Kimbra L. McCaul's Blog (12)

I would create a worldwide movement to celebrate one day called "A Day Without Water." People would be instructed to not use any water for the day, other than the daily amount needed to survive per body weight. This would include, no washing the lawn, no showering, no brushing teeth, no flushing toilets, no washing hands under the faucet, no doing dishes, etc. This day would just remind people just how much water is being used. The day would a challenge to those who take water for granted and… Continue

The Hippo Water roller reduces suffering, empowers women and children, and saves time and energy. This simple invention is a product that is helping over 200,00 people around the world to gather their daily water from lakes and rivers.





I would like to make this product better by installing filters inside the containers. While transporting the water, it could… Continue

I really like the ideas from the company that created the "Living Machine." Worrell Water Technologies did not create the technology for this clean water solution, nature did-- but they have, however, found a way to structure wastewater treatment centers by using creative landscaping for indoors and outdoors. They are built according to the clients needs, and tailored to fit the available space. These installments are aesthetically pleasing, and clean water for the use in toilet flushing,… Continue

I love almost everything there is about Christmas-- except for the incredible amount of waste and energy used to celebrate it. And as we all know, Christmas celebration isn't just one day-- it's more like a month.



There is a lot of waste at Christmas time in terms or food and garbage. This year, I am using all biodegradable wrapping paper to wrap my husband and children's gifts. I've always been huge on recycling, but a lot of times at Christmas, because of all the cardboard boxes… Continue

Watches are able to power themselves by movement, so why can't cell phones be, too? I'd like to "invent" the same technology used in wind-up watches for our cell phones. We are so hooked to our smart phones, that most of us have to charge their cell phones daily. This daily energy could be saved just by taking every cell phone off their wall chargers. Our phones already have sensors in them, and we know that technology in pedometers have very sensitive sensors-- we move around a lot and our… Continue

I am impressed with the work of Power Player William Kamkwamba. At the age of 14, William built a windmill from Blue Gum trees, bicycle parts, and materials from a local scrapyard. In his town of Dowa, Malawi, his neighbors thought he was crazy. But Williams invention came to life and proved them wrong. His windmill created energy and lit up his family's home. Since… Continue

MMMMM, I've finally won my battle over cheese!!!



Fully vegan now, I'm eating dinner with my family in San Francisco. Our backyard garden is abundant with our favorite fruits and vegetables and we are fortunate to have great grocery stores nearby that carry sustainable, healthy food from local companies and farmers.



In the last 9 years, people have gotten a lot more health conscious. People have learned that they need to be more careful about what they put in their bodies… Continue

I work for an Italian restaurant that purchases almost everything from local, organic or sustainable farms. We are as "green" as we can be. Of course, there are areas that we, like almost every restaurant, can improve. One of our biggest issues is food waste. We clearly can't help it if guests don't eat all their food or don't want to take their left-overs, but it always pains me to see so much be thrown away. I obviously don't feel comfortable touching other people's food, but I do think there… Continue

The biggest food security issue in California is that low-income families simply cannot afford food. In a 2005 survey done by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, it was discovered that 30% of Californians were considered to be "low-income" to the point of food insecurity. Seeing that it's now 2011, and we've since been through a recession, that number can only have increase. What's worse is the thousands that are homeless who's food is most likely the least healthy and… Continue

In nine years, I will be living in San Francisco in my entirely eco-friendly home with my husband and two young children. I'll be changing the world on a daily basis by now because my work as a fashion designer/producer has helped the environment substantially by my company's use of 100% organic materials and sustainable production practices. By using bamboo and hemp for my fabric, I've managed to save a lot of water, because these plants require so little, and with the natural growing process,… Continue

I chose PopTech because of the inspiring work they do as social innovators. Not only are PopTech members leaders and thinkers-- they are actually doers. Their network is a collaboration of people from several different industries, giving them well-rounded perspectives and views. Their work influences others to work toward positive change and inspires me to take part and in shaping a more positive future. I look forward to their upcoming website and Twitter posts.

I chose a secret from Ethan Zuckerman's post "Innovating from constraint." Number six says "what you have matters more than what you lack." I believe keeping this is mind is a helpful tool because while reaching for the stars in social innovation is a great thing, remembering to work off current possessions and build around what is already attainable can get you on the right path sooner. It's hard to want things that we don't have access to, but this doesn't mean that we can't make what we… Continue