Far too often, we hear cries of NIMBY: NOT IN MY BACKYARD! Well, with the recent birth of IOBY: environmental action is fostered and encouraged to occur precisely IN OUR BACKYARDS!  ioby.org (pronounced eye-OH-be) enables you to support neighborhood level environmental projects with a simple click.  Since NYC's carbon footprint is larger than Ireland, piloting in the City seemed appropriate and timely given the multitude of coordinated strategies currently being implemented to address these issues.

The brilliance of ioby is that it is action oriented. No longer does one need to simply hear about environmental catastrophes and feel too overwhelmed and disempowered to be part of the solution. Just a few clicks and you are no longer scared stagnant. Leveraging online microphilanthropy ioby offers you the opportunity to invest in the change you wish to see in the world, literally and figuratively.

The average project costs roughly $419. Project participants also blog about their work, which increases the level of transparency and enables you to see your money at work. The scale of these projects varies, but the collective impact is unquestioned. Here are a few of my favorite projects, clearly on the lower end:

Children's Bucket Garden and Composting:

Teaches kids about soil preparation, plant life-cycles, plant care etc.

Amount needed-$69

 

Naturally Made Cleaning Supplies:

Teaches adults how to make their own non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Amount needed-$87

 

Composting Class:

Teaches the benefits of composting, provides bins, worms and instructions on how to start and maintain a bin.

Amount needed-$115

As we witness global initiatives to move this country towards energy independence, Congress taking action to address climate change, and an environmentally enlightened generation, we should look to harness the momentum of this time. The ability to have information, in real time, to address some of our more local and immediate environmental concerns is invaluable. Kudos to Cassie, Erin, and Brandon (fellow Yalies and former classmates) for their tremendous efforts to bring ioby to fruition, job well done!