Hi everyone, this is Jeff Rutt with some good news on the housing market. This week home sales continued to increase signaling that the housing recovery is in full swing. The apparent recovery in the housing market has not only been good news for builders and homebuyers looking to find great deals, it has also had a positive impact on other parts of the economy as well. Building supplies retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes reported increased sales. Likewise, more consumers are finding that their home values are beginning to increase once again allowing them to reclaim some of their lost equity. Let’s hope that these rebounds in the housing industry continue to have a positive impact on the economy into the fall!
Many Blessings,
Jeff Rutt
Housing market recovery helping bolster U.S. expansion
Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Sales of previously owned homes and work on single-family projects climbed in August to the highest levels in two years, signaling the residential real-estate market is contributing to the U.S. economic recovery.
Purchases of existing houses increased 7.8 percent to a 4.82 million annual rate, the most since May 2010, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 78 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for sales to increase to a 4.56 million pace. Commerce Department data showed builders began work on the most one- family homes since April 2010.
The U.S. economy shows signs of finally bottoming out as Americans are ready to take a chance with college or the job market.
A new report has found the U.S. government may have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgage aid to struggling homeowners who did not qualify for that help.
Record-low mortgage rates, more affordable properties and limited supply of new homes are driving orders at builders such as Toll Brothers Inc. and Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. In addition, sales of distressed properties are starting to account for a smaller share of the market, leading to gains in home values that are laying the groundwork for a sustained economic expansion as household sentiment and finances improve.
“The nascent housing recovery has deepened,” said Ellen Zentner, a senior U.S. economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York, who projected existing-home sales would climb to a 4.85 million rate. “Ultimately, this improvement will lead to a rise in residential wealth, which tends to lift consumer confidence and spending.”
The Standard & Poor’s Supercomposite Homebuilders Index rose 3.8 percent at 12:56 p.m. in New York, while the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent. The pickup in housing helps explain why the index of builder shares, including PulteGroup Inc. and D.R. Horton Inc., has surged 77 percent this year through yesterday, outpacing a 16 percent gain in the broader S&P 500.
Builder Shares
Construction of single-family houses climbed 5.5 percent to a 535,000 rate, the fastest since April 2010, after a 4.5 percent decrease, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Permits for the building of one-family homes increased 0.2 percent to a 512,000 annual pace, the highest since March 2010.
Beginning construction of all homes rose 2.3 percent to a 750,000 annual rate in August, less than forecast and restrained by a decrease in starts of multifamily dwellings that are volatile month to month.
Work on apartments and other multifamily homes dropped 4.9 percent to an annual rate of 215,000.
Beyond Builders
The housing rebound extends beyond builders -- from home- furnishings retailers like Lowe’s Cos. and Home Depot Inc. to building materials supplies such as gypsum wallboard-maker USG Corp.
Existing-home sales have improved after reaching a low of a 3.39 million annual rate in July 2010. In the buildup to the subprime lending collapse and recession, purchases reached a peak of 7.25 million in September 2005.
Estimates in the Bloomberg survey for August ranged from 4.45 million to 4.85 million. Compared with a year earlier, purchases increased 11 percent in August, today’s report showed.
The median price of an existing home climbed 9.5 percent to $187,400 from $171,200 in August 2011. Prices have increased in each of the past six months on a year-to-year basis, the best performance since early 2006.
The increase in prices reflects both a reduction in distressed sales and a “genuine” appreciation in property values, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said in a news conference today as the figures were released.
A published report says Bank of America is accelerating its cost-cutting plan.
A new report has found the U.S. government may have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgage aid to struggling homeowners who did not qualify for that help.
The gain in home values may induce potential buyers and sellers to enter the market. Prices last quarter posted their first year-over-year gain since 2007, according to Zillow Inc., the Seattle-based operator of the largest real-estate information website.
Higher real estate values also helped more than 1.3 million homeowners regain equity in the first six months of 2012, according to CoreLogic. About 22.3 percent of homeowners with a mortgage owed more than their homes were worth at the end of June, down from 23.7 percent three months earlier.
Even with pricier real estate, homes remain affordable. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was at 3.55 percent in the week ended Sept. 13, near 3.49 percent, the lowest since records began in 1971, Freddie Mac data show.
The Federal Reserve has also committed to purchasing $40 billion of mortgage debt a month to lower borrowing costs, helping the housing market that Chairman Ben S. Bernanke called “one of the missing pistons in the engine.”
Fed’s Bernanke
“Our mortgage-backed securities purchases ought to drive down mortgage rates and put downward pressure on mortgage rates and create more demand for homes and more refinancing,” Bernanke said in a Sept. 13 press conference after the central bank announced the debt-buying plans.
Homebuilders such as Red Bank, New Jersey-based Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. and Toll Brothers are seeing increased demand.
“Due to the industry’s rebound and our increase in sales pace, our communities are selling out more quickly and literally caught us without being able to replenish as fast as we’d like,” Ara K. Hovnanian, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, said on a Sept. 6 earnings call.
Toll Brothers, the largest U.S. luxury-home builder, reported a better-than-estimated profit and an increase in revenue for its third quarter ended July 31. The average price of the homes that the Horsham, Pennsylvania-based company delivered in the quarter climbed to $576,000 from $557,000 in the previous three months.
“The housing recovery is being driven by pent-up demand, very low interest rates and attractively priced homes,” Chief Executive Officer Douglas Yearley Jr. said on an Aug. 22 conference call with investors. “With an industry wide shortage of inventory in many markets, we are enjoying some pricing power.”
Posted on http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/housing-market-recovery-helping-bolster-us-expansion-economy/2012/09/19/00dbb1be-027d-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story_1.html.
Stay tuned for more articles and comments-Jeff Rutt
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Jeff Rutt: Material quality and the integrity of your home
Much like how a delectable dish is made of the right ingredients, a house must be built with the right materials. For leading homebuilders like Jeff Rutt, quality can spell the difference between a home that would last a lifetime and a shoddily built shack that might as well topple over.
Building a quality home might appear to be expensive at first, but this would ultimately be a sound investment in part for the homebuilder and, eventually, the homeowner. Quality building materials and fixtures, when combined with sound building techniques and proper planning, help create a structure that would be less difficult to maintain, saving the homeowner time and money in the long run.
One does not become a leading nationwide homebuilder without investing in quality products and services. Jeff Rutt of Keystone Custom Homes ensures that the companies he keeps are known for high standards of quality.
Cutting corners in quality might appear to save money, but its resulting cost may prove to be much more expensive in the long run. Materials may decay quickly, threatening the integrity of the structure, or contain toxic substances that may threaten the health of the home’s inhabitants. Moreover, mounting repair costs may end up being more expensive than the house itself.
The building materials for one’s home are an investment that would pay for itself in the long run. Choosing quality in this stage can make all the difference.
More information on Jeff Rutt and his company can be accessed on this website.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: cbc.ca |
Building a quality home might appear to be expensive at first, but this would ultimately be a sound investment in part for the homebuilder and, eventually, the homeowner. Quality building materials and fixtures, when combined with sound building techniques and proper planning, help create a structure that would be less difficult to maintain, saving the homeowner time and money in the long run.
One does not become a leading nationwide homebuilder without investing in quality products and services. Jeff Rutt of Keystone Custom Homes ensures that the companies he keeps are known for high standards of quality.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: davidamoya.com |
Cutting corners in quality might appear to save money, but its resulting cost may prove to be much more expensive in the long run. Materials may decay quickly, threatening the integrity of the structure, or contain toxic substances that may threaten the health of the home’s inhabitants. Moreover, mounting repair costs may end up being more expensive than the house itself.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: hutchcustomhomes.com |
The building materials for one’s home are an investment that would pay for itself in the long run. Choosing quality in this stage can make all the difference.
More information on Jeff Rutt and his company can be accessed on this website.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Inside job: Jeff Rutt warns homeowners about their drywalls
Jeff Rutt is the founder of Keystone Custom Homes, a leading independent home builder in Pennsylvania.
A drywall is a wallboard made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, normally installed on interior walls and ceilings. Drywalls were extensively used during the construction boom that followed the hurricane disasters in Florida in 2004 and 2005. Most of them were imported and were installed in large scale. However, serious problems regarding their use emerged soon. Just months after they were installed, sulfur fumes escaped in the air and copper wires and pipes attached to them were damaged.
While drywalls make a good alternative to the traditional lath and plaster, not all come in brands that deliver the quality homeowners need. In addition to producing fume and wiring issues, drywalls can also support the growth of mold due to their porous and lightweight substance. Hence, greedboard and cement board are often installed in areas that have high humidity, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
Choosing high-quality drywall is important to avoid hazards and expensive rehabilitation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s remediation guidance is a helpful resource that provides an effective approach to address potential health and safety issues for the remediation of houses affected by problem drywall.
For more information about Jeff Rutt and the services offered by Keystone Custom Homes, log on to www.keystonecustomhome.com.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: Alpinepainting.com |
A drywall is a wallboard made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, normally installed on interior walls and ceilings. Drywalls were extensively used during the construction boom that followed the hurricane disasters in Florida in 2004 and 2005. Most of them were imported and were installed in large scale. However, serious problems regarding their use emerged soon. Just months after they were installed, sulfur fumes escaped in the air and copper wires and pipes attached to them were damaged.
“For many people, a home is the single largest purchase they will make in their lifetimes. Making the wrong choice can have negative consequences for years to come.” — Jeff Rutt.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: Houselogic.com |
While drywalls make a good alternative to the traditional lath and plaster, not all come in brands that deliver the quality homeowners need. In addition to producing fume and wiring issues, drywalls can also support the growth of mold due to their porous and lightweight substance. Hence, greedboard and cement board are often installed in areas that have high humidity, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
Choosing high-quality drywall is important to avoid hazards and expensive rehabilitation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s remediation guidance is a helpful resource that provides an effective approach to address potential health and safety issues for the remediation of houses affected by problem drywall.
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| Jeff Rutt Image Credit: CBC.ca |
For more information about Jeff Rutt and the services offered by Keystone Custom Homes, log on to www.keystonecustomhome.com.
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Jeff Rutt: Empowering women through microfinance
In 1997, Jeff Rutt established HOPE International, a Christian faith-based nonprofit organization committed to alleviating physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development.
It is not by chance that the majority of HOPE’s microfinance clients are women. It seems that even from the beginning of microfinance, its beneficiaries are mostly women. This just shows that the opportunities are still scarce for women to succeed in business today.
In many countries where HOPE works, women belong to the marginalized section of the society, deprived of education and prohibited to work outside their homes. Through its outreach programs, HOPE observed that when given the opportunity to start their own business, women are highly motivated to work hard to make their enterprises succeed.
Jeff Rutt’s HOPE International also notes that women are prudent borrowers. Not only do they repay more consistently than their male counterparts, but women are also more likely to use their business profits to support their families. When a microfinance institution empowers a woman to improve her income, the resulting profits are typically used to provide better nutrition, to improve housing, or to support children’s education.
There are also instances when microfinance results in non-financial benefits. HOPE cites the story of one of its savings groups in India, and how the group was able to save one of its members from an abusive relationship. The member shared that her husband consistently beat her. Though she had told him to stop, the beatings continued. The 15 women in the group decided that they would go together to confront the husband. They told him that they supported his wife and that he must stop beating her. Knowing that the abuse was no longer secret and that others cared for his wife enough to confront him, the husband stopped beating and hurting his wife.
For Jeff Rutt and HOPE International, microfinance enables women from developed countries to reach out to their fellow women in developing countries, giving them the freedom and respect they have been denied for a long time.
To know more about Mr. Rutt and HOPE International, visit www.hopeinternational.org.
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| Jeff Rutt Image credit: ChuckGallagher.Files.Wordpress.com |
It is not by chance that the majority of HOPE’s microfinance clients are women. It seems that even from the beginning of microfinance, its beneficiaries are mostly women. This just shows that the opportunities are still scarce for women to succeed in business today.
In many countries where HOPE works, women belong to the marginalized section of the society, deprived of education and prohibited to work outside their homes. Through its outreach programs, HOPE observed that when given the opportunity to start their own business, women are highly motivated to work hard to make their enterprises succeed.
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| Jeff Rutt Image credit: BewitchedBreaks.co.uk |
Jeff Rutt’s HOPE International also notes that women are prudent borrowers. Not only do they repay more consistently than their male counterparts, but women are also more likely to use their business profits to support their families. When a microfinance institution empowers a woman to improve her income, the resulting profits are typically used to provide better nutrition, to improve housing, or to support children’s education.
Jeff Rutt and HOPE International believe that women have a unique opportunity to make their mark in the fight against poverty.
There are also instances when microfinance results in non-financial benefits. HOPE cites the story of one of its savings groups in India, and how the group was able to save one of its members from an abusive relationship. The member shared that her husband consistently beat her. Though she had told him to stop, the beatings continued. The 15 women in the group decided that they would go together to confront the husband. They told him that they supported his wife and that he must stop beating her. Knowing that the abuse was no longer secret and that others cared for his wife enough to confront him, the husband stopped beating and hurting his wife.
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| Jeff Rutt Image credit: HOPEInternational.org |
For Jeff Rutt and HOPE International, microfinance enables women from developed countries to reach out to their fellow women in developing countries, giving them the freedom and respect they have been denied for a long time.
To know more about Mr. Rutt and HOPE International, visit www.hopeinternational.org.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
The Volunteer Dating Game
Hi
everyone, Jeff Rutt here. It takes a lot to make a nonprofit successful. It
often starts with having the right mission and vision as well as a clear plan
for how you will accomplish your goals. Once you have a set plan in mind,
it takes a lot of resources to make your goals a reality. Time, money, and
talented people who are passionate about your cause are essential components to
a well run nonprofit. The article below featured in Sustainable Business Forum
discusses how valuable committed passionate volunteers can be to non profits.
Specifically, the article talks about Gap Inc and their new program which
encourages employees to find causes where they can best use their skills and
passions to make a difference. Through their volunteer program, Gap Inc is
leading the way in corporate social responsibility by being a model for smart
volunteering. At HOPE we have seen firsthand the benefits that come from
corporate social responsibility that makes sense, through our Homes for Hope
program. Through Homes for Hope we have had the privilege of partnering with
talented builders from around the country to make a difference in peoples lives
around the world. Homes for Hope takes the skills and passions of home
builders and applies them in practical ways to further HOPE’s mission. If
you’re not familiar with our Homes for Hope program, check it out by visiting
our website http://www.homes4hope.org/
and consider ways that you can use your skills and passion to help a cause near
you!
Many
blessings, Jeff Rutt
The Volunteer
Dating Game
In the world of those who volunteer
to make a better world, some dream of settling down.
But not you. Nosiree. You enjoy the variety of volunteering with
many different organizations and causes. Last month
it was a cancer nonprofit, today it’s a dog rescue. You heard that a literacy organization is having an awesome fundraiser next month so that’s the next
cause on tap, and maybe after that you’ll try on a sustainability
charity for size - recycling could be cool.
Sure, your nonprofit relationships don’t
seem to be progressing, but that’s fine. Volunteering with
a wide range of causes is fun and keeps things interesting.
I mean, yeah, it would be nice to get a
little deep sometimes, focus on one charity that gets to
know the real you, y’know? Where you could go beyond the basics,
contribute your full self, maybe even graduate to
something more long-term. Make a difference, grow a little, find that one nonprofit that you’ll keep coming home to.
But for whatever reason, you haven’t taken
the plunge, so volunteer mingling will have to suffice.
A Healthier Relationship
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine a world where the energy, passion and skills of volunteers
aligned perfectly with the needs and capacity of nonprofits. Where expectations were calibrated and trust was built over time.
That’s the world that Gap
Inc. is working to create with its global teams of employee
volunteers. Reflecting feedback from the community that
some volunteer projects were fun for the volunteers, but
not as valuable to the nonprofits as they could have been, Gap Inc. realized that if it was going to facilitate meaningful relationships
between its employees and causes, it needed to get
everyone “dating” with an eye towards long-term relationships between employee teams and nonprofit organizations. Gap Inc. thinks of this as
the “date, then get married” approach to volunteering.
“We started our volunteer program around a
more traditional skills-based framework,” noted Gail
Gershon, Gap’s Executive Director of Community Leadership. “We’d ask our
nonprofit partners what they needed and then try to match
them with employee volunteers who had relevant skills.
But this approach wasn’t sustainable. What we heard from nonprofits and employees was that the more effective way to move toward
skills-based volunteering would be for teams to develop
long-term partnerships with nonprofits, to get to know their needs and
help the nonprofit better understand the skills that the team of employees
represented. Then, the skills could be applied to the
volunteering more naturally and build over time, and the volunteers could work to fulfill a variety of needs faced by their
nonprofit partner.”
Further, Gail added, Gap Inc. wants to make
sure that volunteer activity is valuable to the nonprofit,
not just a pleasant diversion for the volunteer. “Sometimes volunteering is
designed to be the best possible experience for the
volunteer but not what is most critical to the nonprofit.”
Thus was shaped a worldview that smartly
applies dating philosophies to volunteer programs.
Toward this end, Gap Inc. encourages every
team (which could be a store or an office location) to
elect a person who will be their Community Leader. That one person is
then charged with finding an appropriate nonprofit
partner that the entire team will support, ideally over an extended
period of time so that the quality of the volunteering is most meaningful for
both the volunteer and nonprofit. And just like
your mama told you, Gap Inc. teams are discouraged from
marrying after their first date. Instead, they’re encouraged to ask
themselves: is this a fit? When should we go steady? When
should we move in together? How can we really get to know each other
before making that final commitment?
“The nonprofit needs to invest in the
volunteers and train them. That requires precious time and resources
from the nonprofit’s staff. So if the nonprofit doesn’t know if you’re
coming back, why should they waste their time?” said
Gail. “We encourage our teams to get to a place where there’s
mutual trust.” When the trust and fit is there, that’s when employees can
effectively leverage their skills, which can potentially
make a longer term impact over time.
Wave of CSR's Future
Gap Inc. has plenty of company in their
belief that skills-based
volunteering is the wave of the
corporate social responsibility future. That’s why they’re one of more
than 100 pledge companies for A Billion +
Change, a national campaign to make skills-based volunteering
the new normal in every workplace, which has already
elicited a promise of more than $1.7 billion and at least
11.5 million hours of time and talent dedicated to building nonprofit capacity.
Gap Inc. shared their wisdom about encouraging
skills-based volunteering at this week’s Corporate
Philanthropy Summit, a forum for best practices around
corporate giving which A Billion + Change has helped organize.
For energized corporate
volunteers and future changemakers, finding a nonprofit that
best meets your passion is an outcome that translates
into satisfaction and impact. Who knows – Gap Inc.
may even have some advice on the right wedding togs to wear when you and your nonprofit are ready to make things official.
Thanks
again for reading, stay tuned for more articles and comments-Jeff Rutt
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving?
Hello this is Jeff Rutt, I recently came across this article published by a Canadian newspaper about a recent academic humanities conference. At the conference one of the most popular papers that was presented centered around the topic of charitable giving. According to the paper, charitable giving has become a trendy thing to do primarily in North American culture. Giving has become trendy not necessarily because people are passionate about the cause they are giving to, but because they want to appear as a certain kind of person to their friends. Many celebrities like Angelina Jolie have made it cool to give your time and money towards a cause. Many people can identify with that wanting to feel like they are someone who is a part of something bigger, or who cares about a cause. As the founder of an organization that relies heavily on charitable giving, I’m excited about the push in our culture for people to give back. However, I know that it takes more than a passing trend to create real change in the lives of those less fortunate. Making real and lasting change involves a commitment on the part of the giver and a passion to see a project through to the end. Although giving is almost always appreciated, the Bible states that the best giving is that done with a right heart and attitude. In Mark 12 Jesus tells his disciples that a woman who had given just a small gift had given the best gift because she gave out of a pure heart and gave all that she could. At HOPE we appreciate any donation that is given to us, but we it is our desire that those who give do so not because its trendy but out of a pure heart to serve others and make true and lasting change for the Kingdom.
(The following text is excerpted from: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/28/oh-the-humanities-does-a-donation-really-count-if-no-one-sees-you-giving/)
Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving?
Donating money to charity has become highly fashionable, a status symbol that has been dubbed “conspicious giving,” and comes with the burden of social expectation and manipulation, according to a paper to be presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences conference on Wednesday.
University of Alberta instructor Margrit Talpalaru coined the “conspicious giving” term to describe the way corporations, charities and society at large have latched onto North Americans’ desire for the visibility that comes with donating time or money.
“In the rampantly consumerist Western society of the 21st century, conspicuous giving has become the true status marker,” writes Ms. Talpalaru, a English and film studies instructor. “Charitable donors, especially famous ones, have become modern-day heroes, while ordinary people are being judged by their giving.”
North Americans find role models in celebrities like Angelina Jolie, who has served as a United Nations special envoy for refugees and last week released a line of jewellery that will benefit children in Africa.
Canadian do-gooders Marc and Craig Kielburger’s social enterprise Me to We uses corporate strategies to boost their cause of improving life for children all over the world (you can buy a Pamoja Unity Bracelet on their website for only $49.99).
Ms. Talpalaru said 1985’s Live Aid concert for Ethiopia was a precursor. The expertly marketed Run for the Cure campaign for breast cancer research, with its ubiquitous pink ribbon, is another.
Corporate interest flooded in after billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates made The Giving Pledge in 2010, breathing life into the idea of “philanthrocapitalism.”
“You can see how celebrity culture, celebrity activism trickles down and puts these pressures on everyday people like you and I donating more time or money and to win stuff for charity,” she said. “The competition that is so prized by capitalism now has to be tinged with the moral value of giving to charity. It’s no longer good enough that you’re good at something, you’ve won something, you have to give at least part of it to charity.”
The new Global TV reality show Canada Sings gets workplace colleagues to form a glee club and compete on live television. Their winnings go to charity — an act that was once the sole domain of celebrities when they played TV game shows like Jeopardy or The Price is Right.
She’s also concerned corporate sponsors could take full control of charity fundraisers and research projects, with their money-making interests potentially overshadowing the social good. And she suggests that if individuals are more interested in funding good causes, the government may choose to do less of it.
She cautions the meteoric rise of doing good has also come with the burden of social expectation — if everyone else is taking donations for charity in lieu of gifts, why aren’t you? While this focus on giving is inherently good, Ms. Talpalaru is urging more thought and debate about the phenomena.
“The only pitfall is to follow blindly.”
Thanks again for reading, stay tuned for more articles and comments- Jeff Rutt
(The following text is excerpted from: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/28/oh-the-humanities-does-a-donation-really-count-if-no-one-sees-you-giving/)
Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving?
Donating money to charity has become highly fashionable, a status symbol that has been dubbed “conspicious giving,” and comes with the burden of social expectation and manipulation, according to a paper to be presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences conference on Wednesday.
University of Alberta instructor Margrit Talpalaru coined the “conspicious giving” term to describe the way corporations, charities and society at large have latched onto North Americans’ desire for the visibility that comes with donating time or money.
“In the rampantly consumerist Western society of the 21st century, conspicuous giving has become the true status marker,” writes Ms. Talpalaru, a English and film studies instructor. “Charitable donors, especially famous ones, have become modern-day heroes, while ordinary people are being judged by their giving.”
North Americans find role models in celebrities like Angelina Jolie, who has served as a United Nations special envoy for refugees and last week released a line of jewellery that will benefit children in Africa.
Canadian do-gooders Marc and Craig Kielburger’s social enterprise Me to We uses corporate strategies to boost their cause of improving life for children all over the world (you can buy a Pamoja Unity Bracelet on their website for only $49.99).
Ms. Talpalaru said 1985’s Live Aid concert for Ethiopia was a precursor. The expertly marketed Run for the Cure campaign for breast cancer research, with its ubiquitous pink ribbon, is another.
Corporate interest flooded in after billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates made The Giving Pledge in 2010, breathing life into the idea of “philanthrocapitalism.”
“You can see how celebrity culture, celebrity activism trickles down and puts these pressures on everyday people like you and I donating more time or money and to win stuff for charity,” she said. “The competition that is so prized by capitalism now has to be tinged with the moral value of giving to charity. It’s no longer good enough that you’re good at something, you’ve won something, you have to give at least part of it to charity.”
The new Global TV reality show Canada Sings gets workplace colleagues to form a glee club and compete on live television. Their winnings go to charity — an act that was once the sole domain of celebrities when they played TV game shows like Jeopardy or The Price is Right.
She’s also concerned corporate sponsors could take full control of charity fundraisers and research projects, with their money-making interests potentially overshadowing the social good. And she suggests that if individuals are more interested in funding good causes, the government may choose to do less of it.
She cautions the meteoric rise of doing good has also come with the burden of social expectation — if everyone else is taking donations for charity in lieu of gifts, why aren’t you? While this focus on giving is inherently good, Ms. Talpalaru is urging more thought and debate about the phenomena.
“The only pitfall is to follow blindly.”
Thanks again for reading, stay tuned for more articles and comments- Jeff Rutt
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Jeff Rutt: Improving energy efficiency at home through technology
Jeff Rutt, founder and CEO of Keystone Custom Homes, understands that homeowners just want to enjoy the full value of their homes. They want to amplify the living experience in their houses while still feeling safe and comfortable. According to expert builders and remodelers, property owners can do so by making their homes energy efficient. With effective energy management systems installed in houses, homeowners can save money that they can use for other important living expenses.
With this said, the following are the home technologies that can make houses energy efficient:
• Preset lighting settings. Lighting can easily make up 10 to 20 percent of the total electrical usage of a home. For this reason, Jeff Rutt and other home building experts recommend the use of automated lighting systems. With a preset dimmer, which adjusts lightings to the homeowner’s needs based on the time of the day, electricity bills can be lowered. Using this kind of technology can also increase the life expectancy of light bulbs.
• Automated HVAC systems. With automated systems to manage heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls, a home can maintain a more energy-efficient temperature when the owners are not inside the house. Likewise, when the occupants are back, the HVAC settings can automatically revert to a more comfortable temperature. These systems can also be programmed to heat or cool only the areas most used by the occupants. By utilizing this technology, energy consumption can be lessened while still putting comfort as top priority.
By carefully studying these home technologies and incorporating them in their properties, homeowners will finally be able to understand the real value of their “home sweet home.”
For more information about Jeff Rutt and Keystone Custom Homes, visit www.keystonecustomhome.com.
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| Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: Jeff Rutt |
With this said, the following are the home technologies that can make houses energy efficient:
• Preset lighting settings. Lighting can easily make up 10 to 20 percent of the total electrical usage of a home. For this reason, Jeff Rutt and other home building experts recommend the use of automated lighting systems. With a preset dimmer, which adjusts lightings to the homeowner’s needs based on the time of the day, electricity bills can be lowered. Using this kind of technology can also increase the life expectancy of light bulbs.
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| Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: Jeff Rutt |
• Automated HVAC systems. With automated systems to manage heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls, a home can maintain a more energy-efficient temperature when the owners are not inside the house. Likewise, when the occupants are back, the HVAC settings can automatically revert to a more comfortable temperature. These systems can also be programmed to heat or cool only the areas most used by the occupants. By utilizing this technology, energy consumption can be lessened while still putting comfort as top priority.
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| Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: wn.com |
By carefully studying these home technologies and incorporating them in their properties, homeowners will finally be able to understand the real value of their “home sweet home.”
For more information about Jeff Rutt and Keystone Custom Homes, visit www.keystonecustomhome.com.
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