Here is an example of the kind of post you might make for this assignment.

Kiva.org allows people in the developed world to lend money directly to people who need a loan in the developing world. There is so far a 100% repayment rate on these loans. This is an example of micro-credit, which we will discuss in our class. In this case web, paypal, and internet technology is allowing the funding for microfinance to come directly from individuals rather than banks.

http://www.kiva.org/

In order to better understand their service I just made a $200 loan to this young woman.

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page =businesses&action=about& ;id=7184

TheAirCar.com is the information page for a compressed air powered car developed by Guy Nègre. It has the potential to be a truly emissions free vehicle as the only thing that would leave it would be what was originally put in, air. The car also features other environmental features, the body construction will not use sheet steel as most modern vehicles do but fiber-glass (or even hemp) instead. Something like this could help alleviate countless social troubles, pollution and fossil-fuel dependence for instance. Though the project has so far been vaporware, the ideas are sound and production negotiations are underway with Indian manufacturing group Tata Motors.

http://www.theaircar.com/

More of an instance of charity than a breakthrough, a recent story in Wired documents how a non-profit organization brought free wireless network to San Francisco's Westside Courts housing project, where crime and poverty are overwhelming. The Westside Wi-Fi Project has set up exlusive internet access in the apartment complex, free from the usual public utility poles that dominate Wi-Fi networks. The organizers of the project are also helping provide access to cheap computer equipment and are constantly troubleshooting the system. The project has helped give tenants access to more social services and job oppurtunities, as well as organize tribute to neighbors who have experienced violence or death.

http://www.wired.com/politics/on linerights/news/2007/04/wifiproj ect_0403?currentPage=all

Lucas Turner (at) ucsc.edu said:

More of an instance of charity than a breakthrough, a recent story in Wired documents how a non-profit organization brought free wireless network to San Francisco's Westside Courts housing project, where crime and poverty are overwhelming. The Westside Wi-Fi Project has set up exlusive internet access in the apartment complex, free from the usual public utility poles that dominate Wi-Fi networks. The organizers of the project are also helping provide access to cheap computer equipment and are constantly troubleshooting the system. The project has helped give tenants access to more social services and job oppurtunities, as well as organize tribute to neighbors who have experienced violence or death.

http://www.wired.com/politics/on linerights/news/2007/04/wifiproj ect_0403?currentPage=all

Energy production and storage is one of the most pressing social issues of our time. Currently, energy is primarily produced from two sources—fossil fuels and nuclear fission. While both of these sources are reliable and effective sources of energy, they have massive drawbacks that prevent them from being feasible over the long-term, including resource depletion and large amounts of dangerous by-products.

SolarMission Technologies has created a solar energy solution that addresses the issues of energy creation discussed above, and propels solar energy into position as a highly feasible energy source for large-scale production. Their “Solar Chimney” will, when construction is completed in the Australian outback in 2010, produce 200MW of energy and, “reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1 million tonnes per year compared to a 200MW brown-coal powered generator. “ The Chimney consists of two parts, a 1000 meter tower (the Chimney), with a 150 meter diameter, and a 5 km diameter solar collector, which traps air at ground level inside an, “air-tight transparent collector,” which will allow the sun to heat the air, thus forcing it upwards into the chimney where it will power turbines to create energy. An advantage of this system is that the warm air can be saved for a length of time, allowing the generator to work at night and during days where the sun is not directly visible.

This technology, if implemented widely, could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solve the issue of resource depletion. With the ability to power 200,000 households, Solar Chimneys will hopefully play a role in the push to reduce reliance on outdated, harmful energy sources.

Sources: http://gosunsolutions.com/home/c ontent/view/35/2/ http://www.solarmissiontechnolog ies.com/project.htm

-Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name)

Another article taken from Wired...

The police in Oakland (as well as a few other US cities) have started to put in high power microphones all around high crime areas in Oakland to cut down on the rising murder rate. The microphones (shot spotters) will be hidden near each other so that, when gunfire is heard, they can be used to triangulate the source and inform the nearest officer of the incident. So far the mics have been found rather useful; it has allowed the police to respond faster, and in situations where the gunshots might not have been reported.

While I feel that this is a good development, I don't think it fully addresses the issue. While we should spend time finding and bringing to justice those that commit these crimes, we should also strive to make efforts to prevent crime from happening. After the shots have been fired, the damage is done. The ability of the police to catch criminals is still far better than our ability to stop crime.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archi ve/15.04/shotspotter.html

The World Bank Group offers loans, advice, and an array of customized resources. They help the developing countries in the world become from a third world country to a first world country. It works for a world of free poverty and that is something that I really hate in this world. Poverty in the world is a burden to every society and it makes many people suffer. The World Bank will lend money to those developing countries that need the funds. Therefore, this bank will make this world a better place.

http://www.worldbank.org/

The World Bank Group offers loans, advice, and an array of customized resources. They help the developing countries in the world become from a third world country to a first world country. It works for a world of free poverty and that is something that I really hate in this world. Poverty in the world is a burden to every society and it makes many people suffer. The World Bank will lend money to those developing countries that need the funds. Therefore, this bank will make this world a better place. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/ EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,pagePK:50 004410~piPK:36602~theSitePK:2970 8,00.html

someone (at) yahoo.com said:

...It works for a world of free poverty and that is something that I really hate in this world. Poverty in the world is a burden to every society and it makes many people suffer. The World Bank will lend money to those developing countries that need the funds. Therefore, this bank will make this world a better place.

Except, in many cases, the World Bank's neoliberal policies have had extremely negative effects upon the countries it purports to help. The conditions of World Bank and IMF loans are often ones that force countries to open their borders completely (known as trade liberalization), allowing foreign imports to flood their markets and quash any chance of domestic industries gaining a foothold and stabilizing the country's economy. The World Bank also supports privatization, and often forces governments to privatize large parts of their public services as conditions for loans. In many cases, the transnational corporations that take over operations of public services, like providing water or power, raise rates and cut off services from those who cannot pay, which are, of course, the poorest citizens.

There's a flip side to this--the World Bank and IMF's policies have tamed inflation in many countries, which could be seen as a first step to improvement. However, the damage that has been wreaked in some of the poorest countries in the world--Bolivia, Jamaica, and many african counties--speaks volumes about the harmful policies that the World Bank holds dear.

Anyway, I just thought that was important to share.

The economist Joseph Stiglitz, who was once head economist for the World Bank, has written some excellent essays on the shortfalls of that institution and the IMF.

-JM

The refreshing period of linux software is 6-8 years as opposed to microsoft's 3-4 years. This shorter period of time means that more people are throwing out their computers that use microsoft for only small upgrades in their technology. This being said, if everyone used linux, computer waste going into landfills would be halved as well as 240kg of fossil fuels would be saved because of the uneeded computers. The reason why I chose this article is because it says in the end that using Linux is "the most green way to run your home computer system."

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/v iew/459/index.html

Engineers Without Borders is a global non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.

whoops, forgot to give you the website! For EWB-USA the website is: www.ewb-usa.org

Greenstar produces its Greenstar Solar Community Center, which incorporates renewable energy technology into the unit as a way to connect “off-grid” locales with the rest of the world. The group focuses on exhibiting the traditional cultures of the region by capturing artwork and media as well as providing potable drinking water, a medical center within the unit, a center for education, high-speed internet, and overall, a safe area for the community to gather during the night and day. Part of the income that is generated by the local artwork and images are given back to the villages to support activities, such as environmental and public health programs. Photovoltaic panels power all of the components of the unit and the unit is highly portable and simple to install. In general, it seems that this innovation is a significant step towards providing developing areas with a sense of empowerment and a way of enhancing their living conditions (without sacrificing local culture) in a sustainable manner.

http://www.greenstar.org/

Well James, we're doing our own. Using the IPR from my software product to create revenue for international human rights advocacy work. this is based on a People-Centered business model which renders profit to community purpose.

The objective is to establish this social model for doing business on a global scale by leveraging development aid funding to seed the creation of new business working under the same paradigm.

For instance, the project below recently submitted to an overseas government where revenue generating wimax installations offset the cost of large scale reform in institutional childcare, where the raw materials of child exploitation and human trafficking are to be found.

http://www.netsquared.org/projec ts/proposals/targetted-economic- development-for-social-and-econo mic-empowerment

Not much interest in the idea there as you can see. I've been unable to login for at least a week and can't get anyone to fix it.

http://freecycle.org/

Freecycle is kind of like a craigslist clone except everything on there is free. Users can search for items that they would like and can offer things that they no longer need to other people. The point of freecycle is to trade with others and acquire the things that you want while getting rid of things you no longer need. Freecycle help people who want to save a buck or those in need who just can't afford to buy new. Also, freecycle reduces waste in our society and that is extremely important as we use the most resources of any country on the planet.

globalactionnetwork.org (Global Action Network) is an e-forum intended to link various officials and leaders together for the purpose of improving reproductive health and other matters associatied with population growth. Two of the really cool things about the website are: (1) that it provides an area for people experienced in improving reproductive health to guide and mentor those interested in getting started (e-mentoring), and (2) that it promotes activism by connecting like-minded individuals, creating synergy where none would have existed were it not for this site.

note: I couldn't get the site to save my name in my profile, so I'll post it here - Matthew Johns

How does this compare to Fuel Cells which emit only water?

-james

Thomas Sibbach said:

TheAirCar.com is the information page for a compressed air powered car developed by Guy Nègre. It has the potential to be a truly emissions free vehicle as the only thing that would leave it would be what was originally put in, air. The car also features other environmental features, the body construction will not use sheet steel as most modern vehicles do but fiber-glass (or even hemp) instead. Something like this could help alleviate countless social troubles, pollution and fossil-fuel dependence for instance. Though the project has so far been vaporware, the ideas are sound and production negotiations are underway with Indian manufacturing group Tata Motors.

http://www.theaircar.com/

This is a nice example of a local deployment of technology that would be helpful in many other areas as well. The issue of providing internet access is a big one and we will likely see examples of similar technology used in far different circumstances like rural villages in Africa. The benefit is the same - access to education and jobs.

-james

someone (at) ucsc.edu said:

More of an instance of charity than a breakthrough, a recent story in Wired documents how a non-profit organization brought free wireless network to San Francisco's Westside Courts housing project, where crime and poverty are overwhelming. The Westside Wi-Fi Project has set up exlusive internet access in the apartment complex, free from the usual public utility poles that dominate Wi-Fi networks. The organizers of the project are also helping provide access to cheap computer equipment and are constantly troubleshooting the system. The project has helped give tenants access to more social services and job oppurtunities, as well as organize tribute to neighbors who have experienced violence or death.

http://www.wired.com/politics/on linerights/news/2007/04/wifiproj ect_0403?currentPage=all

Do they have smaller working prototypes? Or only plans for a large one in 2010?

-j

someone (at) ucsc.edu said:

Energy production and storage is one of the most pressing social issues of our time. Currently, energy is primarily produced from two sources—fossil fuels and nuclear fission. While both of these sources are reliable and effective sources of energy, they have massive drawbacks that prevent them from being feasible over the long-term, including resource depletion and large amounts of dangerous by-products.

SolarMission Technologies has created a solar energy solution that addresses the issues of energy creation discussed above, and propels solar energy into position as a highly feasible energy source for large-scale production. Their “Solar Chimney” will, when construction is completed in the Australian outback in 2010, produce 200MW of energy and, “reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1 million tonnes per year compared to a 200MW brown-coal powered generator. “ The Chimney consists of two parts, a 1000 meter tower (the Chimney), with a 150 meter diameter, and a 5 km diameter solar collector, which traps air at ground level inside an, “air-tight transparent collector,” which will allow the sun to heat the air, thus forcing it upwards into the chimney where it will power turbines to create energy. An advantage of this system is that the warm air can be saved for a length of time, allowing the generator to work at night and during days where the sun is not directly visible.

This technology, if implemented widely, could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solve the issue of resource depletion. With the ability to power 200,000 households, Solar Chimneys will hopefully play a role in the push to reduce reliance on outdated, harmful energy sources.

Sources: http://gosunsolutions.com/home/c ontent/view/35/2/ http://www.solarmissiontechnolog ies.com/project.htm

-Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name)

You make an interesting point about prevention vs punishment. Do you think increasing the likelihood of punishment (since more people will be caught) will also serve as a deterent, and thus a form of prevention?

-james

Daniel Sherman said:

Another article taken from Wired...

The police in Oakland (as well as a few other US cities) have started to put in high power microphones all around high crime areas in Oakland to cut down on the rising murder rate. The microphones (shot spotters) will be hidden near each other so that, when gunfire is heard, they can be used to triangulate the source and inform the nearest officer of the incident. So far the mics have been found rather useful; it has allowed the police to respond faster, and in situations where the gunshots might not have been reported.

While I feel that this is a good development, I don't think it fully addresses the issue. While we should spend time finding and bringing to justice those that commit these crimes, we should also strive to make efforts to prevent crime from happening. After the shots have been fired, the damage is done. The ability of the police to catch criminals is still far better than our ability to stop crime.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archi ve/15.04/shotspotter.html

Ah.. the World Bank. A great one to add to this list. Two questions.

1. Can you find an example of how they are using "technology"? Since their basic methods are essentially economic.
2. There are many people that are frustrated with the World Bank and feel that it has done more harm than good. Can you do a little reading and make a concise statement summarizing those criticisms. (I don't have a clear opinion myself, I'm just noting that there is in fact controversy.)

-james

someone (at) yahoo.com said:

The World Bank Group offers loans, advice, and an array of customized resources. They help the developing countries in the world become from a third world country to a first world country. It works for a world of free poverty and that is something that I really hate in this world. Poverty in the world is a burden to every society and it makes many people suffer. The World Bank will lend money to those developing countries that need the funds. Therefore, this bank will make this world a better place.

http://www.worldbank.org/

Thats the criticism I was looking for in my reply to the original poster. Kudos to the poster of this comment for a thoughtful discussion point back to an original post.

-james

Except, in many cases, the World Bank's neoliberal policies have had extremely negative effects upon the countries it purports to help. The conditions of World Bank and IMF loans are often ones that force countries to open their borders completely (known as trade liberalization), allowing foreign imports to flood their markets and quash any chance of domestic industries gaining a foothold and stabilizing the country's economy. The World Bank also supports privatization, and often forces governments to privatize large parts of their public services as conditions for loans. In many cases, the transnational corporations that take over operations of public services, like providing water or power, raise rates and cut off services from those who cannot pay, which are, of course, the poorest citizens.

Hey there! So here is a website for a company that I almost had an internship with:

http://www.retrostrategies.com/

They are a company that specializes in reducing energy consumption in existing buildings. It is called Recommissioning, and it saves people a lot of money in the long run. It deals with fixing existing lighting, control systems and electrical setups in the existing buildings. This company is also part of LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. They determine Green Design in five main areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. This can be seen on their website: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage .aspx?CategoryID=19

I feel really passionate about Green Engineering because it will be the next step in how our society deals with its consumption and pollution problems. This will help us limit our power consumption and use our resources much more efficiently. I really want to get into helping design new ways to implement this in the world and help save our planet!!!!

From the linked site:

A 50kW prototype solar tower (pictured above) was constructed in Spain way back in 1982. This plant 150km south of Madrid had an 800 foot diameter collector and a 600 foot tall 33 foot wide tower. Over the next seven years the solar tower operated for 15,000 hours during which time enormous amounts of tests were undertaken. It proved possible to run the power plant automatically with just one supervisor required, and the concept was proven to be a very reliable means of generating clean electricity.

-JM (site still uncooperative)

James Davis said:

Do they have smaller working prototypes? Or only plans for a large one in 2010?

-j

someone (at) ucsc.edu said:

SolarMission Technologies has created a solar energy solution that addresses the issues of energy creation discussed above, and propels solar energy into position as a highly feasible energy source for large-scale production. Their “Solar Chimney” will, when construction is completed in the Australian outback in 2010, produce 200MW of energy and, “reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1 million tonnes per year compared to a 200MW brown-coal powered generator. “ The Chimney consists of two parts, a 1000 meter tower (the Chimney), with a 150 meter diameter, and a 5 km diameter solar collector, which traps air at ground level inside an, “air-tight transparent collector,” which will allow the sun to heat the air, thus forcing it upwards into the chimney where it will power turbines to create energy. An advantage of this system is that the warm air can be saved for a length of time, allowing the generator to work at night and during days where the sun is not directly visible.

-Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name)

i recently read an article on yahoo that the world bank is giving african nations more than a hundred million dollars to create a wifi network in order to bring the internet to people that have never seen anything like it before. i believe this is a great idea because it will introduce the modern world to these people and bring everyone closer via the internet. but i also think this program is addressing a need that is like a 2 on a scale on 10 for importance. yes its nice to have the internet but when most of the people are living in dire poverty and has no access to clean water, the internet is the least of their worries. this program is, i believe, a prime example of great intentions, but money being wasted when it could be helping more critical problems.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070 403/wr_nm/kenya_internet_dc_1