developing countries
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Solving hunger is simple — end poverty. Gulp.
Trying to end poverty may seem like a tall order if all you want to do is make sure people don't starve. But there's plenty we can do -- and a lot we even agree on.
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One Million Lights trades kerosene for solar in developing countries
For kids in developing countries, it’s crucial to have a reliable light source — otherwise you can’t see to read or do your homework. But many homes and villages don’t have electric light, and the cheapest alternative — kerosene — is an environmental nightmare on both large and small scales. It pollutes the environment at […]
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Hilton hotels recycle soap for charity
Pretty much nobody besides Eloise and Leonard Cohen stays in a hotel for long enough to go through a bar of soap. They can't put your slightly-used soap out for the next guest, though, so hotels throw out more than 2.5 million bars a day. Hilton Hotels have now realized how stupid this is, and […]
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Developing countries take the climate change bullet for the rest of us
Here's the 2012 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, produced by risk analysis firm Maplecroft, which shows the areas of the world that are most at risk from the impacts of climate change. Does it remind you of anything? Maybe a reverse map of the biggest climate change offenders? (This isn't the first time people have put […]
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How billions without electricity will benefit from clean energy
In the developing world, "alternative" energy means dangerous, inefficient cooking fires and kerosene. Cheap, clean energy sources could change that.
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Toilet 2.0 will turn waste into energy, fertilizer, and clean water
Think poop is funny? Well, it’s DEADLY SERIOUS. Here are the unsavory facts about poor sanitation infrastructure, according to the Gates Foundation: 2.6 billion lack access to safe toilets. Food and water that's come in contact with waste leads to 2.5 billion cases of diarrhea in children each year, and 1.5 million of them die as a result. People with diseases connected to poor sanitation fill half of the hospital beds in the developing world. So the Gates Foundation is trying to polish this turd by developing the next generation of toilet.
If you watch the video above (which you should! It's funny!), you'll find that the Gates Foundation is taking a cheeky approach to publicizing its new campaign to design "Toilet 2.0." -
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Industrialized countries are now losing the clean energy race
Developing countries now lead investment in clean energy -- representing about $72 billion in spending in 2010, versus $70 billion in rich countries.
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Houses made of bacteria could save 800 million tons of CO2
What would the world be like if we could build houses out of bacteria? For starters, the story of the Three Little Pigs might have ended very differently. But biomanufactured bricks, made of a mixture of sand and non-pathogenic bacteria, could also help house people in developing countries while saving almost 800 million tons of CO2 every year.
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Canada’s step away from the Kyoto Protocol can be a constructive step forward
Canada confirmed Friday that it will not take on a target under an extension of the Kyoto Protocol following the completion of the first commitment period, 2008-2012. Given that Canada is likely to miss by a wide margin its current target under the first commitment period, this decision may not be surprising, but it is […]
