Eight19 takes its name from the time it takes sunlight to reach the earth – 8 minutes and 19 seconds. Its mission is to replace kerosene with solar power. Due to their successful work, this week Eight19 won the Climate Week Award 2012 for “Best Initiative for a Small or Medium-Sized Business.” THE CHALLENGE Over 1.6 [...]
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MDG drinking water target met! | GUARDIAN: Using microcredit to increase access to H2O & sanitation
March 12, 2012
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On March 6th, the UN announced that Millennium Development Goal (MGD) – to halve by 2015 proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water – has been met. Increasing sustainable access to sanitation for the same population, however, was not met. Nevertheless, this achievement is monumental considering that between 1990 and 2010, over [...]
Read more Shipping Pallets = Refugee Housing
March 11, 2012
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In refugee and post-disaster areas, where there is a shortage of just about everything, designers at I-Beam realized one plentiful item was wooden shipping pallets. Used to ship everything from food to medical supplies and other relief aid – palettes are versatile, recyclable, and easily and cheaply assembled. Creating IKEA-like house templates utilizing the pallets, [...]
Read more International Women’s Day | Farm Radio
March 10, 2012
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In today’s developed world the Internet and other innovations have for the most part replaced radio. But in developing countries, radio continues to be the primary source of information, especially in rural communities. Today for International Women’s Day and its theme “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty,” TechDevelopment is focusing on Farm Radio, [...]
Read more 1st Mobile Phone Cash Transfers for Housing in Haiti
March 7, 2012
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As of this week, Haiti’s earthquake affected households will begin receiving mobile cash transfers to aid in housing reconstruction. This will be the first ever post-disaster housing reconstruction mobile money transfer mechanism. The initiative is part of the Community Support Centers for House Repairs, a collaboration between the Haitian Government , the UN Development Program and Digicel, Haiti’s largest [...]
Read more The Mountain Band-Aid | 2nd in SkyScraper Competition
March 7, 2012
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The deterioration of mountains due to industrialization and mineral exploitation has had disastrous effects on both the natural environment and the traditional cultures of local populations. The Hmong people, who have made their homes in the mountains of Southern China and the Yunnan Province for centuries, have felt the acute effects of industrialization. Due to [...]
Read more Sewage = Energy | A new device can transform waste plants into power plants
March 6, 2012
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Human waste can now generate enough energy to support entire water grids through the utilization of a new device called a “microbial reverse-electrodialysiscell” (MRC) that combines distinct technologies. Self-powered sewage plants capable of powering the treatment and pumping of water, hold huge potential in developing countries that lack the infrastructure to sustain the sanitation systems. An estimated [...]
Read more Airdrop Sucks Water Out of Dry Skies & Saves Crops | Winner of James Dyson Award
November 8, 2011
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Airdrop, created by Edward Lincare of Australia, is this year’s winner of the James Dyson Award. Developed in response to the devastating effects of drought on agriculturally dependent communities, Airdrop is capable of producing water in the dries of climates. This includes droughts in the Australian outback that motivated Lincare to create Airdrop. Airdrop is [...]
Read more Biometrics & finger-printing successfully combat Tuberculosis
October 21, 2011
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Using low-cost biometric technology, Operation ASHA (Hope in Hindi), has been able to successfully monitor and track TB patients in the slums of India as part of their eCompliance program. To ensure compliance with strict TB medication regimes, ASHA enters the finger-prints of patients into a biometric device. At the end of the day ASHA then prints [...]
Read more Hey Kids, “How can technology make the world a better place?” | Telecom World 2011
October 21, 2011
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This year’s ITU Telecom World 2011 Conference (October 24-27) is looking to the little guys for BIG ideas and solutions to the world’s problems. The ITU is calling on schoolchildren across the globe to submit their ideas, prototypes and innovations in areas where technology can be harnessed to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. [...]
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