Energy poverty may not mean much to most people because up until now no one has bothered explaining the concept. And even though “energy poverty” was not mentioned directly, the knowledge vacuum began to be filled on December 24th when the New York Times published African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power, […]
NYT: Energy poverty on the agenda for 2011 Read More »
Lost kittens is what we call the odds and ends we collect from the internet to share with you. As 2010 draws to close, we think this is a great time to thank all of you who have written to encourage us since we embarked on our mission only one year ago. Your words of
Lost Kittens of 2010 Read More »
What’s most glaring about this cool infographic on global investment in clean energy is not how much is invested around the world, but how little is invested in Africa, where over 90 percent of sub-Saharan Africa depends on wood, charcoal, and animal dung for cooking and heating. This graphic also raises a larger question: what
A two-graphic argument for redefining what constitutes Clean Energy Read More »
BBC | 15 December 2010 By Ed Butler (Reporter, Business Daily, BBC World Service, Ethiopia) A controversial new farms policy has led to a political clampdown in a remote lowland region of Ethiopia, the BBC has been told. Opposition activists claim that a number of arrests and the killings of 10 local farmers are as
ETHIOPIA: Land grab fears for rural communities Read More »
Planted forests in the south central province of Phu Yen are being ravaged by charcoal and timber sellers. Due to a grave deriliction of duty on the part of the proper authorities, the trees’ planters say they have resorted to begging the wood prospectors to stop. On Wednesday, Thanh Nien witnessed charcoal makers proudly carrying
VIETNAM: Officials stand by as forest burned to charcoal Read More »
News roundup on Cancun
The piece that really caught our eye was an editorial by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday which all but sealed the coffin on multi-lateralism and a UN-brokered solution to Climate Change in Cancun.
The reason we’ve chosen to share the nay-sayer’s perspective is because that US remains a major emitter of greenhouse gases and there exists a powerful lobby of Climate Change-deniers that have grown increasingly confident since the sweep by Republicans in the recent November mid-term elections.
Cancun: What they’re saying Read More »
OPINION
When it comes to deploying energy efficient technologies — like clean cookstoves, improved charcoal-making kilns, and sustainable alternatives to wood, charcoal, and animal dung fuels for the world’s three billion energy poor — the ratio of words to action and funding has, until recently, been woefully lopsided.
Cancun: A flat-line or heartbeat for energy poverty alleviation? Read More »
The Guardian, London, UK — 10 December, 2010 As ministers discuss the technicalities of carbon emissions at the Cancún climate change conference, 1.5 billion people in poorer countries still have no access to electricity. We need to address this injustice While the discussions on strategies to reduce global emissions rage on in Cancún, too many
CANCUN: “We must end energy apartheid” Read More »
No, we’re not referring to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. From our friends at WorldStove comes this playful video intended to drive home the point about the perils of cooking on three stone fires, which, as we all know, is the only technology available to almost half the world’s population. Factoid: Glenn Close’s Dad was
VIDEO: A modern take on the “killer in the kitchen.” Read More »
A report by the Kenya Forest Services (KFS) and environmental lobby groups says that most parts of the country are likely to suffer desertification if measures to control indiscriminate cutting of trees are not taken.
“Water volume in at least eight rivers in the North Rift have drastically declined while springs that feed River Kerio and Sosiani River are on the verge of drying up,” said Mr John Chumo of Friends of Nandi Environmentalists, a local lobby group.
KENYA: Demand for food and fuel endangers forests Read More »
Most people in the United States, Europe, or Brazil think of ethanol as a heavily subsidized corn- or sugar-based liquid biofuel that is often mixed with gasoline to power so-called “flex-fuel” vehicles.
But for the 3 billion people who depend on wood, charcoal, or animal dung for their household cooking or heating, ethanol means … … Well, ummm, actually, the word “ethanol” probably doesn’t mean all that much.
One plucky non-profit is hoping to change this by making locally and sustainably produced ethanol an attractive homefuel alternative to solid biomass fuels for the world’s 3 billion energy poor
Relieving Haiti’s homefuel crisis through ethanol Read More »
The rural poor of the world are the custodians of huge quantities of terrestrial carbon. As an example about 60% of Africa’s carbon is found in the drylands of the continent. These are vast, sparsely vegetated areas mainly inhabited by poor farmers and pastoralists.
For poor farmers and pastoralists, conserving carbon is – of course – not a priority.
Cancun’s Lost Kittens Read More »
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