How is solar power changing lives in India’s rural communities?

Relatively simple and affordable technology often provides the most telling change in terms of developing rural areas in the Less Economically Developed World. This example explains how simple solar technology is providing electric lighting to a small settlement in India and explains the positive impact it is having on people’s lives:

Will China’s mining industry clean up it’s act?

China’s mining industry has played a major role in the rapid economic growth of the country in recent years. However the incidnece of work related deaths in Chinese mines is very high, as shown by the typical incidents below, is it time the Chinese mining companies put as much value on thelives of their workers as they do on the resources they extract?

How do wind turbines work?

Some people believe that wind turbines hold the answer to our need for “clean” energy. This is how they work:

Can the precious desert woodlands of Peru be preserved?


Are we running out of water?

Everyone needs water to live and it’s in increasing demand for industrial processes, recreation and agriculture. The World’s increasing population and the variation in the distribution of water that is occurring due to climate change are additional factors which must be managed.

This map shows where water stress is expected to occur:

Some experts expect there to be a “scramble for water” as sources dry up in some areas:

Many people think that there needs to be a global discussion about how water resources can be allocated more fairly:

How does carbon capture work?

Ideas to trap the harmful gasses produced by burning fossil fuels in power stations are not new, but the technology to trap greenhouse gases is relatively young. If it works, it would allow for relatively cheap and available sources of energy, such as coal to be used without the fear of adding to global warming. This would buy the world time to develop other alternatives before the fossil fuels run out.

An explanation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) can be found here:

Do cancelled timber contracts mean a better future for the forests of DR Congo?

An attempt to root out corruption from the logging industry in DR Congo means that there should be more control over which areas are logged and which are protected. Can a sustainable future for these important forests be found?