere, it will linger there for centuries. Consider deeply today your environmental legacy 50 - 100 years hence. Will your great grandchildren really enjoy their beach-front home in Gainesville, Florida, or will they wonder why Great Grandpa ate 16-ounce steaks every Sunday and stuffed himself and the atmosphere with CO2 ? Not to mention the @%$&load of methane both he and the cows made along the way.

There's still 11 days left until Christmas. It's not toooo late to change your shopping list -- and your carbon footprint !

Happy holidays ! Ho! Ho! Ho!

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)

2008-12-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

*****

Delivering Foreign Aid directly to "The Bottom of the Pyramid" via Cell Phone

A Micro Foreign Aid system to avoid graft, fraud & bribery -- I've been Madoffed !!

While promoting the Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) concept described in detail in the many posts below, I continue to hear foolish rich people in the Developed / First World voice complaints that poor Individuals in the Developing / Third World will game the CMC system to steal 15 or 25 cents a day. The horror !

OK, let's micronize or apply our intellectual electron microscope to another parallel situation -- Foreign Aid -- which is FREE money given by the Developed / First World to the Developing / Third World.

What happens with Foreign Aid so often? -- it disappears into the black holes of graft, fraud, embezzlement and bribery as the money passes through multiple bureaucratic choke-points in foreign governments and NGOs. Moreover, foreign aid is often stolen in amounts of 100s of thousand or millions of dollars at a time -- poof ! -- gone in a few minutes.

So how could these HUGE financial "leakages" be avoided ? And how could donor countries be more sure their funds actually ended up at "The Bottom of the Pyramid"? Again, as with the Carbon Micro Credit, the answer is the cell phone. That is, cell phones in the hands of millions of poor Individuals in 1,000s of villages and cities in the target country.

Let's say Japan, one of the world's top Foreign Aid donors in terms of absolute aid size, but small in terms of its GDP, plans to give U.S.$ 1 billion in untied foreign aid to Tanzania, one of the world's poorest countries. With a population of 40 million, that means each Tanzanian -- man, woman & child -- should receive about US$ 40.00.

As part of the grant, the Japanese cell phone makers Sharp, Kyocera, Panasonic, DoCoMo and Sanyo agree to provide simple cell phones to the program for only US$ 20 each -- their manufacturing cost -- plus in exchange for tax-breaks from the Japanese government. 10 million phones are needed for the 40 million people (assume 4 people/family). That leaves US$ 800 million for the 40 million Tanzanians or about US$ 20 per person or US$ 80/family.

Mobile carriers operating in Tanzania such as Mobitel MIC, Vodacom Tanzania, Celtel and Zantel agree to split up/share the 10 million new phones/accounts and assign telephone numbers to the 10 million phones -- and why not ? -- in one stroke they each gain a few million new customers courtesy of Japanese foreign aid. And new customers with money too.

Next, Japan wires the US$ 800 million to the central bank of Tanzania, which then shares the funds pro-rata with the mobile carriers that assigned the telephone numbers to the phones. The carriers credit each new account with US$ 80 (perhaps less a small set-up fee...?).

The phones are distributed throughout Tanzania by NGOs, charities, church groups and the postal system. Each phone comes "pre-loaded" with US$ 80 (US$ 800 million / 10 million phones = US$ 80), so the most money that could "disappear" at one time is only this small amount. This contrasts with many cases where millions or billions of dollars of foreign aid have suddenly vanished with no trace. E.g., Iraq.

Once the phones are distributed, each individual/family can withdraw the money or transfer it to another party using a cell-phone-based SMS funds-transfer system such as Safaricom's M-PESA network in Kenya.

In sum, this foreign-aid example above rapidly creates 10 million new ATMs in Tanzania and provides 10 million microfinance grants (not loans) to every family in the country. It also provides Tanzania with a new/additional monetary base or money supply of US$ 800 million (or the equivalent amount in Tanzanian Shillings) that should experience an economic multiplier effect as it is invested or spent.

Moreover, the distribution process of the foreign aid funds is very straight-forward and easy to audit. It is highly unlikely in this example that millions of dollars could disappear via graft in a few minutes. Yes, theft rates of cell phones in Tanzania would probably increase, but if each cell phone's account is password-protected, thieves could not also steal the credit/money in the phone's account at the mobile carrier.

For families in Tanzania living on US$ 1 - 2 / day, to suddenly have an additional US$ 80 to invest/spend, plus to suddenly own a cell phone that could also serve the functions of tele-education / microeducation, telemedicine / micromedicine and telecommerce / microcommerce, must certainly spawn a rapid and miraculous transformation of Tanzania's economy and society.

Once again, the cell phone is the Solution.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Key words: Foreign Aid Nano Credit / Foreign Aid Nanocredit / Foreign Aid Microcredit / Supersizing Foreign Aid / Homogenizing Foreign Aid / Foreign Aid Democratized / Micro Foreign Aid / Micronizing Foreign Aid / Foreign Aid Direct / TeleMicroFinance / Tele-microfinance / Foreign Aid Inside / Tele-foreign Aid / Foreign Tele-Aid

*****

"Caution: Inhaling Green House Gases May Be Hazardous to Your Health"

2008-12-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

*****

The next Surgeon General's warning not to breathe the air?

Warning! Warning! Danger! Danger! -- Carbon approaching! Carbon approaching!

Anyone in their 50s or older will remember when in 1965 the Surgeon General's office issued a warning that tobacco smoking was dangerous. To young children at the time, it sounded quite scary, especially if your parents or older relatives smoked. The proclamation probably prevented 100s of thousands or millions of American children from becoming smokers -- and from emitting 100s of thousands of tons of tobacco-derived green house gases into the atmosphere the past 40+ years (not to mention).

So what government or NGO proclamation about Global Warming will shock the current young generation into action against worldwide climate change? Who or what group will write and issue such a skull & crossbones galvanizer to wake up our children? Where is it? And if it were written, how would it read? Here's suggested wording:

<<<<<< ----- >>>>>> <<<<<< ----- >>>>>> <<<<<< ----- >>>>>>

"Warning! -- Emitting or Inhaling the Green House Gases CO2, CH4, N2O, CF4 and others May Be Hazardous to Your Planet's Atmosphere & Your own Health. Not purchasing carbon offsets to match your carbon footprint, or not actively reducing your carbon footprint, may lead to end-stage global warming, metastatic species extinctions worldwide, and a clinically significant reduction of your own lifespan."

<<<<<< ----- >>>>>> <<<<<< ----- >>>>>> <<<<<< ----- >>>>>>

Well, perhaps we should all contact the Surgeon General's office and suggest such a next-generation warning against this daily health threat to every American child? -- and against every Citizen of the World too. Such a label should be printed on every energy-intensive product whose footprint is not negated by matching offsets. Or, issued in conjunction with the performance of any service with an excessive carbon footprint.

Take action today to make sure your children don't grow up smoking the atmosphere. Just say "No!" to carbon.

Huskily & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

Reference: The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-92)

*****

GRAND CHALLENGES of CARBON MICRO CREDITS

2008-12-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

*****

A to-do list for Mankind's Journey to Carbon-Offset Enfranchisement

(1) Low-cost Carbon-Micro-Credit Cell Phone:

Produce a Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) cell phone with all the features described in the post below of 26 November 2008 for a manufacturing cost of less than US$ 20.00.

(2) Determine the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC):

Quantify exactly the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described in detail in the post below dated 20 November 2008, now guesstimated at 2 kilograms of CO2/person/day, such that rich foolish people in the Developed World no longer believe that Individuals living on less than US$ 2.00/day don't deserve to earn 15 - 25 cents/day for their carbon offsets.

(3) Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) as physical constant:

Lobby major carbon-credit buyers, project originators, auditors, NGOs and governments to build a consensus to accept the SICMC as a valid universal standard, just as standard as traditional units of measure such as the kilogram or Planck's constant.

(4) The International Carbon Micro Credit Registry:

Develop a global Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Registry or end-to-end tracking system described in detail in the post below dated 22 November 2008 that permits retail carbon-offset buyers to identify the Individual in the Developing World who produced the offset.

(5) The Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Operating System (O.S.):

Write the code in Linux or another open-source programming language for a platform-agnostic CMC O.S (Operating System) that easily installs on the computer systems of most mobile carriers worldwide.

(6) Free Trade Zone status or Permanent Tax Holiday for CMCs:

Build universal agreement among all governments worldwide that CMCs shall not be taxed, blocked, confiscated nor otherwise encumbered at all stages of their creation, bundling, marketing, sale or conversion to an alternate currency such as cell-phone minutes, e-currency or cash.

(7) Unified Field Theory of Carbon-Offset Means Testing:

Build worldwide consensus that the carbon offsets of Individuals produced in the Developing World take precedence in valuation and sale over any other offsets.

(8) Breaking Bulk / Getting Granular / Thinking small:

Build consensus among carbon offset retailers and green house gas (GHG) exchanges worldwide to distribute and sell CMCs in any quantity, no matter how small.

(9) Thinking BIG:

Implement the Carbon Micro Credit system in the Developing World to individually empower and enrich at least 50 million people by 2015, 100 million by 2020, and 250 million by 2025.

(10) MicroMedicine and MicroEducation:

Organize and promote the analogous micro-fields of MicroTeleMedicine and MicroTeleEducation that are also immediately enabled by today's existing installed cell-phone base and telecommunications infrastructure.

(11) Carbon Nano Credit & Carbon Pico Credit:

Conceive, build a framework for, and implement the Carbon Nano Credit (CNC) and Carbon Pico Credit (CPC) -- the next generations of carbon micro credits. "There's plenty of room at the bottom" [Richard Feynman].

Grandly & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

*****

The CARBON FOOTPRINT BILL of RIGHTS

2008-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

*****

Carbon Offset Magna Carta Libertatum

Hammurabi's Carbon Code of Conduct

Today in the Developing World the carbon offsets of poor individuals are often wrongly appropriated and sold at a profit by corporations or others purporting to operate for the Common Good, or just for their own Uncommon Greed. But even in the 1200s common sense and fair play were obvious to the writers of the Magna Carta in these clauses dealing with:

"Anti-corruption and fair trade:

Clauses 28 to 32 state that no royal officer may take any commodity such as grain, wood or transport without payment or consent...

Clause 35 sets out a list of standard measures..." [Wikipedia.org]

So how is it that almost 800 years later the same basic tenets of fairness are being violated again?

Carbon offsets are a new commodity such as the grain and wood mentioned above, apparently free for the taking by avaricious companies until a new carbon Magna Carta is written to stop them.

As well, a new 21st century "list of standard measures" must be writ to include The Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described in the post down below of 20 November 2008.

And a new carbon proclamation must be made to protect the Rights of the Poor, to wit:

---------- The CARBON FOOTPRINT BILL of RIGHTS ----------

(1) Individuals in the Developing World are sovereign and own their carbon footprint, which shall not be appropriated without due process, written consent and markets-based compensation.

(2) The carbon footprint of Individuals shall not be appropriated by NGOs (non-governmental organizations), charities, governments, corporations or other individuals claiming to operate for the Common Good or Greater Good.

(3) Individuals who reduce their carbon footprint shall have the right to monetize the reduction amount for at least 5 years.

(4) In the family setting, Women shall have an equal say in the monetization and disposition of the family's carbon offsets.

(5) Likewise, the proceeds of offset monetization shall benefit all members of the family equally, including Children & Women.

(6) Parents are responsible for protecting and monetizing the carbon offsets of their minor children.

(7) Where multiple options exist, Individuals shall have the freedom to monetize their carbon offsets in a manner of their own choosing.

(8) When an Individual's carbon offsets have been wrongly taken, the international courts of law shall rectify the taking and make whole the Individual's lost benefit, with interest.

(9) Individuals shall have precedence in the sale of their carbon offsets in markets worldwide, ranking above the interests of corporations, NGOs, governments and charities.

(10) The principles and spirit of "Fair Trade" and a "Living Wage" shall apply to the marketing and sale of the offsets of Individuals.

(11) The production and sale of offsets of Individuals shall be more highly valued by Society than entities having greater means, including charities, NGOs, governments and corporations.

(12) Individuals shall be free to convert their carbon offsets to any equivalent "coin of the realm" or international or electronic currency, or currency proxy. Such conversions, and the original carbon offsets earned, shall not be taxed nor otherwise encumbered by governments.

(13) Individuals, with the unanimous consent of their family members above the age of majority, shall be free to transfer their carbon offsets, or the corresponding monetary benefit, to any third party of their choosing.

(14) The monetary benefits of carbon-reduction projects targeting the Public Commons shall be shared equally with Individuals living in or near The Commons.

(15) Individuals shall not be allowed to offset their carbon footprints if the net result is a systems-level increase in greenhouse gases.

(16) More advantaged Individuals in the Developed World shall not unduly seek compensation for their carbon offsets to the economic detriment of Individuals in the Developing World.

(17) Individuals of means in the Developed World have a moral obligation to reduce their carbon footprint for the benefit of Mankind and their own children without seeking compensation.

---------- End of The CARBON FOOTPRINT BILL of RIGHTS ----------

The Carbon Micro Credit monetization concepts documented in this blog along with existing cell-phone technology completely empower and enfranchise the Sovereign Individual in the Developing World to directly benefit from their own carbon offsets. Hence, let the Age of Carbon Offset Property Rights begin.

Magnanimously & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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CARBON MANNA

2008-12-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

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Carbon Micro Credits -- the Daily Bread of the Developing World

Some people have asked why is the URL for this blog CarbonManna ?

"Manna is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert until they reached Canaan" [Wikipedia]. Manna fell from the sky every evening or night and was deposited on the the rocks and vegetation. It was scrapped off every morning for 40 years while the Israelites wandered in the desert seeking the Promised Land.

Likewise, daily Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) will be the manna that helps feed the Poor while wandering in the Desert of the Developing World. And even so, their ascension from living in Poverty on less than US$ 2 per day will most likely also take 40 years, sadly.

Some biblical scholars have speculated that manna was a carbo-hydrate that formed each evening due to special atmospheric conditions in the Sinai Desert during the time of Moses, just as rice, bread, potatoes or corn are carbon-based foods or carbohydrates. If so, it is ironic then that the non-emission of other carbon-based compounds -- the green house gases CO2 and CH4 (methane) -- may now once again be the daily gift that will feed the world's Poor.

Carbon Micro Credits -- the Daily Bread of the Developing World.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

P.S.: You can read more about manna here:

---------- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna

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The Carbo or Karbo -- the First Global Hard Currency?

2008-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

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The Carbon Micro Credit -- The Gold Standard of the Developing World

CARBON SAVINGS & LOAN

The PEOPLE'S CENTRAL CARBON BANK

The CARBON TRUST BANK -- In Carbon We Trust

"This Carbon is Legal Tender for All Debts, Public & Private"

Carbon Micro Credits, transmutable into e-gold, e-money, local currency, or cell phone minutes, could become the Euro of Africa and other regions of the Developing World. Unlike paper fiat currencies that governments invariably inflate to blow away state debts, cell phone-based Carbon Micro Credits are not inflatable for several reasons: First, they can only be produced and earned daily in a fixed quantity. Second, the participating mobile carriers would never inflate minute allocations and thereby overload their networks. Third, the original buyer of the bundled Carbon Micro Credits has only paid for the issuance of a fixed amount of credits, which likewise fixes the minutes allocated.

Through these checks & balances, Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) and their equivalent value in cell phone minutes (or other e-currencies) will serve as a fungible store of value and trade that transcends national boundaries. These non-governmental non-debaseable electronic doubloons will form a non-inflatable currency pool that renews itself daily.

Moreover, through cell phone-based money transfer systems such as Safaricom's M-PESA or Obopay.com, CMCs/cell minutes could be converted to a cash equivalent and withdrawn at any participating store or bank in Africa. There is no reason why not, seen as the bundled CMCs were originally pre-sold and a portion of the cash paid to the mobile carrier performing the back-office accounting and conversion -- refer to the 2nd post at the bottom of this Blog entitled "Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Flow of Funds" (26 Oct 2008).

A few African countries such as Zimbabwe are now experiencing inflation or hyperinflation due to currency debasement -- or "printing their way to prosperity". Many other countries rely on circulating off-shore stores of U.S. dollars as a "hard" currency; however, the US$ is projected to experience its own collapse or severe depreciation in 2009 - 2010 due to excessive U.S. Government deficit spending. Therefore, Africa needs its own pan-continental currency as a long-term store of value, and to facilitate cross-border trade.

As well, the African people need their own People's Central Bank that issues and stores a currency that cannot be corrupted by government -- Carbon Micro Credits issued and stored at transnational mobile carriers such as MTN and Safaricom would be a synthetic equivalent -- a virtual African Carbon Savings & Loan, and the Carbon Micro Credit could be its Roman denarius or Greek decadrachma, to name two universal stores of value and trade that served Mankind well for centuries.

Gold has a universal value or readily identifiable market price anywhere on planet Earth. In view of global warming, likewise, a carbon-based currency should have universal value in any land. Eventually the disparate cap & trade, carbon tax regimes, and green house gas trading exchanges worldwide will coalesce, and the market price of a carbon offset or carbon permit (one metric ton of CO2 emissions) will, like gold, have a specific recognized market price anywhere.

In short, a global carbon offset-backed currency could appear -- let us call it the Carbo or Karbo, or Crbo or Krbo -- and a Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC = 2 kilograms of CO2/day/person) would just be 1/500th of this universal currency.

The Carbo / Karbo would transcend all national borders in its electronic forms -- the e-Carbo / e-Karbo, and be "Legal Tender for All Debts, Public & Private" worldwide.

Finally, because emission reductions efforts will take decades and because reduction of absolute concentrations of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere will take centuries, and because the supply of CO2 credits/emissions will be constrained, just as the supply of gold is constrained, the Carbo / Karbo should be a store of value for 100s of years.

Caesar would be proud.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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The Coming Carbon-Credits Cambrian Explosion

2008-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

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The Imminent Carbon Offsets Bubble

"Would you like a carbon credit with your fries?"

With the incoming Obama administration, with an impoverished Wall Street desperately seeking bonuses in the Dust Bowl of The Great Credit Crunch, and with a global-warming tipping point looming in the offing, we will soon experience a Carbon-Credits Cambrian Explosion of unimaginable scale.

How BIG will the Carbon Credit Bubble become ?

So BIG that Hollywood stars living in Santa Barbara will agree to CO2 sequestration projects in their backyards and claim carbon credits. So BIG that mid-west farmers will tape vibration-activated ignition devices to the butts of their cows to flare methane emissions and then claim carbon credits. So BIG, restaurant chains will stop serving baked beans and file claims for green-house-gas emission reductions.

So BIG, crematorium owners will shut down, become total deadbeats and live off their claimed carbon offsets. So BIG, Detroit auto execs will fly first-class instead of using private corporate jets and then claim carbon credits. So BIG, fast-food chains will offer you uncooked fries and the opportunity to buy a matching nano carbon offset.

So BIG your stockbroker, who by definition makes you broker, and your insurance agent will be calling to sell you:

-- (1) Carbon-backed Securities

-- (2) Carbon Default Swaps

-- (3) Collateralized Carbon Obligations

-- (4) Carbon Sequestration Annuities

-- (5) Individual Carbon Retirement Accounts

-- (6) Carbon Cancer Insurance

-- (7) Carbon Burial Insurance

-- (8) Catastrophic Global Warming Insurance

-- (9) Methane Explosion Liability Insurance

-- (10) Carbon offset hedge funds, and, it follows logically:

-- (11) Carbon offset hedge funds of funds.

So BIG.......well, you get the picture.

And in the face of this menagerie of beastly offsets from the Rich Countries of the World, how will Carbon Micro Credits from Africa and Asia fare ? Will they find a market at a living wage ? Is there indeed a Carbon Santa Claus for the deserving Poor in the Developing World ? Or will the Rich in the Developed World game the system to make the lease payments on their Jaguars and Escalades ?

The answer really depends on YOU. Spread the Word today about cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits and the superior merit of carbon offsets produced by poor INDIVIDUALS and FAMILIES in the Developing World living on less that US$ 1 - 2 per day. Carbon Micro Credits are daily manna from Heaven for the Poor. Make sure they stand at the front of the line wherever carbon offsets are sold.

Globally & warmly yours,

David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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Flipping over Pharaoh's Pyramid

2008-11-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

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"But many who are first will be last, and the last, first" [Matthew 19:30]

Shortening the Long Tail ?

Means Testing for Carbon Credit Originators -- Vol. II

"Let them eat carbon!"

As implementation of the Carbon Micro Credit system approaches mega scale, the worldwide supply of carbon credits may grow faster than demand. What happens then ? Will a supply glut reduce price below marginal production cost, leading to no material gains for micro-originators? Will the Poor at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" be told there is no market for their laboriously-produced Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) ?

No, rather, Means Testing should be applied to all producers or originators of carbon credits worldwide, and their produced credits graded or assigned a relative valuation according to social merit and redeeming value to Mankind. And the largest relative economic gains should flow to the most needy.

In short, the last should be first, and the first, last. The bottom shall become the top, and the top, the bottom. Or, to quote Karl Marx: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need". Let the better educated in Developed Countries, or those in more developed "Developing Countries" fend for themselves. Rich pharaoh's pyramid shall be flipped over.

Hence, the current dichotomy under the Kyoto Protocol of "Developed" country versus "Developing" country-of-origin should be expanded to multiple levels of development and relative valuation, such as, from the most-valuable carbon credits to least:

-- (i) DevelopING Credits - Platinum -- relative valuation = 1.0

-- (ii) DevelopING Credits - Gold -- relative valuation = 0.9

-- (iii) DevelopING Credits - Silver -- relative valuation = 0.8

------------------

-- (iv) DevelopED Credits - Nickel -- relative valuation = 0.4

-- (v) DevelopED Credits - Copper-- relative valuation = 0.3

-- (vi) DevelopED Credits - Zinc-- relative valuation = 0.2

Such a hierarchy of rankings could be applied to countries as a whole, or to specific projects from within any country. The Relative Valuations would deflate or discount excessive supply from Developed Countries or large corporations in any country whose projects perhaps border on failing a test of Additionality anyway.

The Carbon Micro Credit Registry (CMC Registry) described in detail in an earlier post below will allow for end-to-end tracing of Carbon Micro Credits and ensure that like credits are bundled together, or, analogously -- that Champagne really is made from grapes from Champagne -- and not from Normandy or Brittany. Or, that AAA-rated mortgages are not bundled with sub-prime loans.

As Greenland becomes a big Bermuda, as the Northwest Passage becomes the Northwest Ocean, as Antarctica's ice shelves break off and float to The Falklands -- suddenly raising sea levels 1 - 3 inches in few years -- the entire world will get religion and start producing 100s of millions of tons of carbon credits via 1,000s of different programs.

A Carbon Cambrian Explosion will result courtesy of Wall Street and carbon gold diggers worldwide. Supply will exceed demand, including both voluntary and legislated demand. Who then should be first in line to sell their carbon credits, and at what price? Will the Poor eat carbon, like the mud pies in Haiti?

"But many who are first will be last, and the last, first" [Matthew 19:30]

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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Microfinance X.0 -- An Extreme Makeover

2008-11-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

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Generation X Microfinance

The Linux O.S. for Microfinance

Super-sizing Microfinance -- "Over 1 billion served" ?

Strategic Microfinance Initiative

The cell phone is THE Solution

How can microfinance rapidly address the immediate needs of "the Next Billion"? Rather thank just a few million people?

The Next Generation of Microfinance must embrace for-profit Free Enterprise, as well as Star Wars-caliber thinking a la Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Therefore, the main characteristics of Microfinance X.0 will be:

(1) Scales RAPIDLY to 10,000s or 100,000s of families in the Developing World due to consistent SOPs (standard operating procedures), accepted international standards (e.g., the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit & Carbon Micro Credit Registry described in earlier posts below), and parsimony / simplicity

(2) Self-funding, self-regenerating and markets-based via Carbon Micro Credits or another perpetual funding mechanism; No charity is required

(3) It must be based on an inexpensive device or technology platform that ALREADY exists in situ (in place) in the 100s of millions or billions of units. This means the cell phone or mobile. There's no other "solution"

(4) Open source code and completely public domain -- no proprietary systems, software nor equipment, no secret sauce or know-how, no control by any single company, bank, NGO or charity -- in short, the Linux operating system (O.S.) of Microfinance

(5) The only control or referee ? -- one small, non-profit standards-setting group/body that RAPIDLY defines the the SOPs, measures and international standards described below in this blog

(6) Accomplishes multiple goals at once including:

-- (i) MicroEducation

-- (ii) MicroMedicine or public health, and

-- (iii) mitigating global warming.

The current focus is mainly on poverty elimination only; and, finally

(7) No egos involved, no looooong self-laudatory bio's and no "Donate Now" buttons on web sites, no CPU-intensive flash routines on web sites targeting viewers in the Developing World, and no resourceless non-profit minds with zero-sum thinking.

Microfinance X.0 is the roadmap for enfranchising the "Next Billion". Let's free microfinance from the shackles of charity and a poverty of imagination.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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Means Testing for Carbon Credit Originators?

2008-11-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

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Means Testing for Carbon Offset Originators ?

The Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) as widow's mite ?

Can carbon offsets roll downhill ?

Carbon Trading -- a USD/US$ 100 billion market by 2010

Out of Africa ? And back into Africa ?

"The World Bank estimates that the size of the carbon market was USD 11 billion in 2005, USD 30 billion in 2006, and USD 64 billion in 2007" [Wikipedia.org]. Various sources estimate the global carbon trading market to reach the nice-round number of USD 100 billion by the nice-round date of 2010.

No wonder this carbon honey-pot has attracted 100s of carbon carpetbaggers, carbon gold diggers and financial opportunists from the rich nations of our Developed World. So how long before we see these gems of Wall Street engineering appear on the carbon trading scene ?

(1) CBS = Carbon-backed Securities ?

(2) CDS = Carbon Default Swaps ?

(3) CCO = Collateralized Carbon Obligations ? -- and

(4) Carbon offset hedge funds ?

They're coming to a brokerage near you sometime soon, sadly.

In great contrast, the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs) described in this blog, which are produced on the ground in the Developing World by solar cooking or by other real activities of poor individuals, are the pennies saved in a child's piggybank and the widow's mites given at the temple.

Such offsets should have greater market value than those produced by major corporations in China, India and South Korea by means of stretching the bounds of the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), e.g., by reducing NO2 emissions at a chemical plant, which should have been done ethically anyway with no reward at all of CDM carbon credits.

In short, the entire carbon credit / offset field should implement means testing, such that carbon credits are awarded from the Bottom of the Pyramid upwards. Now, carbon credits are given to the rich or middle-class at the Top or Middle of the Pyramid. But the Bottom has the greatest need, and ethically their offsets should be sold first and at higher rates/ton.

But how do we make carbon credits roll downhill -- and reliably identify their origin ? Consistent and broad implementation of the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) system will eventually pull carbon credits downward to their rightful resting place in the hands of the world's most deserving people. In parallel, however, major nations, leagues of nations, NGOs, charities and influential opinion leaders worldwide should lobby for this transformative reallocation of the rewards of the carbon-trading industry.

The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit system described here makes it all possible today.

USD 100 billion for Wall Street bonuses ?

Or USD 100 each for 1 billion needy people in Africa ?

You decide.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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The Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Cell Phone

2008-11-26T02:28:00.000-08:00

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The Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Cell Phone

Supersizing Micro-finance, Micro-medicine & Micro-education

The Carbon Phone / CO2phone / CO2fon for "The Long Tail"

The Carbon Mobile / Carbon mobi / CO2mobi for "The Bottom of the Pyramid"

What features would the perfect cell phone or CO2fon have to permit easy monetization of the carbon footprints of the Poor in the Developing World? That is, to supersize microfinance to the scale of "Over 1 billion served"?

Plus, what features should it have to fulfill the ancillary objectives of:

(A) Telemedicine

(B) Tele-education and

(C) an Emergency Broadcast System for national disasters?

In short, to supersize the analogous fields of micromedicine and microeducation?

Such a carbon mobile would have:

(1) One-button dialing to send an SMS message (Short Message Service) to the local mobile carrier to claim one's daily Carbon Micro Credit (CMC)

(2) One-button access to see one's daily balance (credit or debit) of CMCs or equivalent cell-phone minutes or equivalent cash/local currency or non-inflatable e-gold

(3) the GSMA / ETSI-endorsed Single-Wire Protocol to allow an embedded NFC (Near Field Communication) chipset to communicate with wireless / no-contact readers to enable a variety of e-credit & e-debit transactions to access cash, make deposits or buy goods at local stores

(4) SMS reception capability that cannot be blocked to allow broadcast of public health messages, such as upcoming vaccine campaigns or outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Marburg, Ebola, dengue, malaria, hanta or Yersinia pestis (the plague).

(5) a built-in FM radio for the same reason in #4 above. Many Nokia phones have such built-in FM radios, thus making a cell phone-radio combo the ultimate "push" device for objectives A - C above -- telemedicine, tele-education and national emergencies

(6) a large, multi-script-capable, versatile screen/display to allow children to type text in various languages/alphabets including the Roman alphabet, Chinese characters or Japanese kanji, the Cyrillic alphabet and Arabic script

(7) high-level calculator and mathematical functions, routines and lessons to allow children to teach themselves math, algebra and calculus -- the universal languages

(8) Key-board icons that are globally intuitive and not overly-stylized nor trendy

(9) GPS and caller ID capability to locate lost or missing children

(10) an attached winder or crank to charge the battery manually, and/or solar-cell-covered surfaces for passive charging; and

(11) rugged and water-proof construction to survive life in the Developing World for many years.

Including all the features above is not absolutely necessary. Keeping manufacturing costs low is critical. A minimalist cell phone can be made "almost for nothing", one executive at NXP Semiconductors told me recently.

Design for Functionality in an environment where many adults are illiterate is most important. Another design tenet should be "Design for Compliance", so every head-of-household religiously claims their allocated Carbon Micro Credits every day. Design simplicity will boost adoption rates and facilitate monetization of a billion carbon footprints.

In sum, the Carbon Micro Credits Cell Phone is the savings account of the Poor; the bank and the ATM; the doctor and the nurse; their children's teacher and the school; and finally -- the Poor's business partner and carbon-footprint defender.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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Super-sizing Micro-finance

2008-11-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

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SUPERSIZING MICROFINANCE / Super-sizing Micro-finance

The McDonald's of Microfinancing ?

Various ambitious charitable or NGO initiatives exist to connect a "billion" people in the Developing World to the internet, the telecom grid, or an electronic banking system. However, they all rely to a degree (or totally) on charity or microfinance funding mechanisms that are self-limiting. In contrast, the cell-phone-based, self-funding Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) system described in this blog has no such limitations, and allows for the first time the supersizing of microfinance.

The World of Micro-Financing would benefit greatly by emulating the business model of McDonald's -- applying consistent standards worldwide in every location, while permitting small customization at the local level. Hence the other entries in this blog describing:

(1) a Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) = 2 kilograms of CO2/person/day in the Developing World

(2) a Universal Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry; and

(3) a CMC Operating System or CMC software architecture for cell phone-based accounting, trading and monetization of Carbon Micro Credits.

International agreement on such standards would permit the rapid implementation of Carbon Micro Credit projects anywhere worldwide in a few weeks or months. In contrast, some of the "billion" initiatives described on internet sites talk about timelines measured in decades, sadly.

With consistent standards, Carbon Micro Credits could rapidly become the Big Macs, frequent-flyer miles, or carbon Euros of the Developing World -- a uniform measure, store of value and versatile currency for the world's poorest people.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry

2008-11-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

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Universal Carbon-Micro-Credit (CMC) Registry

Caller ID or Radio-tagging for Carbon Credits ?

Fingerprinting Carbon Credits for Traceability ?

Social Security Numbers for Carbon Offsets ?

Do you know what your carbon offsets are doing today ?

Carbon Credit ankle bracelets ?

Do you know from where your purchased carbon-offsets came ? From a factory in a Developing Country violating child-labor laws ? From a cement plant polluting the local water table ? From a nuclear power plant that received excessive credits under an ill-conceived cap & trade system ? Who knows ?

And for the sake of corporate image enhancement, shouldn't you buy carbon offsets or carbon micro offsets from individuals, families, villages, cities, regions and countries where you do business ? Or from such places where your customers do business, live, vacation, or about which your stakeholders care ?

For these reasons and the others explained below, end-to-end traceability of carbon offsets will eventually happen.

In the case of Carbon Micro Credits (CMCs), to facilitate their faster adoption, a Universal Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Registry is needed. The Registry will be a look-up database of unique alphanumeric serial numbers that will be assigned to any device or small-scale project worldwide that generates Carbon Micro Credits, to include small methane-capture or reforestation / sustainability projects, conversion of 2-stroke motorcycles to direct fuel injection, or the use of solar cookers or more efficient charcoal cookers (e.g., a Uganda stove).

Groups or batches of sequential serial numbers would be created, assigned and either sold or donated to specific Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) projects worldwide. The serial numbers would contain fields designating these values or variables, among others:

(1) This device/project may generate only X Carbon Micro Credits/day

(2) This serial No. is valid for only X months or Y years

(3) The CMC's country of origin

(4) A unique portion of the No. to be used when claiming CMCs by cell phone

(5) The type/nature of the device or project generating the CMCs; and

(6) Other values / variables ?

So after X months or Y years the serial No. will expire and the user will no longer receive CMCs for that device or project.

Such a Universal Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) Registry with uniform serial No.s will allow development of a standardized CMC O.S. -- a CMC Operating System or CMC software architecture -- for mobile carriers, which will be outlined in a future post.

As well, for carbon offset buyers who care about the origin or provenance of the credits they are buying, the Registry will allow "radio tagging", fingerprinting or bar coding of every carbon credit or microcredit produced worldwide. Thus, every CMC produced will have a personality and local flavor that can be positioned and marketed to the most interested buyer willing to pay the highest price. In sum, the Registry will allow personalized marketing, perfect price discrimination, and revenue maximization for micro carbon credit producers.

Globally & warmly yours,

David Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED

San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com

http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella

http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com

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