Used lab equipment finds a second home overseas
Science is expensive. Labs in the U.S. can spend millions of dollars each year on equipment and supplies. But for scientists in the developing world, these costs are often prohibitive. And that’s where a clever idea has made all the difference.
My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
I also have a story airing this weekend on PRI’s Living on Earth, about 40 minutes into the hour. In brief: Sometimes you stumble upon an animal that’s just plain bizarre. So bizarre that it redefines what you even mean by the word “animal.”
You might want to do a follow-up story about a little non-profit based in Roanoke, VA, called Bookbag Santa. They gather used school supplies at the end of the school year, keeping 2 tons of usable supplies out of the landfill each year. They then take a trip with 20+ volunteers to Belize to donate one ton to 3 little schools there. The second ton is available to churches, or any group that needs supplies for their own projects- local charities, the Military Family Support Group, an Indian school in S.D., etc.
What Bookbag Santa does is so simple, that every church with an overseas mission, and every school in America ought to be doing what we’re doing…
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Gary Hunt, President said this on October 29, 2011 at 4:03 am
Ari…that was such an inspiring story…. It’s great to hear about such great ideas that make a difference to scientists around the world.
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Marlene Brito said this on November 8, 2011 at 12:45 pm