BQ 'In the Field'
Kiva Loan for Solar Array
Bjorn Quenemoen
Thanks to everyone who helped fund our Kiva loan to expand our rooftop solar array! The cool thing about Kiva is that they don’t take fees from their lenders or borrowers; every dollar you give goes to the recipient, and you get it back in full. Kiva covers their operating expenses from separate donations. Interest free lending is a great way to make a difference, and there are lots of worthy projects there to check out. https://www.kiva.org
Summer Solstice
Jamie O'Shea
It’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. We have variable day length because the Earth is tilted in its rotation. This article in the NYTimes wonders if a tilt like Earth’s is necessary for life elsewhere in the universe. I always feel a mix of relish and sadness on the solstice, because the sun starts heading back to winter just as the summer is beginning.
Solar Thermal Coffee
Bjorn Quenemoen
Ok so we're no baristas, we're popcornistas. But coffee beans turn out to be perfectly suited for solar thermal cooking. The same kettles used to make popcorn can be used to roast coffee. There are some limitations. It's sort of impossible to observe them as they roast, and smelling them is quite difficult. But we found we could make a tasty medium roast nontheless. It might not be coming down the BjornQorn pike any time soon, but we'll keep investigating. Beer next?