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Challenging energy poverty

Access to decent energy is vital to escape poverty. Energy impacts upon every part of people’s lives: from the physical impact of firewood collection on women to the lack of enterprise opportunity; the health impacts and deaths caused by killer kitchen smoke; to energy to power clinics and schools. However, half the world's population still have no access to modern energy.

Join the conversation on how we can use technology to tackle energy poverty.

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  • Reply

    Gemma Hume said:

    said:
    I wanted to kick the conversation off by asking: What technologies do you use for daily life that rely on having easy access to energy?
    on 2/11/11
    • Reply

      David Ray said:

      said:
      What happened to DavidMcO's X-prize model proposals from the last Geek Club? This would seem very pertinant to the problem of access to energy.
      on 2/11/11
      • Reply

        Gemma Hume said:

        said:
        Hi David. Would you be able to expand on this for me? I can't find these comments on the last Geek Club on disaster risk reduction.
        on 2/11/11
        • Reply

          David Ray said:

          said:
          Last one I joined in on: How do you make technology appropriate? See item 3 page 3. You could go for a big prize donated by an individual. The $1.5 million prize offered by Wendy Schmidt for cleaning up oil spills (see New Scientist 29 Oct 2011 pp 46-49) provides a good model of success for the X Prize Foundation. Or you could go for smaller prizes aimed at the undergraduate project level from PA funds.
          on 2/11/11
          • Reply

            DavidMc0 said:

            said:
            Practical Action's expertise plus on-the-ground experience & links to potential end users of various solutions would put them in a good place to specify prizes that teams could aim to claim. Other organisations and companies could sponsor individual prizes. As David Tay said, it could also be a great way for undergraduates, or even school teams to get involved in some of these issues, and potentially make beneficial contributions. The effort some school teams put into RobotWars showed what can be done with a bit of focus!
            on 2/11/11
            • Reply

              Gemma Hume said:

              said:
              Hi David, yes, this is a really good idea. It is something that is done by various organisatons such as Engineers Without Borders, Development Technologies, Engineering Aid and Innocentive and Practical Action has links with all of these. I have forwarded this on to my colleagues at Practical Action who will be in touch. Many thanks.
              on 2/11/11
  • Reply

    Simon Redding said:

    said:
    Well, it's 10am, so time to reply! How about: - heat - light - washing - cooking - water supply - IT - transport Everything else in my life happens outside of my influence/area (e.g. manufacture of my stuff) or is less necessary (e.g. TV)...
    on 2/11/11
  • Reply

    Katie Welford said:

    said:
    My mobile phone, getting a lift to work (in someone else's car!), my electric oven, my laptop and very importantly my digital radio are all things I rely on for getting me through the day.
    on 2/11/11
  • Reply

    Simon Redding said:

    said:
    Oop - forgot communication (the phone charger) and music player.
    on 2/11/11
  • Reply

    Jamie Oliver said:

    said:
    If I couldn't charge my iPhone each night (or top it up in the car) I'd be lost. I was thinking this the other day. I travel lots for my job and I often double check details of meetings (times and locations) en route and also check routes when I get near a destination. I had a meeting the other day and before setting off I knew it was in central Oxford, but hadn't checked on a map exactly where it was. Once I parked up I was relying on the maps on my phone to guide me straight to the building. Whilst I was doing this, I was thinking about how much extra preparation and forward planning I would need for every meeting if I didn't have an iPhone. It's sad to say I'm completely reliant on it...
    on 2/11/11

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