It s a shame I've been sitting on this book for about two years now. A friend of mine gave me Never Eat Alone , by Keith Ferrazzi a couple years ago (thanks Rey), and it s been on my bookcase ever since. It was resting there not because I didn't want to read it, but because I already had so many others in the pipeline. I finally got around to reading it last month and I definitely recommend it. In very simple terms, Ferrazzi explains why networking is important and how to do it. From how to make call lists to planning dinners to personal branding to goal setting, it s all here. He also maintains a valuable blog .
Inevitably there will be times when you have setbacks or things don t go your way. Maybe you didn't get a job you thought you were sure to get. Maybe you lost a job unexpectedly, didn't win a contract, or lost a major client. Your car always seems to break down right after you've had some other unexpected expense. These kinds of situations immediately place us in crisis. They don t feel good, but sometimes they re what we need in order to grow. The beautiful thing about crises is that they force us to take a step back and reevaluate what s going on in our lives and rediscover what we truly want and need. When we get over that initial shock and feeling of disappointment, we might realize that maybe that job wasn't really the best for us anyway. Maybe, just maybe, that wasn't what you really wanted to spend your life doing. Maybe that friend was holding you back instead of pushing you forward. The way I deal with crises of these sorts is simple: If something doesn't go my way professionally, I try to create a situation that would be more rewarding than the situation originally planned. A while ago, I was offered a job that looked very promising. After I accepted the offer, they pushed the start date back three times, later informing me (via e-mail) that they wanted to bring me on in the near future but I should feel free to explore other options. I was extremely disappointed. I felt disrespected and angry, but decided to make the best of the situation and follow my dream of working internationally. I then flew to Santiago, Chile and had great professional and personal experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise. Later, reflecting back on the original opportunity, I realized that working for a company that avoids a start date three times and then can t pick up the phone to explain the situation is probably not where I need to spend my time. Use setbacks as an opportunity to put your goals in order and act on them. In the moment, it s difficult to look at a setback as temporary, but they are. They happen to everybody. It s how you respond to them that will determine how they affect you.
Article and Graphic by Dana Kampman
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution the world’s ore deposits have depleted to dangerously low levels and the industrial thirst for aluminum has increased. China accounts for 40% of the world’s aluminum use, and is projected to increase its demand by 8-10% annually over the next 5 years, according to Novelis Inc., the world’s largest consumer of aluminum.
So where will the world get its supply? “New Jersey!” Dr. Subodh Das says with a smile. Dr. Das’s calculations show that it is possible to recover 4.5 million metric tons per year from urban mines, many of which are located just outside of major US cities.
It is estimated that U.S. landfills contain more than 20-30 million tons of used beverage cans, valued at approximately US $ 50-75 billion at current aluminum prices. According to the EPA, only 51.8% of aluminum cans in the US are being recycled. The new deposits of aluminum are increasing by 1 million tons annually; an amount valued at approximately US $ 2.5 billion. Put in terms of new aluminum production, the annual US used beverage cans being buried in landfills are equivalent to running three primary aluminum smelters (approximately 330, 000 tons per year/smelter) full time.
Dr. Das believes urban mining can absorb some of the world metals demand and reduce humanities future impact on the earth. The next steps to move Urban Mining forward include mapping landfills for metal deposits, taking core samples and testing techniques to separate the metals from mixed materials. Dr. Das and his company Phinix, LLC are currently working with students at Bainbridge Graduate Institute to further this venture and is looking for thought partners. You can find out more about Dr. Subodh Das and urban mining on his company website, www.phinix.net.
For more from Dr. Das, visit his blog, follow him on Twitter at @subodhkdas.
