:Title: Assignment: Find an example of technology for social issues :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:30:28 PDT :URL: http://www.omidyar.net/group/cmps80j/news/2/ Search the web. Find someone doing something with technology to address any social issue you are passionate about. Post a comment in this discussion thread with a short description of what they are doing and why its important, along with a link. Try to convince us to be excited about it too! (If you aren't excited yourself, then go back to step 1 and find something else.) In case you have no idea where to start looking, here are some organizations and foundations that sponser other social entrepreneurs. Some of these are using technology as an important component. http://home.omidyar.net/portfolio.php http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/031407.asp http://www.ashoka.org/ http://www.changemakers.net/ ---- **Comments** :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:12:00 PDT 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 ---- :Author: Thomas Sibbach :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:51:49 PDT 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/ ---- :Author: lucas turner :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:21:31 PDT 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/onlinerights/news/2007/04/wifiproject_0403?currentPage=all ---- :Author: lucas turner :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:24:33 PDT 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/onlinerights/news/2007/04/wifiproject_0403?currentPage=all ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:59:03 PDT 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/content/view/35/2/ http://www.solarmissiontechnologies.com/project.htm -Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name) ---- :Author: Daniel Sherman :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:09:04 PDT 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/archive/15.04/shotspotter.html ---- :Author: someone (at) yahoo.com :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:24:41 PDT 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/ ---- :Author: someone (at) yahoo.com :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:30:20 PDT 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:50004410~piPK:36602~theSitePK:29708,00.html ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:30:00 PDT 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. .. _`Joseph Stiglitz`: http://www.alternet.org/story/12652 -JM ---- :Author: Kathleen McIvor :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:36:28 PDT 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/view/459/index.html ---- :Author: Oscar (CCAL30) :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:54:54 PDT 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. ---- :Author: Oscar (CCAL30) :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:55:46 PDT whoops, forgot to give you the website! For EWB-USA the website is: www.ewb-usa.org ---- :Author: Patricia Fung :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:15:11 PDT 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/ ---- :Author: Jeff Mowatt (CCAL30) :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:59:50 PDT 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/projects/proposals/targetted-economic-development-for-social-and-economic-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. ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:12:51 PDT 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. ---- :Author: Matthew Johns :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:03:56 PDT 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 ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:06:16 PDT 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/ ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:11:31 PDT 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/onlinerights/news/2007/04/wifiproject_0403?currentPage=all ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:15:29 PDT 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/content/view/35/2/ http://www.solarmissiontechnologies.com/project.htm -Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name) ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:18:31 PDT 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/archive/15.04/shotspotter.html ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:21:43 PDT 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/ ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:28:15 PDT 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.* ---- :Author: Laurel DeMarco :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:07:05 PDT 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!!!! ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:22:24 PDT 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)* ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:40:02 PDT 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/20070403/wr_nm/kenya_internet_dc_1 ---- :Author: Sara Cruz :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:48:01 PDT http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/GEFood/Hunger.asp This website, in general, covers a large scale of issues important to our present and future, but the article I focused on specifically discusses how genetically engineered food will change the way we approach the problem of world hunger. Some argue that by using technology to produce food, we will not only be ending hunger, but also the vast amount of poverty throughout the world. Currently, it seems that we direct the use of these crops towards livestock feed, which in turn contributes to feeing the already rich (through slaughtered livestock). Conclusively, this article argues that the technology needed to address the effects of poverty and hunger are available, yet so far, we haven't been applying them to the people and areas that are in most need of our help. -Sara Cruz. ---- :Author: Daniel Sherman :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:06:37 PDT James Davis said: 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 I don't believe that fear of punishment will greatly reduce the amount of crime. The article does state that most gunfire doesn't get reported, which might imply that those firing weapons are assuming they won't be called in, but I believe that most people who fireguns to kill or rob, have accepted the fact that there is a decent chance they'll be caught and imprissioned. They fire the guns because they need to or because they don't care about the repercussions, and having a greater chance of being caught doesn't change that. I brought up the issue of prevention as an aside to say that while it's wonderful that the police are getting better at finding criminals, we stil live in the number one nation for gun deaths, and prevention seems so much harder to come by. If only the mircrophones heard 25 minutes in the future... ---- :Author: Daniel Janulaitis :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:40:51 PDT Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) today announced that its first commercial plant is selling an equivalent of crude oil No. 4, produced from agricultural waste products. The Carthage, Missouri, plant is currently producing 100-200 barrels of oil per day utilizing by-products from an adjacent turkey processing facility. TCP succeeds in breaking down long chains of organic polymers into their smallest units and reforming them into new combinations to produce clean solid, liquid and gaseous alternative fuels and specialty chemicals. The process emulates the earth’s natural geothermal activity, whereby organic material is converted into fossil fuel under conditions of extreme heat and pressure over millions of years. It mimics the earth’s system by using pipes and controlling temperature and pressure to reduce the bio-remediation process from millions of years to mere hours. TCP is more than 80% energy efficient. In addition, it generates its own energy to power the plant, and uses the steam naturally created by the process to heat incoming feedstock, In addition, TCP produces no emissions and no secondary hazardous waste streams. http://www.res-energy.com/press/view_release.asp?id=1 ---- :Author: darrow wong :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:43:36 PDT http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_ther.htm a major social issue is euthnasia. with the new tecnology that was discovered; scientists can now clone human organs and grow it themselves. with this people might not have to make the decision of "pulling the plug" or not. a benefit that might occur much later is the eradication of diease. the article also mentioned that with this process; scientists might even be able to cure uncureable diseases such as the aids virus. ---- :Author: Jack Fuzell :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:12:12 PDT The Pangea Partnership at www.thepangeapartnership.org, is helping people in developing nations have housing that is efficient in its energy use and in what the house takes to be built. i believe this is very important because many parts of the world are becoming wealthier and want the lifestyle that we in the U.S. have. But if the world lived as we do it would be catastrophic for our environment. That's why I think this is an important use of technology. ---- :Author: Lars Hasselblad Torres :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:36:09 PDT great topic! and really interesting to get a window on technologies at the edges of social innovation. i'm pretty excited about cell phones, and the way increasingly dense carrier networks are enabling more and more people to access each other, resources, and even communicate life-saving information rapidly. Advances in hardware and software are improving the performance and versatility of cell phones while lowering their cost. `Here's a recent article`_ from the New York Times about how the cell phone is being used to augment care of HIV-infected persons in Rwanda [Paid content; a commentary on the article `here`_] .. _`Here's a recent article`: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/05/technology/05wireless.html .. _`here`: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=64656http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=64656 ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:37:51 PDT The usual logic is that infrastructure (roads, power, education, *internet* ) are important to enable business in the region. Business employs people. Employed people do not die of starvation. Now you can ask if this is the best use of money, and that is a sensible questions. However its not completely illogical. There is a clear correlation with investment in infrastructure and economic growth. SE Asia has seen the most GDP growth and also the greatest reduction in poverty over the last 10-20 years. Even if you don't like the trickle down economics way of looking at it, we will see some examples in the class where rural farmers who are suddenly given net access are able to get higher prices for their crops. I think no one knows the answer of how best to proceed. Your comments are a good starting point for discussion though. -james Chen Ni said: 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/20070403/wr_nm/kenya_internet_dc_1 ---- :Author: Jair Nepomuceno :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:43:15 PDT www.digg.com is website that allows all users to post any kind of information whether that be articles or videos about any topic they are interested in and would like to get others to support their ideas. The person's idea is then posted as an "Upcoming Story" and anyone can look at the post. This can be another way of trying to find people who would support similar ideas and try to extend effort into the community on certain issues. ---- :Author: Linda ทรัพยากร Nowakowski (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:11:34 PDT 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/ I might suggest you look at Kiva_, Prosper_ and C4_ .. _Kiva : http://kiva.org .. _Prosper : http://prosper.com .. _C4 : http://C4-world.com ---- :Author: Jordy Hyman :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:11:32 PDT "Will Technology Save Us From Overpopulation?" - www.acca21.org.cn/eng/2000/07/25.html I found this old article (circa 2000) discussing two opposing views of population growth and its implications. The economist faction was optimistic about population growth because they believed that people will essentially create resources through advancing technology. They put their faith in new clean energy sources, genetically engineered food that will solve world hunger, and cheap water desalination processes to support huge numbers of people. The environmentalists held the opposite viewpoint, that people only deplete earth's natural resources and new technology can't save us. I thought one point from the economists' viewpoint was very interesting: "More people and more consumption cause problems in the short run, such as pollution or resource shortages. But short-term scarcity raises prices and pollution causes public agitation and this attracts entrepreneurs who will come up with technological solutions and develop better ways to do things. And in the long run, these developments will leave us better off than if the problems hadn’t arisen at all." This basically states that the straining population is bound to cause tension and shortages which will cause public unrest, forcing people to come up with technological solutions. For example, the rapidly depleting reserve of crude oil will eventually force power companies and car companies to adjust their methods of energy production. I would like to think that Global Warming is just the scare that people need to realize that we have the power to leave a lasting change on the earth, and that we will take the hint and adjust the ways we live in order to survive as a global species. ---- :Author: Jeremy Schneider :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:13:28 PDT Right now finding effective replacements for fossil fuels are high up on priorities to help the environment and countries to become self reliant for all their energy needs. With new emerging technology and research trees are now becoming a viable source of ethanol fuel. Trees are much more efficient then corn and maze they are using to produce that fuel. Trees can also have less environmental impact than the maze that is being used. Here is an article that goes more into it. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8766061 ---- :Author: Tom Bowles :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:22:37 PDT Well, I have found several examples of social action through technology through the internet, more specifically facebook. Essentially, students and other people are utilizing Facebook as a platform for social change through petitions. An example of this is found regarding the Santa Cruz Party Ordinance, a draconian policy in the city that imposes stiff penalties with little real oversight and regulations for "rowdy" parties and gatherings, specifically aimed at University students. Here is the site in which students are gathering and sharing thoughts and strategies and logging the progress. http://ucsc.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2214611668 ---- :Author: Linda ทรัพยากร Nowakowski (CCAL30) :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:26:28 PDT Jeremy Schneider said: Right now finding effective replacements for fossil fuels are high up on priorities to help the environment and countries to become self reliant for all their energy needs. With new emerging technology and research trees are now becoming a viable source of ethanol fuel. Trees are much more efficient then corn and maze they are using to produce that fuel. Trees can also have less environmental impact than the maze that is being used. Here is an article that goes more into it. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8766061 This_ might provide you with some more specifics leads (that are close to my heart!). .. _this : http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/channel.html ---- :Author: Jared Rosen :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:38:35 PDT Recently a line of cars has been programmed with incredible hands-free parallel parking technology. Just kidding. Not about the Parking thing, though. Robot parking is awesome. http://www.controleng.com/index.asp?layout=articlectl&articleid=CA6418076&nid=2363&rid=%23reg_visitor_id Ugh, should have used tinyurl. In any case~ This site covers an innovative way to create efficient and reliable energy out of waste energy sources like vibrations and enviornmental heat. This sort of energy conversion is amazing, and though as of now the charging power is about the same as a small battery charger, it has the potential to create limitless energy from mundane processes if developed to the fullest extent. This could, in theory, provide cheap eand efficient energy to people around the globe, powering schools, hospitals,and other public services at low cost to very poor communities. And just think about it... you could automatically parallel park your vibration powered car. IN UGANDA. I'm excited. ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:00:38 PDT I agree with your point and see how a secure infrastructure is the foundation for improvement within a society. I understand the importance of spreading knowledge to developing nations but i just see this cash as almost pity charity. A hundred million dollars is a lot of money but when looking at what it is suppose to do, it is way too little. For internet and computers to be viable, basic things that we take for granted, like large network of phone lines and huge companies that make and maintain these networks cost vast amounts of money. As Rischard pointed out in High Noon, there are only about 5 phones per 100 people in developing nations. The resources required to bring such nations into the modern age is huge and that 160 million is but a small fraction of whats needed to connect Africa. I feel that this money would be better served by building schools near villages so that children don't need to walk 20 miles just to go to school, or for road improvements or, perhaps with help of the local government, some sort of subsidized public transportation to ferry kids who want to go to school. Africa's future does not depend on any of us, we can help but their fate is determined by their children. If the children aren't educated then it will just lead to another lost generation and more suffering for africa. James Davis said: The usual logic is that infrastructure (roads, power, education, *internet* ) are important to enable business in the region. Business employs people. Employed people do not die of starvation. Now you can ask if this is the best use of money, and that is a sensible questions. However its not completely illogical. There is a clear correlation with investment in infrastructure and economic growth. SE Asia has seen the most GDP growth and also the greatest reduction in poverty over the last 10-20 years. Even if you don't like the trickle down economics way of looking at it, we will see some examples in the class where rural farmers who are suddenly given net access are able to get higher prices for their crops. I think no one knows the answer of how best to proceed. Your comments are a good starting point for discussion though. -james Chen Ni said: 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/20070403/wr_nm/kenya_internet_dc_1 ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:06:01 PDT This is kind of late, but great info Julio. I didn't realize the world bank can also have such bad influences or that it has so many catches in order to receive a loan. Julio Miles said: 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. .. _`Joseph Stiglitz`: http://www.alternet.org/story/12652 -JM ---- :Author: 'Jon' Hwa-Chan Yu :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:48:59 PDT The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF)is a non-profit organization that provides solar power for rural regions in the developing world using photovoltaic technology. This project allows the rural regions to receive the benefits of electricity. With the help of solar power, these regions can gain access to better communication, education, and health. http://www.self.org/ ---- :Author: kate wellmon :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:09:46 PDT Just Vision is an organization that works to build a platform for peacemakers, specifically Palestinian and Israeli. Through the internet and documentaries, Just Vision connects people who promote understanding and nonviolence in Isreali and Palestinian societies. In a time where the media mostly covers violence in the Middle East, Just Vision is shifting the focus to peace and understanding of these societies as well as building effective relationships with Arab, Israeli and North American media. here is the website: http://proxied.changemakers.net/journal/peace/displaypeace.cfm?ID=193 ---- :Author: John Edwards :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:15:12 PDT http://www.selfhelp.ie/selfhelp/Main/Home.asp Self Help is an Irish run program designed to aid countries in Africa, particularly Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The way this website works is quite unique in the fact that it helps the people to help themselves and is not simply a white elephant. The site graciously accepts donations, and the donations definitely go to the people, but they go towards such things like helping the people become more successful farmers and ensuring that their crops, along with their water supply, stay clean and healthy. ---- :Author: Thomas Sibbach :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:32:11 PDT It's true the fuel cells emit only water, a wonderful step in emissions. However, fuel cells require a reactant, such as hydrogen, which is consumed. This engine requires nothing but plain compressed air. The air is not used as a chemical reactant or any such thing, so what's put out is the same. Curiously enough, it's designed to filter the air as it enters the vehicle, so its emissions are actually cleaner. Also, the air tank is constructed from carbon fiber so that it's non combustive in an accident. If it ruptures it'll just make a rather loud noise. Fuel cells have the potential of releasing unpleasant chemicals in an accident, just like current gasoline and diesel engines. James Davis said: How does this compare to Fuel Cells which emit only water? -james ---- :Author: Cesar Hernandez :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:58:32 PDT Have you ever wondered how much it costs to produce bottled water? Pablo Paster did some research to see how much it costs to produce a bottle of Fiji Water. His research concludes that 6.74 times as much water in the bottle is used to produce one bottle of Fiji Water. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php ---- :Author: Erica Goodwin :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:32:51 PDT The Tropical Forest Trust, or TFT, based in Geneva has developed a tracking system for the logging industry. The system, which helps cut down on illegal logging, gives each tree a barcode that is kept in a database throughout the logging process. It is tracked from the time it is cut down to the time it ends up in a factory until it is used for its final product and sold. If a tree is somehow entered into the system as a different type of tree, or if many of the same barcodes show up, it alerts the company to a potential illegal logging problem. This system also helps to combat global warming because it makes the business of logging more sustainable and the amount of waste is much less when every single cut down tree can be accounted for. This is important because it has provided a much more efficient way of tackling an environmental problem. The more accountable every institution becomes, the better it is for the environment, and this system creates accountability for every last tree in the logging industry. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL212898420070321?pageNumber=1 ---- :Author: Erica Goodwin :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:41:59 PDT Not that this is necessarily a bad argument, but it is the same made by those against abortion, the argument being that the aborted fetus could potentially be the next world leader or problem solver. You should check out a man named Julian Simon. He makes excellent points and even wins a bet with another economist about the future of world crop prices. someone (at) ucsc.edu said: "Will Technology Save Us From Overpopulation?" - www.acca21.org.cn/eng/2000/07/25.html I found this old article (circa 2000) discussing two opposing views of population growth and its implications. The economist faction was optimistic about population growth because they believed that people will essentially create resources through advancing technology. They put their faith in new clean energy sources, genetically engineered food that will solve world hunger, and cheap water desalination processes to support huge numbers of people. The environmentalists held the opposite viewpoint, that people only deplete earth's natural resources and new technology can't save us. I thought one point from the economists' viewpoint was very interesting: "More people and more consumption cause problems in the short run, such as pollution or resource shortages. But short-term scarcity raises prices and pollution causes public agitation and this attracts entrepreneurs who will come up with technological solutions and develop better ways to do things. And in the long run, these developments will leave us better off than if the problems hadn’t arisen at all." This basically states that the straining population is bound to cause tension and shortages which will cause public unrest, forcing people to come up with technological solutions. For example, the rapidly depleting reserve of crude oil will eventually force power companies and car companies to adjust their methods of energy production. I would like to think that Global Warming is just the scare that people need to realize that we have the power to leave a lasting change on the earth, and that we will take the hint and adjust the ways we live in order to survive as a global species. ---- :Author: Samantha Riffle :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:58:34 PDT Seeds for Africa is a charity that helps people in Africa by giving them the power. What you do is donate the amount of money you want online by purchasing a certain package. The money is used to buy farming supplies and seeds so families in Africa can grow and sell their own food. It's a great way to help stop starvation in Third World countries, and it's an idea that is sustainable. http://www.seedsforafrica.org/home.htm -Samantha Riffle ---- :Author: Andy Kortman :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:17:46 PDT Paul Stamets offers spores from mycelial fungi to innoculate dead wood at his website www.fungi.com. Mycelial networks can be grown in degraded landscapes to more quickly recycle organic material into the ecosystem, filter water, and provide edible mushrooms. Mycelium can also be utilized to incease the absorptive surface area of roots and decrease the dependence on external fertilizers. While mycelium itself is not a anthropogenic technology, its direct application to plant roots is, as well as the choices involved in picking an appropiate species. ---- :Author: Nohemi Cardenas :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:44:10 PDT The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an organization that deals with lots of social problems like clean air & energy, global warning, clean water and oceans, wildlife, forest, environmental justice, nuclear weapons and many more. The social problem I was concern with was air pollution. In the article “How to Clean Coal” by Craig Canine talks about how many old coal-fired power plants built in the 1950s and 1960s needs to be replaced because since they use old technology it causes more pollution. The U.S. utility companies have announced their intention of building more than 100 new coal plants over the next 10 to 15 years. Many argue that this nuclear plant should be designed to capture CO2. The captured CO2 gas would then be piped deep below the earth's surface for permanent storage. This concept, often referred to as "carbon capture and sequestration" (CCS, for short). By doing we are going to have a cleaner air for humans to breathe. http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/05fal/coal1.asp?r=n ---- :Author: Charlotte Nordstrom :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:05:27 PDT I found a website http://greenskeptic.blogspot.com/2006/03/social-entrepreneurs-iqbal-quadir.html that mentioned two people who were making social changes through the use of technology. Igbal Quadir has given women in Bangladesh cell phones through what has become a very popular phone company in Bangladesh, GrameenPhone. Another entrepreneur mentioned in the article is Dean Kamen; together with Quadir are trying to bring electricity and clean water to rural villages just as the cell phone service has reached out to many. Electricity is created using a cow dung-powered generator and the “Slingshot” water purifier are both easily mobile and has the potential to be carried between areas in need. Using animal wastes as fuel is a very creative way of reducing the local waste. ---- :Author: someone (at) yahoo.com :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:35:54 PDT Well, something that impacts us all while living in Santa Cruz is the water supply. Since Santa Cruz's population keeps increasing, there also needs to be an increase in the resources necessary to support its residents. One of the main issues will be water. A way of meeting this demand is to make a desalination plant. Desalination is the process of taking ocean water and making it into potable water. Though it sounds like a good solution, there are a lot of possible problems that could arise....to find out what those are, read on ;) http://www.cityonahillpress.com/article.php?id=65 ---- :Author: richard kho :Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:43:39 PDT Brazil has opted to give native Indian tribes in the Amazon free internet access in an effort to save the rainforests by making the tribes more aware of the current situations. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/03/30/amazon.internet.ap/index.html I think that this is a pretty cool thing to do, though I'm not sure how giving them internet access is going to make them aware of saving the rainforest. ---- :Author: Calvin Lai :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:01:19 PDT World Wildlife Fund is a conservation organization that works to protect the environment. Using the advance scientific knowledge and "space-age technology such as satellite tracking, the internet and laser-guided camera traps" to preserve the earth ecological systems. Besides protecting natural areas, animals, promoting more efficient use of energy, they also work with Marketing partners such as Chase, Barnes & Noble to educate the public, and increase the awareness about WWF. "WWF believes that conservation is good business, and we are gratified by the growing number of successful business leaders who agree." http://worldwildlife.org/TOM/technology/ ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:38:54 PDT WWF is a great foundation and I would like to add Discovery Channel and BBC to the list. Now don't laugh and yes I'm serious. Discovery is currently running a great series that I'm sure many of you are watching as well, "Planet Earth," this 11 part series is absolutely amazing to watch and really makes people aware that we are not the only ones on this planet. Shows like these makes so many more people interested in everything our natural planet has to offer and therefore are more likely to help protect and conserve the Earth. someone (at) hotmail.com said: World Wildlife Fund is a conservation organization that works to protect the environment. Using the advance scientific knowledge and "space-age technology such as satellite tracking, the internet and laser-guided camera traps" to preserve the earth ecological systems. Besides protecting natural areas, animals, promoting more efficient use of energy, they also work with Marketing partners such as Chase, Barnes & Noble to educate the public, and increase the awareness about WWF. "WWF believes that conservation is good business, and we are gratified by the growing number of successful business leaders who agree." http://worldwildlife.org/TOM/technology/ ---- :Author: Lily Wu :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:47:12 PDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/uomh-ana120706.php Prototypes of the heart muscle or BEHM, bioengineered heart muscle, is now closer to being generated according to the researchers at University of Michigan. A fibrin hydrogel layered and embedded with heart muscle tissue is used, and it could be prepared within few days. The contraction of fibrin gel can be made with an active force of overf 800 mocro-Newtons. In the study, the fibrin broke down after several days after achieving its use as a temporary support of the cells. It will still take a while before the BEHM can be implanted as replacements though. The bioengineering of the heart muscles and cells will change the lives of many people with cardiovascular problems. ---- :Author: Cinthia Diaz :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:02:54 PDT This website shows a device that helps monitor the amount of water used on landscapes. This new irrigation controller technology is able to adjust irrigation schedules by using local weather information, which results in the conservation of significant amounts of water. This device is able to do so by: Adjusting irrigation schedules seasonally. Basing irrigation times on plant types. Turning off the irrigation system when it is raining. Using local weather station information to create irrigation schedules. http://www.sbwater.org/WeatherTechnology.htm ---- :Author: Joseph Pandolfi :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:17:04 PDT From Nasa's website: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/03jan_bioniceyes.htm Using developed technology from space such as lasers, photocells, and thin films, scientists are attempting to develop a bionic eye that can possibly grant humans a solution to deteriorating eyesight. Millions of Americans suffer from eye disorders such as Retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration that cause them to go blind, or lose sight. Scientists at the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center (SVEC) believe that with this technology, it could be possible for scientists and doctors to replace the damaged rods and cones in a human eye with artificial ones created on thin ceramic films. ”Artificial retinas constructed at SVEC consist of 100,000 tiny ceramic detectors, each 1/20 the size of a human hair. The assemblage is so small that surgeons can't safely handle it. So, the arrays are attached to a polymer film one millimeter by one millimeter in size. A couple of weeks after insertion into an eyeball, the polymer film will simply dissolve leaving only the array behind.” The Scientists at SVEC are unsure how the brain will interpret unfamiliar voltages and signals in the eyes, but they believe the brain will adept. The technology is just being developed and may have a promising future. Name: Joseph Pandolfi ---- :Author: Jonathan Chin :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:33:58 PDT http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com/content/medicalproducts/braingate.jsp This company created the "Braingate System" which allows the user to mentally control computers, telephones, televisions, etc. It is primarily designed for the motor-impaired to allow them to have the full use of the technologies that we have today. Jonathan Chin ---- :Author: Keyvan Berenjian :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:37:44 PDT I attended a seminar here held by Cisco Systems, and they showed us a video about how they use voice over IP and video conferencing technology to bring Santa Clause to children in hospitals. Here is an article about it. http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/voip/voip-santa-claus.html This may not solve world hunger or poverty, but I think it is kind of neat how technology is being used for things other than making money. Of course, this project is really good image points for Cisco, it seemed like the kids were really having a good time with it. They recently introduced this new system called "Telepresence" which is basically a high definition, life sized video conferencing tool which offers amazing quality all over an IP network. Here is a video of it for you to get an idea what I mean by good quality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akzNWS5dygQ I think this tool can be used to help society by offering better educational services to places in the world where resources such as professors and lecturers can not travel. This can improve the quality of classes taken over the internet. The possibilities are endless. Sure the technology is expensive now, but over time, this may be a more practical solution. ---- :Author: Stephen Johnson (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:55:21 PDT Hi everyone, Over the past 20 years there has been a huge growth in the population of California. This has put a huge economic burden on the state to finance the expansion of roads and freeways to serve the states growing population. In 1996 the California High Speed Rail Authority introduced the idea of a high speed railway that would stretch from San Francisco all the way down to Los Angeles. This railway would make a trip from SF to LA only take about 2 ½ hours. If this project were to be completed it could change the entire outlook of California. It would allow many commuters who live in the Central Valley to take the railway into the Bay Area in about 30 minutes. This would alleviate the need of a car for many commuters in the state. California would save tons of money each year on the funding that it pays for transportation costs, such as new roads and maintenance. This money could be spent else where, on such things as education and youth programs. The railway would also help aide the horrid pollution problem the Central Valley currently has. Here is the railways web site http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/ ---- :Author: Andrew Aquino :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:06:24 PDT A social issue most people are not really aware of and is still happening everywhere throughout the world is human slavery. There are an estimated of 27 million slaves in the world today and the U.S government estimated that about 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year and exploited economically by forced labor and/or sexual services. Free The Slaves(FTS) is an organization dedicated in breaking the chains of all the slaves in the world and helping them get back on their feet by using technology via video, media, and/or the web to raise awareness of the general public about slavery and steps on how to help stop it. To know more about human trafficking/slavery please feel free to visit http://freetheslaves.net/ -Posted by: Andrew Aquino (site would not let me change display name) ---- :Author: Leda (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:12:35 PDT I really do agree with you, Chen !!! Chen Ni said: 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/20070403/wr_nm/kenya_internet_dc_1 ---- :Author: Steven Nguyen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:21:08 PDT Researchers at the Massey University’s Nanomaterials Research Centre in New Zealand are trying to develop solar cells that will allow generate electricity from sunlight at 1/10 the cost of current solar cells. The new solar cells are more environmentally friendly and will work efficiently in low light conditions, unlike current silicon cells. They are hoping to incorporate the new solar cells into wall panels and roofing materials with prospective companies. http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1727.php ---- :Author: helen cai :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:27:02 PDT http://tilde.snt.utwente.nl/~wot/about/index.html WOT is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Their goal is to make others more aware of the technology needed to help developing countries. It's important because not many developing countries are using the technology that is best for them. They could be wasting millions of dollars on one kind of technology when they could be spenting it on another that's more efficent. ---- :Author: Leda (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:27:41 PDT HI someone ! Before than the PC and the information tecnology was created, the Amazon Rainforest have been far more properly saved !!! THE NATIVE PEOPLE THEY DO HAVE THE CULTURE SINCE MILLENIUMS TO SAVE AND PRESERVE THEIR NATION !! Please, leave at least them free from OUR problems. WE CREATED the huge disaster in THEIR Forest and it's UP US to tray to stop it. http://survival-international.org/?default_lang_code=en_en someone (at) ucsc.edu said: Brazil has opted to give native Indian tribes in the Amazon free internet access in an effort to save the rainforests by making the tribes more aware of the current situations. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/03/30/amazon.internet.ap/index.html I think that this is a pretty cool thing to do, though I'm not sure how giving them internet access is going to make them aware of saving the rainforest. ---- :Author: Stephen Moss :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:57:32 PDT http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/ Honda is currently working on making cars that use hydrogen fuel cells as their primary power source. This technology will help us to shift away from using fossil that are destroying the ozone layer. These cars are able to upwards of 160km/h and travel 570km on a single tank. http://world.honda.com/fcx/ In addition to working with existing technology Honda is looking in to new methods and possibles for the hydrogen fuel cell. ---- :Author: Ryan Dineen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:19:38 PDT i read this article on yahoo news and it really startled me to be quite honest. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_he_me/drug_filled_tooth;_ylt=AhvGijRXGEGuz_hP1sPq6QBZ24cA engineers are working on designing a false tooth that would be filled with a patient's drugs, such as insulin for a diabetic, and would deliver it at regular intervals to insure that the patient gets the right dosage. this is a major leap forward in medical technology - the ability to actually make an artificial body part that severs a purpose other than the original body part's function! why just have false teeth when you can have drug filled false teeth?! who knows, perhaps in the future this concept can be applied to many other things, such as pacemakers or false limbs (though i couldnt guess in what ways). crazy stuff. ---- :Author: nmw :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:35:01 PDT .. on-include:: /tag/meta interesting link_ nmw pos disc 100 .. _link : http://www.omidyar.net/group/cmps80j/news/2/ ---- :Author: nmw :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:53:59 PDT :Modified: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:02:52 PDT I agree with Lars that this is a GREAT topic ==== :D I myself am very active in "giving the internet back to the people". This is also known as "direct navigation". The method is actually quite simple: whatever you're looking for, type that in the browser location bar and then add ".com". For the most popular terms, you will *immediately* get relevant information without having to drudge through spammed and/or link-farmed results. *Some* of the **most valuable** online properties are managed by large companies with an interest in that particular area (e.g. "books.com" is managed by Barnes&Noble) -- and in such cases other TLDs (such as ".net", ".org", etc.) will be good channels for competition. Companies that seek to defend their brand names will typically register *all* TLDs (e.g. Google, Inc.). However, this is only *very* rarely done with keywords (notable exceptions include IAC WRT "hotels" and M$ WRT "live" -- but neither of these companies actually have those strings registered in *all* TLDs). You can use http://browse.name/ to surf around a bit -- just select a "vocabulary" from the right frame and then click on a *word*. It will then load "*word*.com" into the main frame. You can also select other TLDs from the top frame. I threw this site together in an afternoon about a year ago, and that's I guess pretty much what it looks like, right? ;D I manage several thousand high traffic single word keyword domain names. I seek the participation of experts to help manage the information made available at these domains. So far, only a few people "get it" -- and even fewer actually *participate*. I don't know why this is. For more on this, see also: `Wisdom of the Crowds`_ and/or `Wisdom of the Language`_ :) nmw ps/BTW: an example of *one* technology that *sorta kinda* does something *simila* is http://www.wordseek.info/ -- and/but the "technology" I'm talking about is actually language itself (and I actually refer to "dot language" in this context); other "popular" sites that kinda tangentially deal with similar issues include wikipedia.org, aboutus.org, onelook.com, reference.com, about.com, .... ;D nmw .. _`Wisdom of the Language` : http://www.omidyar.net/group/keywords/news/45/ .. _`Wisdom of the Crowds` : http://www.omidyar.net/group/nmw/news/165/ ---- :Author: Shirley Lee :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:01:44 PDT Posted by: Shirley Lee (site wouldn't let me acquire my real name) Engineer’s from the Cambridge-based nanotech firm known as Akubio developed a device that is affordable and efficient in diagnosing certain diseases. Several Technology boards like the Science & Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry’s Technology Programs, and even the UK government are funding for the nano-sized device that doctors may use in the future as a fast and precise medical diagnosis from blood or other samples. This device known as the RAP.id 4, looks like a basic wristwatch, and is efficient for diagnoses of diseases like Meningitis and Malaria. The gadget can help save those who are less unfortunate or cannot afford health care, therefore increasing cost benefits for the patients. This advanced technology lets the doctor quickly and easily gather a blood test from the patient. They can destroy the diseases that are seen in the early stages. The device would distinguish specific molecules that could lead to different diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and other types of bacteria or viruses. But there are still plans to fix up the prototype before it is issued. http://www.thenanotechnologygroup.org/index.cfm?Content=88&PressID=1851 ---- :Author: Nick von Beroldingen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:31:20 PDT EMI, a record company based in the UK, recently announced that they will offer music downloads through Apple's iTunes store without DRM protection embedded in the mp3 files, for a slight cost increase. All the music available through iTunes store has, since the store launched, used DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology to combat piracy. Mp3s downloaded from the store can only be played on two registered computers/devices, and can't me copied. Of course, there are ways to get around this, and DRM is sort of annoying anyway. I guess EMI thinks hassle-free music presented openly is the correct direction to head. Since the announcement was made in cooperation with Steve Jobs of Apple, it's a safe bet this is part of a larger movement; indeed, Microsoft is keeping pace with exactly the same move just days later. I hope this works out, because it will catalyze further critical analysis of copyright and intellectual property law, the discussion of which is presently hampered by overbearing and antiquated business considerations. This is not to badmouth business; I am a firm believer in a free market system. However, the internet age brings so many new modes of information exchange that just don't work under the old rules. Besides content (music, movies, etc.) I see important connections to open source issues. For now, I'm glad things are moving in the right direction. Reference: EMI news - http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/7212/8236/apple-emi-drop-drm-protection.phtml Microsoft news - http://searchviews.com/archives/2007/04/microsoft_jumps_on_the_antidrm_bandwagon.php DRM info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management ---- :Author: Nick von Beroldingen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:46:01 PDT Supplemental post... On the other side of the issue we have anti-piracy software that actively searches out pirated files. Check this slashdot article: http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/04/06/0048250.shtml Some interesting tech (comp sci) aspects to this. Improved searching methods always have promise in other applications than what they're first used for. Sounds cool. I envision internet-traversing data packets from the anti-sharing software as British schooners and frigates searching out Scary Movie 18 torrents sporting the Jolly Roger and waiving cutlasses. ...yeah. ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:14:51 PDT You make a comment about depleting oil supplies. I invite you to go get some numbers about when our current oil reserves are likely to run out. Then when you have this number 10 years? 50 years? 200years? speculate whether we are likely to still need oil in that time frame. -j someone (at) ucsc.edu said: "Will Technology Save Us From Overpopulation?" - www.acca21.org.cn/eng/2000/07/25.html I found this old article (circa 2000) discussing two opposing views of population growth and its implications. The economist faction was optimistic about population growth because they believed that people will essentially create resources through advancing technology. They put their faith in new clean energy sources, genetically engineered food that will solve world hunger, and cheap water desalination processes to support huge numbers of people. The environmentalists held the opposite viewpoint, that people only deplete earth's natural resources and new technology can't save us. I thought one point from the economists' viewpoint was very interesting: "More people and more consumption cause problems in the short run, such as pollution or resource shortages. But short-term scarcity raises prices and pollution causes public agitation and this attracts entrepreneurs who will come up with technological solutions and develop better ways to do things. And in the long run, these developments will leave us better off than if the problems hadn’t arisen at all." This basically states that the straining population is bound to cause tension and shortages which will cause public unrest, forcing people to come up with technological solutions. For example, the rapidly depleting reserve of crude oil will eventually force power companies and car companies to adjust their methods of energy production. I would like to think that Global Warming is just the scare that people need to realize that we have the power to leave a lasting change on the earth, and that we will take the hint and adjust the ways we live in order to survive as a global species. ---- :Author: nmw :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:44:38 PDT James, may I invite you to clarify what your "operational definition" of a "social issue" is? You can create "wiki" type pages here by using "back ticks" -- see the "syntax" instructions below the "**Add a comment**" box. Any link that is underlined with a dotted line *usually* / *normally* (i.e., if "no bug" or something like that) indicates that the page has not yet been created. For example `Social Issue (Operational Definition)`_ has not yet been created -- if you click on the link, then you can "edit that page in order to create it". Likewise, I would also be interested to find out *how* you feel people could ascertain if/when numbers (e.g. WRT "oil reserves running out") might be reliable (or not). Thanks! :) nmw ---- :Author: Matvei Stefarov :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:40:01 PDT OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project: http://www.laptop.org/ The goal of OLPC is to design, manufacture, and distribute an extremely cheap and accessible laptop that can introduce people in rural places and third-world countries to free information (Internet), to improve education and provide opportunities for self-improvement and self-expression. The laptip itself is engineered to be very cheap ($100 to make), easy-to-use, and durable. Laptops will be distributed for free in poor countries, and be available for sale in developed countries. ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:42:40 PDT This page should provide a pretty good idea of the widely accepted theory on the "end" of oil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil -Julio *nmw said:* *Likewise, I would also be interested to find out* how *you feel people could ascertain if/when numbers (e.g. WRT "oil reserves running out") might be reliable (or not).* *Thanks!* *:) nmw* ---- :Author: nmw :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:49:22 PDT Thanks, Julio! But my question was actually a little bit *different* -- how do you know that that page "should provide a pretty good idea of ..."? :) nmw ---- :Author: Mark Walsh :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:09:25 PDT Here's something I heard about in a Bioethics class last year (before I dropped it) that I thought was really interesting: An organization noted that among many of those who don't have much to eat (where rice is the staple of the diet), Vitamin A deficiency is a big problem. To help this problem, they modified the genes of the rice (using only genomes that were already in the rice, and moving them about i.e. not splicing with other organisms) so that the vitamin A which was so rich in the stalks of the plant would manifest also in the part that people actually eat. It won't curb starvation much, but it is as inoffensive as genetic modification could be and it is a step in the right direction. Further, as their website says, "Professors Peter Beyer and Ingo Portrykus, and the crop protection company Syngenta, who have donated it for humanitarian use in developing countries free of charge" http://www.goldenrice.org/ ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:16:26 PDT You're right, I misread your question. But that notwithstanding, Hubbert's theory doesn't really deal with the concrete date of when oil reserves will run out, but rather when it will peak and begin to drop. I just thought it was an interesting concept that provides a background on how people come up with dates for the "end" of oil (which I put in quotes because oil will probably never run out, just become far too expensive for common use). And, considering Hubbert accurately predicted the peak of US conventional oil production 40 years in advance, I'd say it's a pretty good model. -Julio nmw said: Thanks, Julio! But my question was actually a little bit *different* -- how do you know that that page "should provide a pretty good idea of ..."? :) nmw ---- :Author: Alberto Prado :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:17:27 PDT The following website has an interesting article about stem-cells being used for different things and how some countries have banned the stem cell banks that make it possible. Richard Branson of the "Virgin Group," (kinda my hero :) ) has pounced on the idea of stem-cell banks to make some money and even help some kids that may not have access to stem cells to get some if they need them to aid their health. Very interesting! http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/04/news/stem.php ---- :Author: Emily Lovell :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:34:38 PDT When this course was taught in the fall, one of the guest speakers was Clara Shih, a Stanford graduate who founded Camp Amelia - a project that I believe developed out of an undergraduate class somewhat similar to this one... this is a great example of what students just like us have done to make their ideas into realities! Camp Amelia Technology Literacy Group aims to educate communities on using technology as a tool to strengthen literacy and communication. The team started locally, and now exists on an international level (I specifically remember Clara Shih talking about sending students to Ghana and what a success the pilot program was there, back in 2004). I could say a lot more about this organization... but go check out the website for yourself! As university students, I think we sometimes underestimate how much power we can have if we set out minds to something. :) http://www.campamelia.org ---- :Author: Ryan Dineen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:58:10 PDT this is a very interesting topic. i just typed in every extention i could think of, and the only one google hadnt taken in some form was www.google.gov. i didnt know that happened, and the links you gave were really interesting, just wanted to say so. nmw said: I agree with Lars that this is a GREAT topic ==== :D I myself am very active in "giving the internet back to the people". This is also known as "direct navigation". The method is actually quite simple: whatever you're looking for, type that in the browser location bar and then add ".com". For the most popular terms, you will *immediately* get relevant information without having to drudge through spammed and/or link-farmed results. *Some* of the **most valuable** online properties are managed by large companies with an interest in that particular area (e.g. "books.com" is managed by Barnes&Noble) -- and in such cases other TLDs (such as ".net", ".org", etc.) will be good channels for competition. Companies that seek to defend their brand names will typically register *all* TLDs (e.g. Google, Inc.). However, this is only *very* rarely done with keywords (notable exceptions include IAC WRT "hotels" and M$ WRT "live" -- but neither of these companies actually have those strings registered in *all* TLDs). You can use http://browse.name/ to surf around a bit -- just select a "vocabulary" from the right frame and then click on a *word*. It will then load "*word*.com" into the main frame. You can also select other TLDs from the top frame. I threw this site together in an afternoon about a year ago, and that's I guess pretty much what it looks like, right? ;D I manage several thousand high traffic single word keyword domain names. I seek the participation of experts to help manage the information made available at these domains. So far, only a few people "get it" -- and even fewer actually *participate*. I don't know why this is. For more on this, see also: `Wisdom of the Crowds`_ and/or `Wisdom of the Language`_ :) nmw ps/BTW: an example of *one* technology that *sorta kinda* does something *simila* is http://www.wordseek.info/ -- and/but the "technology" I'm talking about is actually language itself (and I actually refer to "dot language" in this context); other "popular" sites that kinda tangentially deal with similar issues include wikipedia.org, aboutus.org, onelook.com, reference.com, about.com, .... ;D nmw .. _`Wisdom of the Language` : http://www.omidyar.net/group/keywords/news/45/ .. _`Wisdom of the Crowds` : http://www.omidyar.net/group/nmw/news/165/ ---- :Author: Emily Lovell :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:01:45 PDT Two more things I thought of: GoodTree - http://goodtree.com Search engine (very similar to Google) that generates revenue for charity as you surf the web! Barefoot College - http://www.barefootcollege.org Based in India, Barefoot College works to educate both men and women(!) on how to improve their own communities, frequently through the use of engineering and technology. ---- :Author: Jeff Galper :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:03:25 PDT The Humane Society is the United State's largest organization for aimed at animal protection. They exist primarily to represent the rights of animals across the nation. On their website they have an RSS feed of all of their press releases. They provide ways to take action online and give examples how people can take action off line. For example, this page has a letter ready to be sent to your congressman in support of "the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007." https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_fur_labeling?source=gabawy The main page: http://www.hsus.org/The-Humane-Society-of-the-United-States.html ---- :Author: Chelsea Johnson-Long :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:05:03 PDT Africa Harvest, DuPont Help African Farming Community Reap the Benefits of Tissue Culture Bananas - Marking a two-year culmination of a partnership between Africa Harvest, a Kenyan-based agricultural nonprofit organization and DuPont, this year's harvest in Chura is the first in the community to include bananas grown via tissue culture propagation. The success in this harvest will lead to further economic development for the town and, hopefully a larger impact of kenyas agricultural economy. http://goliath.ecnext.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1&referid=2750&item_id=0199-4603643#abstract ---- :Author: Ryan Dineen :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:06:53 PDT we talked a lot about this kind of thing in crown core class, which is focused on biotechnological ethics. it is encouraging to see plants being genetically engineered to actually help people, and not to exploit them, which is usually the case (such as roundup-ready crops). learn about monsanto here, theres links at the bottom of the page for more info. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto_and_the_Roundup_Ready_Controversy Mark Walsh said: Here's something I heard about in a Bioethics class last year (before I dropped it) that I thought was really interesting: An organization noted that among many of those who don't have much to eat (where rice is the staple of the diet), Vitamin A deficiency is a big problem. To help this problem, they modified the genes of the rice (using only genomes that were already in the rice, and moving them about i.e. not splicing with other organisms) so that the vitamin A which was so rich in the stalks of the plant would manifest also in the part that people actually eat. It won't curb starvation much, but it is as inoffensive as genetic modification could be and it is a step in the right direction. Further, as their website says, "Professors Peter Beyer and Ingo Portrykus, and the crop protection company Syngenta, who have donated it for humanitarian use in developing countries free of charge" http://www.goldenrice.org/ ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:10:20 PDT In what could be interpreted as a *negative* use of technology to address a social issue, the British government recently expanded the use of "talking" closed-circuit cameras. These cameras, which are used to deter crime and are already widespread in parts of England, add a loudspeaker component, and "control centere staff" can communicate to citizens via the speaker. Thus, if someone is observed to have littered, they can be "told off" by the camera, and instructed to dispose of the trash in the proper receptacle. Obviously, this strikes some as disturbingly Orwellian, and Britain's minority home affairs minister stated that, "the government should be "very careful" over the cameras." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6524495.stm ---- :Author: Michael Rosenberg :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:10:27 PDT bionic eye - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4411591.stm The idea is that one can stimulate the human mind by sending signals they way eye's do. These image's are blurry and not very detailed but with more testing and more signals added it is possible to give a blind person enough vision to move around and recognize simple shapes and maybe even something as unique as a face. ---- :Author: Gianna Hoffman-Luca :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:11:20 PDT I recently came across an article in Chemical and Engineering News that talked about the new improvements of the synthesis of diamonds. The diamonds grown are almost indistinguishable from diamonds formed in nature. If synthetic diamonds could become the new "natural" diamond then it could help prevent the conflict diamond problems. Obviously, there will be consequences for Angola and Sierra Leone once the market for real diamonds is lowered. www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html ---- :Author: John (Jack) Harms :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:20:18 PDT I found a very simple yet effective way for cities and towns to monitor their water supply's contamination levels. At FORT DETRICK, Md research is being conducted to develop this technology. The answer to there problem is fish, blue gilled fish to be exact. These fish are very predictable in their behavior and can be monitored for these changes. Eight of these fish are put into eight separate containers and the same water is run through when 6 of the 8 fish react then we know that there is something in the water that shouldn't be. It's very simple and cheap to set up and is also very reliable. The link has a news clip in it as well as an article. http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2007/03/255a.html ---- :Author: Kalie Cassel-Feiss :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:20:46 PDT :Modified: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:24:27 PDT PUEBLO (People United to Educate and Build Lives for Others) is a community development project based in Saladillo - a small impoverished village in the Dominican Republic. Pueblo recruits college student volunteers through ISVonline.com, International Student Volunteers, from around the world to help create an environmentally sustainable and educational community. I volunteered for PUEBLO one summer and during my time there our main goal was to build the first functional irrigation system the village had ever seen -- this meant providing a clean water source for the people that were needing to rely on the dirty, polluted river miles away. Our work there not only inspired the villagers to take action in bettering their own community but, even better, the continuous activism that was spurred in the village continues to get government official's attention, who had before neglected the entire area for over a decade. With the use of new cheaper technologies in building irrigation systems, plumbing systems, new schools and houses, as well as recruiting online for students to come experience connecting with an entirely different community who is in dire need of help, Pueblo Project is a great example of the use of technology for addressing the social issues of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. http://puebloproject.com/ http://isvonline.com/ ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:23:54 PDT Isn't the market for diamonds already incredibly artificial, with the stockpiling practices of De Beers and others? I wonder what effects the proliferation of artificial diamonds will have, and whether or not the technology will be purchased by the Diamond cartels and sat on (a la GM and the Electric Car). Gianna Hoffman-Luca said: I recently came across an article in Chemical and Engineering News that talked about the new improvements of the synthesis of diamonds. The diamonds grown are almost indistinguishable from diamonds formed in nature. If synthetic diamonds could become the new "natural" diamond then it could help prevent the conflict diamond problems. Obviously, there will be consequences for Angola and Sierra Leone once the market for real diamonds is lowered. www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html ---- :Author: Scott Croker :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:39:49 PDT Project Appleseed is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing parental involvement in public education. It provides resources for parents to be able to participate in a postive way. Through the website parent organizations and schools can order a plan for mobilizing parents to volunteer in schools. This is an important issue to me because I feel one of the main failures of public education is that parents are not involved in their childs education. http://www.projectappleseed.org/ ---- :Author: nmw :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:47:21 PDT Julio Miles said: considering Hubbert accurately predicted the peak of US conventional oil production 40 years in advance, I'd say it's a pretty good model. -Julio Yes, Julio -- I agree. So apparently it is your prior knowledge about the "success rate" of Hubbert's predictions (and perhaps also the fact that these predictions appear to be "related") that leads you to believe that this prediction is reliable. Thanks for thinking that through with me! :) nmw ---- :Author: Sarah Michelle Kahn :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:50:10 PDT This article talks about technology used in Europe to help Global Warming and how Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is trying to help her country realize the issue as well. Germany, being known for their Porsche sports cars, "is among Europe's worst offenders when it comes to cars that spew carbon dioxide into the air." However, they are still nowhere near the United States. "Skepticism aside, Reithofer said BMW was already equipping its cars with new technology that made their engines burn less fuel and emit fewer gases." Aside from their improvements, BMW, Mercedes- Benz, Porsche and Audi still fall short of their 1998 vow that they would reduce emissions and are now paying reprehensions for it. The European Commission has now made their plan mandatory by 2012. "Under its plan, new cars could emit no more than 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, or 6.8 ounces per mile. In 2004, average emissions were 163 grams per kilometer." http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/08/business/cars.php ---- :Author: Mason Bockelman :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:56:16 PDT I've always had an interest in subverting government and censorship methods, so I've been following developments in software that allows that to happen for a while. The first was TriangleBoy, but it's no longer supported or distributed. The most important followers seem to be: Psiphon, who use a system pretty similar to the original TriangleBoy (bouncing a blocked web site off of a decentralized peer network, thus spoofing the IP address and allowing the site through the filter). However, it relies on a "network of trust", and the IPs of users are tracked by the servers, so it's not ideal for legal protection. http://psiphon.civisec.org/ Freenet, which operates more like a distributed system of Swiss bank accounts, allowing people to store files anonymously with the stated goal of making it impossible for anyone to make decisions on what kind of information is moral. It also breaks apart the information and stores it across the network in encrypted form so no specific data is associated with a specific computer. http://freenetproject.org/ and Tor, who allow a much more broad anonymization of internet usage, allowing not just web browsing or storage but irc, instant messengers, etc. http://tor.eff.org/ On the whole, it seems like anonymizers are only getting better, and it seems doubtful that oppressive governments and ISPs can keep up, which is an important aide to freedom of speech and information for those who must live with censorship. ---- :Author: Sarah Michelle Kahn :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:59:40 PDT This is very cool! Hopefully this helps stabalize nutrition in those countries. An interesting thing to note though that doesn't have much to do with this but in some ways does is that an overwhelming number of studies on the subject consistently show that the healthiest diets in the world, across all countries and cultures, are those high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat and protein (particularly from animal products). This is why people in Asia have a much lower obesity rate than those in the United States. Just food for thought :) Mark Walsh said: Here's something I heard about in a Bioethics class last year (before I dropped it) that I thought was really interesting: An organization noted that among many of those who don't have much to eat (where rice is the staple of the diet), Vitamin A deficiency is a big problem. To help this problem, they modified the genes of the rice (using only genomes that were already in the rice, and moving them about i.e. not splicing with other organisms) so that the vitamin A which was so rich in the stalks of the plant would manifest also in the part that people actually eat. It won't curb starvation much, but it is as inoffensive as genetic modification could be and it is a step in the right direction. Further, as their website says, "Professors Peter Beyer and Ingo Portrykus, and the crop protection company Syngenta, who have donated it for humanitarian use in developing countries free of charge" http://www.goldenrice.org/ ---- :Author: Rebecca Rozo-Marsh :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:00:24 PDT The Global Information Internship Program is a program at UCSC that uses technology to address social issues. The class trains students enrolled in it different computer skills and helps them connect with organizations around the world. Some of the projects help people in developing countries market their products around the world or increase their access to computers and the internet. It seems like they have accomplished a lot of amazing things. http://giip.ucsc.edu/ ---- :Author: Anais Vayssieres :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:04:07 PDT Here is a very controversial Product: The RapeX Anti-Rape Condom The RapeX condom is an anti-rape device designed Sonette Ehlers. Ehlers was a blood technician in South Africa for many years, where she observed in her proffesion the high incidence of rape and AIDS. She got the idea when one Victim said to her "If only I had teeth down there!" That is what RapeX is, a discrete (until penetration) female condom that has many tiny hooks lining the inside. It attaches to the man’s penis and can not be removed safely without surgical help. When he goes to a hospital to get it off, they will know what he has been up to. It is obviously extremely painful to the man and Ehlers says this should distract him and help victims escape. Also, like a normal condom, it significantly reduces the likelihood of impregnation or STDs. It is supposedly quickly and easily inserted, and safe once removed. Also, Ehlers said it is easy for a woman to remove, but difficult for the man. (I was unclear as to why, assuming he knows it is there. Is this dependent on thrashing and/or lack of familiarity with the product?) While I agree that rape is a problem, especially in south Africa, especially with AIDs there are some genuine concerns I have read about RapeX (the article below does a great job listing most of them.) First, some people say the device is vindictive. I don’t mind some rapist being damaged, but there is the concern of an angry woman using it at another time. (I hope this would not be a major issue. But it could happen.) Also, it is meant to be worn for 24 hours, and will cost about 50 cents, making it hard to afford for most South Africans. Some argue this could really piss off the rapist and instead of allowing the victim to escape he might kill her. Also, it should be pointed out that as it is not obvious to the attacker it can be seen as more of a trap then a deterrent. I found this really surprising when I learned about it and am still undecided on the subject. It is a really huge problem over there. Also, Ehlers wants it sold everywhere where condoms are sold, so this would be a US accessible product too. Some people argue this is the end to date rape, slip it in for a blind date, you can always remove it later. What do you guys thinK? Homepage: http://www.rapestop.net/ (Main site is useless but frequently asked questions section is informative, kind of.) Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-rape_female_condom New York Times Magazine summary article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/magazine/11ideas1-4.html?ex=1176004800&en=fd1435fbe3ee3eeb&ei=5070 A good Certique/concern article: http://www.techkills.com/281-controversy-over-rapex-anti-rape-condom-for-women.html ---- :Author: Julio Miles :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:12:05 PDT Tying into the previous post regarding condoms, but in a little less, ah, painful vein: The ProntoCondom is a revolutionary advancement in condom packaging/application that dramatically increases ease of use and was created by a South African who realized that if condoms were simpler (though they already seem pretty simple to me), they would be used more widely, perhaps curtailing the spread of AIDS. Unfortunately, it would seem that they are only available in South Africa. http://www.prontocondoms.co.za/ ---- :Author: Chen Ni :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:17:44 PDT Wow i actually read about this thing a while ago on the odd news section of yahoo news. it seems like a good idea to catch the rapist but i agree with you, how does it prevent rape? Unless the woman advertises she is wearing one of these it really won't do anything for prevention. Also, you make another good point, whats scary to me is what's to stop a vengeful girlfriend/wife from using this on their Ex...? This device is great at punishing rapists but clearly needs to be thought out more before it is put to market, or every guy who's ever on a date is seriously nervous. Anais Vayssieres said: Here is a very controversial Product: The RapeX Anti-Rape Condom The RapeX condom is an anti-rape device designed Sonette Ehlers. Ehlers was a blood technician in South Africa for many years, where she observed in her proffesion the high incidence of rape and AIDS. She got the idea when one Victim said to her "If only I had teeth down there!" That is what RapeX is, a discrete (until penetration) female condom that has many tiny hooks lining the inside. It attaches to the man’s penis and can not be removed safely without surgical help. When he goes to a hospital to get it off, they will know what he has been up to. It is obviously extremely painful to the man and Ehlers says this should distract him and help victims escape. Also, like a normal condom, it significantly reduces the likelihood of impregnation or STDs. It is supposedly quickly and easily inserted, and safe once removed. Also, Ehlers said it is easy for a woman to remove, but difficult for the man. (I was unclear as to why, assuming he knows it is there. Is this dependent on thrashing and/or lack of familiarity with the product?) While I agree that rape is a problem, especially in south Africa, especially with AIDs there are some genuine concerns I have read about RapeX (the article below does a great job listing most of them.) First, some people say the device is vindictive. I don’t mind some rapist being damaged, but there is the concern of an angry woman using it at another time. (I hope this would not be a major issue. But it could happen.) Also, it is meant to be worn for 24 hours, and will cost about 50 cents, making it hard to afford for most South Africans. Some argue this could really piss off the rapist and instead of allowing the victim to escape he might kill her. Also, it should be pointed out that as it is not obvious to the attacker it can be seen as more of a trap then a deterrent. I found this really surprising when I learned about it and am still undecided on the subject. It is a really huge problem over there. Also, Ehlers wants it sold everywhere where condoms are sold, so this would be a US accessible product too. Some people argue this is the end to date rape, slip it in for a blind date, you can always remove it later. What do you guys thinK? Homepage: http://www.rapestop.net/ (Main site is useless but frequently asked questions section is informative, kind of.) Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-rape_female_condom New York Times Magazine summary article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/magazine/11ideas1-4.html?ex=1176004800&en=fd1435fbe3ee3eeb&ei=5070 A good Certique/concern article: http://www.techkills.com/281-controversy-over-rapex-anti-rape-condom-for-women.html ---- :Author: Daniel Carlson :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:21:12 PDT I stumbled across an interesting use of Genetically engineered plants which have been designed in such a way as to directly produce various pharmaceuticals in low concentrations. Although I have been unable to find anyone using them this way it seems that it might be an excellent way to distribute various needed pharmaceuticals to third world countries. It would help mitigate the problem of potential drug abuse because such plants would have a sufficiently low concentration of the given drug they were bred to carry that getting enough of it to have a narcotic effect should be extremely difficult. There is at least one substantial danger though that of cross-pollination with other plants creating something detrimental to the environment and the people. Info from : New Scientist(UK)http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/pharmaceuticals0702.cfm and from the US gov't organization for regulating GM crops http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_brspharmaceutical.html/ ---- :Author: Max Shrieve-Don :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:37:07 PDT This group, the e-Choupal Network, is using computers with internet access, radio and other free/inexpensive (to the user) mass media to provide more remote locations in India with medical advice and information. This would give impoverished people in rural India the ability to have a video conference with a doctor from pretty much anywhere in the world for basic medical consultations and checkups. They also plan to have a radio boradcast with information about preventative medicine and simple remedies for minor illnesses. The radio broadcast allows anybody to take advantage of the information, as it does not require that the listener be literate. They also plan to build "Choupal Health Centers" in each area or town, with trained physicians and fully stocked pharmacies. It seems like an interesting idea, but, to me at least, doesn't give me the impression that it would be a viable long-term solution. The information provided only seems like part of a plan, as it doesn't make clear (to me) how this can be self-sustainable. http://proxied.changemakers.net/journal/300603/displayhealth.cfm ---- :Author: Connor Lonsdale :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:40:07 PDT What I looked into is Tissue Engineering the process of growing edible meat in a lab. It is hoped that someday edible meat that closely if not perfectly resembles actual meat from an animal can be produced on a mass scale this way. This is a great idea that would solve a lot of problems. The pollution produced and the resources used by livestock would be drastically reduced. The incredible cruelty that livestock animals are subjected to would also, thankfully be put to an end. Here is an article that discusses this: ---- :Author: perla miranda :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:43:09 PDT AGRICULTURE I found this cool and interesting organization called Rural Innovations Network (RIN). It started when Paul Basin realized the problems facing India's agriculture, which is the main source of income. Many farmers lack the appropriate tools for successful and healthy productivity. Basil realized that many times scientist, researchers, and technicians go into a rural community to try to solve the problem. But who knows more about agriculture: a scientist or farmer? Let’s face it, many of us are college students but we couldn’t plant tomato seeds and successfully see them grow, we lack that knowledge and experience. So what RIN does is that it motivates and supports the ideas and inventions of farmers. These initial ideas are then furthered by leaders in technology. I think this is a cool organization because it realizes that people without a college education can also improve and better our lives. These farmers know agriculture and have ideas on how to improve it, the just need some funding and motivation. The website is: www.rinovations.org/ ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:46:20 PDT See if you can find numbers for "How much do people spend in total on bottled water each year?" and "How much would it cost to ensure clean drinking water to everyone in the world?" Is there some way to leverage one to solve the other? -james Cesar Hernandez said: Have you ever wondered how much it costs to produce bottled water? Pablo Paster did some research to see how much it costs to produce a bottle of Fiji Water. His research concludes that 6.74 times as much water in the bottle is used to produce one bottle of Fiji Water. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php ---- :Author: Matthew Montanio :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:51:29 PDT I was looking into genetically engineered crops and came across the FDA website. Genetically engineered crops are interesting because they have a great initial effects which is that crops grow easier and are resistant to disease and infestation. This can be helpful across the world. However, it is controversial because of the long term health effects of individuals and the environment. There are many serious pros and cons and I think the idea of genetically modified foods must be taken on a case by case basis even though the FDA guarantees they are completely safe. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/603_food.html ---- :Author: James Davis (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:53:17 PDT Any discussion of logging and deforestation needs to include the fact that much of this is done not by evil companies but by starving farmers who need some more land for crops. They also happen to make a few bucks selling the trees. Does a bar code system exclude the poor from participation in favor of companies who actually have bar codes? -james Erica Goodwin said: The Tropical Forest Trust, or TFT, based in Geneva has developed a tracking system for the logging industry. The system, which helps cut down on illegal logging, gives each tree a barcode that is kept in a database throughout the logging process. It is tracked from the time it is cut down to the time it ends up in a factory until it is used for its final product and sold. If a tree is somehow entered into the system as a different type of tree, or if many of the same barcodes show up, it alerts the company to a potential illegal logging problem. This system also helps to combat global warming because it makes the business of logging more sustainable and the amount of waste is much less when every single cut down tree can be accounted for. This is important because it has provided a much more efficient way of tackling an environmental problem. The more accountable every institution becomes, the better it is for the environment, and this system creates accountability for every last tree in the logging industry. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL212898420070321?pageNumber=1 ---- :Author: Tim Obert :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:25:50 PDT Since the deportation of illegal immigrants in the United States is obviously not a movement that is happening very effectively, I believe it is important to at least deter as much new illegal migration as possible. The following link simply speaks of new types of surveillance that is going to be used in order to help prevent the further movement of illegal immigrants across US borders. http://borderbattles.ssrc.org/Koslowski/ ---- :Author: Michael Rosenberg :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:43:00 PDT Kathleen McIvor said: 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/view/459/index.html Linux is amazing and tends to be more friendly as far as how expensive the computer must be to run well. This being said, its just not simple enough for the average computer user. Perhaps this should be an issue of how quickly the technology companies are pushing there upgrades, rather then telling everyone to use Linux. ---- :Author: Jose Hurtado :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 15:50:23 PDT What I found on the internet is the existance of virtual remote education for underserved populations. The social issue that interests me is the preparation of the incarcerated population for their return to the community. There are very limited programs that prepare this steadily increasing number of people to return to the community and become members of society in a productive way. Virtual education is a positive use of technology to address a social issue that concerns everyone in every community of the United States. Perhaps not the most exciting issue, but a relevant one nonetheless. There were 5 virtual universities in the US listed in the Wikipedia. What I fail to see is the connection between them and the prisons. ---- :Author: Monica Politron :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:05:15 PDT James Davis said: Search the web. Find someone doing something with technology to address any social issue you are passionate about. Post a comment in this discussion thread with a short description of what they are doing and why its important, along with a link. Try to convince us to be excited about it too! (If you aren't excited yourself, then go back to step 1 and find something else.) In case you have no idea where to start looking, here are some organizations and foundations that sponser other social entrepreneurs. Some of these are using technology as an important component. http://home.omidyar.net/portfolio.php http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/031407.asp http://www.ashoka.org/ http://www.changemakers.net/ ---- :Author: Monica Politron :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:05:45 PDT http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/WomensRights.asp This is an interesting website with women rigths. ---- :Author: Jon Alexander (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:17:03 PDT In Kenya, a popular cooking and heating fuel is charcoal - basically, pre-burned wood, usually from unsustainably-harvested fresh-cut trees. Chardust Ltd. is a Kenyan company that has devised a simple technology for compressing the dust left over from charcoal into briquettes for burning as fuel. The resultant product produces less smoke when burned, since most of the wood is already burned off from it's previous use - this cuts down on deforestation, lessens air pollution, and reduces the impact on asthma sufferers. The company provides local employment opportunities (many employees are residents of Kibera, one of Nairobi's largest slums). This is an example of a simple technology that benefits local folk and reduces environmental impact, while creating sustainable community economic development. Good short write-up that links to company site is at: `http://www.nextbillion.net/activitycapsule/2345`_ .. _`http://www.nextbillion.net/activitycapsule/2345`: http://www.nextbillion.net/activitycapsule/2345 ---- :Author: Robert West :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:40:09 PDT The first one of these links is to a web page about nanotechnology news, events and just a small overview of the science in general. It's becoming more and more interesting as it works its way into society, bringing with it serious ethical questions, as well as great potential to overcome some of societies greatest obstacles. As for the second link, I just kinda thought biometric hand readers may be just a little far from necessary, overly expensive and too much to ask for if students can't take it upon themselves to be responsible for an ID card. http://www.nanotechnology.com/ http://securitysolutions.com/education/security_west_va_university/ ---- :Author: Ben Chaney :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:53:11 PDT Design and architecture are two services that, though they are themselves not technology, utilize it greatly. Specifically, there is a high need for sustainable and innovative design in places where the resources and expertise in those areas are scarce or non-existent. One in seven people in the world live in slums or refugee housing. Nearly half the world’s population does not have clean water or adequate sanitation. One organization that helps to distribute this talent to places where there is a great humanitarian need, such as undeveloped areas or disaster regions, is Architecture for Humanity. They have established a communications network between design and architectural professionals interested in helping the global community and the governments and people in need. http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/about/aboutus.html Related is a recent announcement by a professor at the University of Leeds about waste recycled building materials. Just as four walls and a roof is not always the best design, cement and 2x4’s are not always the best materials. He has developed a brick made almost entirely of post-consumer waste otherwise destined for the landfill. http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~cenepe/casestudies_Bitublock.html Adding to the earlier post about WiFi for undeveloped portions of Africa, another less expensive project aimed at similar goals is a (for-profit) company called United Villages (www.unitedvillages.com/). The company has developed a “drive-by internet” system to provide internet access to areas without the infrastructure needed for internet access or even electricity. “In central and western China, where a good portion of the population has never seen a web page, and where illiteracy is on the rise, internet access is a crucial way to improve awareness of civil rights, connect farmers with businesses, enhance peoples' political and social voice and provide better access to information about, for instance, environmental disasters.” - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/internet_by_bus.php ---- :Author: Jacqueline Rios :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:30:10 PDT James Davis said: Search the web. Find someone doing something with technology to address any social issue you are passionate about. Post a comment in this discussion thread with a short description of what they are doing and why its important, along with a link. Try to convince us to be excited about it too! (If you aren't excited yourself, then go back to step 1 and find something else.) In case you have no idea where to start looking, here are some organizations and foundations that sponser other social entrepreneurs. Some of these are using technology as an important component. http://home.omidyar.net/portfolio.php http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/031407.asp http://www.ashoka.org/ http://www.changemakers.net/ http://www.collingwood.sutton.sch.uk/Energy%20Saving/ESNoCars3.htm As we all know gas prices are increasing by the minute. An alternative fuel for cars is needed. There was been the technology that enables cars to be fueled by something other than gas. For example, hybrid cars that use electric energy plus produce less pollution to our environment. ---- :Author: Jacqueline Rios :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:30:37 PDT http://www.collingwood.sutton.sc h.uk/Energy%20Saving/ESNoCars3.h tm As we all know gas prices are increasing by the minute. An alternative fuel for cars is needed. There was been the technology that enables cars to be fueled by something other than gas. For example, hybrid cars that use electric energy plus produce less pollution to our environment. ---- :Author: Cindy McMillan :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:11:09 PDT I like KickStart formerly ApproTEC at http://kickstart.org They apply engineering to make simple tools for farmers - not just to make the tools but to make them very tough, ergonomic, and easy to manufacture. This way they can bring buyable tools to the rural farmer. Mostly water pumps for irrigation targeted at drier (single season) parts of Africa which can raise a farmer out of a cycle of poverty. I like these guys because they are not pie in the sky and are targeting rural farmers - i.e. the bulk of the developing world - not tiny percentage of high tech elites. Their business model is one I like. They sell the equipment. Yes, they are a non profit so they can fundraise to recover expenses of designing the technology. What's not to like? Cindy ---- :Author: Monica Politron :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:38:11 PDT James Davis said: Search the web. Find someone doing something with technology to address any social issue you are passionate about. Post a comment in this discussion thread with a short description of what they are doing and why its important, along with a link. Try to convince us to be excited about it too! (If you aren't excited yourself, then go back to step 1 and find something else.) In case you have no idea where to start looking, here are some organizations and foundations that sponser other social entrepreneurs. Some of these are using technology as an important component. http://home.omidyar.net/portfolio.php http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/031407.asp http://www.ashoka.org/ http://www.changemakers.net/ ---- :Author: Lisbeth Gomez :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:51:40 PDT James Davis said: Search the web. Find someone doing something with technology to address any social issue you are passionate about. Post a comment in this discussion thread with a short description of what they are doing and why its important, along with a link. Try to convince us to be excited about it too! (If you aren't excited yourself, then go back to step 1 and find something else.) In case you have no idea where to start looking, here are some organizations and foundations that sponser other social entrepreneurs. Some of these are using technology as an important component. http://home.omidyar.net/portfolio.php http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/031407.asp http://www.ashoka.org/ http://www.changemakers.net/ ---- :Author: Lisbeth Gomez :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:52:10 PDT Although security policies have aimed terrorism as a treat and helped to end it there is another face to it. These security policies have over powered the voice of the people by taking advantage of the situation. Through racial profiling the privacy of many is taken away. This document shows the different ways racism is practiced. http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Racism.asp ---- :Author: Christina Wang (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:35:06 PDT Here are a couple interesting tech applications. In England they are implimenting a system of cameras and loudspeakers that can tell you off if you're littering, loitering or behaving anti-socially. It seems a little Big Brother-esque though I'm sure there are others that could argue it's good points. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6524495.stm Amory Lovins, co-founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Institues spoke at the Commonwealth Club on the possibility of using molded carbon fiber bodies for car manufactoring to radically reduce weight while retaining the strength of the car's shell. You can hear the talk here, ot's really pretty entertaining: http://commonwealthclub.org/audio/06-12lovins-complete.ram Rocky Mountain Institutes website: http://www.rmi.org/ You can read Amory Lovins's book for free here: http://www.oilendgame.com/ Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei won the Nobel PEace Prize in 2005 for preventing nuclear power being used towards military ends and promoting peaceful applications. I had heard of one instance where nuclear power being used to mutate fruit trees to be shorter so that its fruit would be more accessible to the villagers, thus increasing food supply. I couldn't find that exact article but here are some other ones very similar. The use of Nuclear power in and of itself is very controversial though so there was much contention during the announcement of the prize. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/poverty.html ---- :Author: Christina Wang (CCAL30) :Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:47:46 PDT Christina Wang said: Here are a couple interesting tech applications. In England they are implimenting a system of cameras and loudspeakers that can tell you off if you're littering, loitering or behaving anti-socially. It seems a little Big Brother-esque though I'm sure there are others that could argue it's good points. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6524495.stm Amory Lovins, co-founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Institues spoke at the Commonwealth Club on the possibility of using molded carbon fiber bodies for car manufactoring to radically reduce weight while retaining the strength of the car's shell. You can hear the talk here, ot's really pretty entertaining: http://commonwealthclub.org/audio/06-12lovins-complete.ram Rocky Mountain Institutes website: http://www.rmi.org/ You can read Amory Lovins's book for free here: http://www.oilendgame.com/ Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei won the Nobel PEace Prize in 2005 for preventing nuclear power being used towards military ends and promoting peaceful applications. I had heard of one instance where nuclear power being used to mutate fruit trees to be shorter so that its fruit would be more accessible to the villagers, thus increasing food supply. I couldn't find that exact article but here are some other ones very similar. The use of Nuclear power in and of itself is very controversial though so there was much contention during the announcement of the prize. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News