Bill Clinton: Invest in Women

President Bill Clinton: Why We Must Invest In Girls And Women from Clinton Global Initiative on Vimeo.

Former President Bill Clinton discusses the importance of what women contribute to the world. Clinton points out that there is a disparity between what women produce and what they get in return. In much of the world women are not earning or owning as much as their male counterparts.

Clinton Becomes U.N. Special Envoy

Former President Bill Clinton has been named a United Nations special envoy to Haiti. Clinton has raised $324 million for Haiti rebuilding efforts.

''It is an honor to accept the secretary general's invitation to become special envoy to Haiti,'' former President Clinton said in a statement to The Miami Herald. 'Last year's natural disasters took a great toll, but Haiti's government and people have the determination and ability to `build back better,' not just to repair the damage done but to lay the foundations for the long-term sustainable development that has eluded them for so long.''

An special envoy, Clinton will use the Clinton Global Initiative to coordinate world and business leaders to work together to help Haiti.

The United Nations will officially announce Clinton's appointment tomorrow.

Open Thread: Solar Energy in Florida

Governor Charlie Crist was at the Clinton Global Initiative yesterday. He unveiled his plan to build a $2.4-billion solar energy facility.

"Producing solar energy in the Sunshine State just makes sense," Crist told the crowd at at the Clinton Global Initiative, which draws world leaders, celebrities and scholars for three days of panel discussions and smaller working sessions on global issues and asks them to take concrete steps on those causes.

Crist thanked FPL and Clinton, one of the best-known Democrats in the nation, "for making the world better and helping my state. God bless you."

I have a few questions for readers.

1.) Will this solar facility put Florida on a green track? Florida Power & Light has contributed vast sums of money to both political parties. How much of this is just good ole boy business.

2.) How will Crist's appearance at CGI play with the conservative base? The social conservative blog Peer Review has been going batty over the Governor's green policies.

Lindsay Beyerstein has photos here, here and here of Crist at CGI.