“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Billions in dollars equal trillions in change. One person's determination and success can improve an entire world. Manoj Bhargava, Founder of 5-Hour Energy drink, is investing his good fortune, billions in fact, to save the world. This takes community revitalization to an entirely new level and Bhargava has created a sustainability think tank in the process. His focus on the elements that made him billions has led to his greatest investment to date: Investing in the preservation of humankind. The Creation and simultaneous preservation of water, energy and health are decidedly essential. Bhargava is donating 99% of his $4Billion net worth to fund worldwide community revitalization and sustainability through Billions In Change (BIC). BIC is determined to pull trillions of people out of poverty. The power of a crowd to collectively think, create and fund has been suggested and proven many times. BIC has hired the greatest applicable minds of all time. One man's wealth has become the world's benefit as the subsequent crowdthinking leads to community revitalization beyond borders.
Related: Durst Heiress's Culture Capital Inspires Crowdfunding
Free Electric? Yes, Free Electric!
Maybe we should focus on investing in permanent change instead of on applying band-aids. If you could pedal a bike for an hour to draw impoverished communities rising from the ashes, would you do it? BIC's FREE ELECTRIC technology converts one hour of cycling into enough clean energy to electrify a house for a day. Imagine what a few cyclists could do for to promote worldwide community revitalization. This is 
an incredible start to stepping away from temporary donations and stepping into investing in technology that will last create lasting change. The uni-cycles created and distributed to countries, like India, are predicted to dramatically improve businesses. There are many areas of India where electricity is only available for a couple hours per day. The goal of providing the innovative stages and manufacturing of the free electric uni-cycles is to empower impoverished people to contribute to their own lives and others. This is community revitalization that I would like to see spanning the globe.
BIC is even developing a system to draw clean energy from within the earth, simply stemming from a graphene string. The clean energy collected will be harnessed and stored. Without delving into the technical aspects, let's suffice it to say that no matter where we fall on opinion regarding global warming, we can all agree that: We use energy, pollution exists, and clean energy is ideal. Clean energy is clearly accessible. It is a logical step forward. It costs us nothing, yet Bhargava is willing to invest billions. Having billions certainly makes the decision easier, but not required. The technology gained from the inventors on BIC staff is likely to further sustainability well beyond the original goal.
Related: Solar Farms Germinate Power & Grow Communities
Water Everywhere, Yet Undrinkable?
We on the West Coast can certainly relate. Anyone can stand at the ocean's edge and marvel at the water's beauty, yet we can barely water our crops. Water is essential to food, livelihood, and general health. BIC's Rainmaker project addresses the need to transform seawater into high-quality water
without using energy. One machine with no consumable parts has been designed and tested to heat water. The vapor, or steam, created is collected and distilled to form the drinking-grade water. One machine can convert up to 1000 gallons of water per hour. Imagine what a barge with 200 Rainmakers could accomplish: It could possibly quench California's thirst, which would boost real estate values and inspire further community revitalization. Thousands more rainmakers will need to be produced in order to provide water to countries. The BIC team remains undeterred. It doesn't matter how much money you have. If water is unavailable, no one can survive. The desalination plants of bygone years utilize an incredible amount of energy. Bhargava's team suggests creating Rainmaker farms instead. One barge, miles offshore is expected to create 15-20 million gallons of clean water per day. The design accommodates water flowing in and out without artificial power, nor danger to sea life. The mobility of the Rainmaker farms makes them politically palatable, too. We'll check back to see who will be able to create them on a large scale. Will BIC's innovative technology and implementation start a worldwide wealth-building, community-revitalization movement?
Community Revitalization through Invigorating Health
"The idea is not to treat illness. It is to treat wellness." ~Sir David Lane
Most of the last 50 years of medical developments have been focused on curing or killing one 
disease or monster-bug. It is no wonder that we are inadvertently creating drug-resistant viruses. Our medical priorities have changed. Populations with the resources to take an active role in deciding their medical modalities are largely choosing to strengthen the body to the point that it isn't susceptible to disease. Instead of investing solely in the eradicating diseases as they appear, Bhargava is investing in a more progressive thought pattern. Prevention, versus only intervention, is expected to strengthen disease-warn communities. With such an important burden, it is no wonder BIC has hired the best in the industry. Sir David Lane, world renowned authority on cancer prevention research, leads this health protection invention. The External Counter Pulsation machine is said to improve circulation while flushing toxins regularly and more efficiently. Poor circulation is thought to be a common cause of illness, so it doesn't surprise me that this is the first health factor that is being addressed by BIC's Stage 2 innovation station. I wonder where the innovations will go from here. Health is the great equalizer. Diseases do not discriminate. Investments in health bear universal value tot all community revitalization and preservation efforts.
Where do you stand on wealth and giving? My personal inclination is to give back. Yet, I am not sure how comfortable I feel requiring that this should be everyone's inclination. I am confident that "Money can't buy happiness" is a true statement across all paths. The truth comes not from wealth disabling one's capacity for happiness. This truth is realized by all who experience excess, yet remain unsatisfied. I have experienced nothing more fulfilling than positively affecting the joy and health of others. Karmic profit may be our billionaire's greatest paycheck. Will his passion be a stepping stone for further community revitalization efforts, and taken seriously enough to be crowdfunded?
This entry was originally published on December 2, 2015.
