A few cities in the US have wireless service in their subway systems, but not Los Angeles. Take a trip to Wilshire Boulevard, for example, and you’ll stay incommunicado until you’re back above ground. You won’t be out of touch for too much longer, th…
What is the role of the solar lantern in energy access? In July of last year, I attended an Engineering for Change Webinar called “Off Grid Technology Perspectives, The Case of the Solar Lantern” that explored this question. The webinar included thoughtful, context-setting presentations from Guarav Manchanda of One Degree Solar, Ned Tozun of d.light Design, and Dr. Harald Schützeichel of Sun-Connect eG. The presentations were followed by a discussion that included an interesting exchange between Dr. Schützeichel and the webinar moderator Russell Sturm, who is Head of the Energy Access Advisory at the International Finance Corporation. In publications and presentations (including this webinar), Dr. Schützeichel has openly challenged a perceived focus by the international aid, finance and social enterprise communities on solar lanterns as the primary means to combat energy poverty in emerging markets. He argues that there is a discrepancy between what the energy poor in emerging markets want, which is essentially energy access on parity with grid connection, and what he believes the Western world thinks they need, which is a replacement for kerosene wick lamps. As a result, his argument proceeds, there is a Western-driven overemphasis on the distribution of small solar lamps that forces off-grid energy consumers to remain, essentially, under-electrified.
The core tenet of this argument is not new. As the UK non-profit Solar Aid puts it, a debate over the benefits of solar lamps versus full solar home systems (SHSs) has recently “been rumbling”, with some practitioners suggesting that there is an inherent trade-off between the two that make it an either/or situation. During the webinar discussion, Mr. Sturm presented a lucid argument that the challenge of full electrification is less one of Western perception than one of financial practicality. Outright purchases of SHSs are only possible for a higher-income band of the off-grid population. This necessarily leaves out a considerable percentage of the 1.2B people beyond the grid. Financing can facilitate access, and certainly has in the stunningly successful Bangladesh SHS market. But replicating the Bangladeshi success requires a similarly massive pool of low-interest capital that is not readily available outside of targeted government programs. Mr. Sturm argued that to truly and rapidly scale energy access to billions of people, an incremental process is needed whereby people are able to affordably grab the first “rung” of the energy ladder in order to then move to the second.
This webinar and discussion was brought to my mind by Greenlight Planet and Angaza‘s recent announcement of the Sun King Eco Easy Buy solar lantern. The Eco Easy Buy is the first commercially available Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) entry level solar lamp, designed to be within financial reach of every kerosene-dependent household in emerging markets. It is purchased incrementally over approximately 2 months, at a weekly price below a household’s average kerosene expenditure. This radically affordable solar product represents the true first rung of the modern energy ladder. Energy consumers that purchase the lamp gain an informal “credit” score on Angaza’s software system that de-risks the financing of their purchase of a higher-wattage solar device, thus moving them to the next rung. Decreased financing risk increases the likelihood of private capital deployment into the market (to join innovative leaders like SunFunder), easing working capital constraints throughout the value chain and facilitating scale.
With the release of the Sun King Eco Easy Buy we have a chance to realize the energy ladder that Mr. Sturm discussed, with the end goal of achieving full universal energy access. Debates aside, I believe this is what all practitioners understand that energy consumers around the world both want, and deserve.
In this short and sweet 10th episode of HuffPost Comedy’s podcast, “Too Long; Didn’t Listen,” we catch up with “Saturday Night Live” alum Ana Gasteyer over the phone.
Ana has been keeping busy with a recent guest starring role on the season premiere of “Girls” as well as “The Mindy Project,” “The Goldbergs” and more. She’s also touring her lounge singer act after the release of her album “I’m Hip” in 2014 and, when she has time, helping people beat Winter colds as a funny spokeswoman for Lysol.
Listen to Anna talk about playing Shoshana’s mom on “Girls,” reuniting with Will Ferrell to reprise “The Culps” on “SNL,” and her music video directed by Jorma Taccone from The Lonely Island that features a smooching session with Jon Glaser:
There is a cliché in business: “What you don’t measure, you won’t accomplish.” In sports, hockey great Wayne Gretzky expressed this as, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In sports, business and in life, goals that you never set are the ones you are certain never to meet.
Last month, NRG announced long-term sustainability goals aimed at dramatically reducing the company’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The announcement included two major milestones: first, to reduce carbon emissions 50 percent by 2030; and, second, to reduce carbon emissions 90 percent by 2050 – all while growing our business to meet the energy needs of the future. As one of the largest companies in the industry responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than any other, such reductions are both meaningful and difficult to achieve.
So why do we do it? It’s simple. We are setting out to prove that there is untapped value in turning energy from a basic commodity into a suite of services designed to enable a carbon-free lifestyle. There are a number of clean, low-carbon on- and off-grid solutions available today. And, as it happens, most forms of renewable energy — particularly solar — scale down economically and, as a result, they will allow us to offer energy consumers much more convenience, flexibility and mobility in terms of personal power than is currently available.
This means radical change in an industry that has not appreciably changed the way it does business since the days of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. For NRG, embracing new clean energy technologies is the greatest opportunity we have to grow; to become the energy company of choice for the next generation; and to fulfill the expectation of our employees that they are working for a purpose-driven company and that purpose – being a leader in the fight against climate change – is as important as it can be. And further, we are reinforcing the message in corporate America that caring for one’s welfare and wellbeing are not negotiable practices in this day and age.
Our purpose is the ultimate communal purpose: every human and every business contributes to the problem of climate change, through direct and indirect carbon emissions. As such, we all have to be part of the solution. Companies, like ours, are equipped with the enormous resources of multinational corporations and ready-access to the right technologies. We are driven by the strength of conviction as to the urgent imperative of global warming, and are well positioned to lead. But a business-led social movement won’t ever happen without the enthusiastic participation of the American public.
American consumers, an essential part of the solution equation, are — regrettably — largely indifferent at this point to which company they get their electricity from. Therefore, they are unlikely to follow the lead of a company they feel no emotional connection with. American consumers feel a much closer relationship with other companies, like entertainment, consumer products, consumer electronics, auto, beverage, big box retailers, etc. Many of those companies are also willing to lead on this issue.
At this stage, this corporate “coalition of the willing” is just coalescing. The enlightened CEOs who lead these companies are focused inward. They want to clean up their own act, making their own companies as absolutely sustainable as possible. They are leading by example, which makes sense except that it is slow going at a time when there is no time to spare.
Because even where the company’s CEO is an ardent sponsor, the full embrace of clean energy and other sustainability solutions has to first be agreed to and implemented lower in the organization. And when you get to the working level of any company, you realize that almost all actions in the business world require financial justification via a “net present value” (NPV) calculation. To put it bluntly, if a shift to new clean energy solutions cannot be economically justified, it is not likely to happen no matter what the CEO wants.
Fortunately, the price of distributed solar and wind has fallen so far so fast that investment in distributed renewable energy solutions usually can be justified in financial terms, but it takes too damn long and too much effort to prove it every time, in every instance.
There is one issue in the corporate world, however, that universally sits beyond the reach of financial justification – safety. In my 14 years as a corporate executive, I have been through countless meetings discussing what we could do to keep our employees and customers safer and never have I heard anyone try to measure personal safety in net present value terms.
It was not always so. Early in the 20th century, American industrial concerns considered on site injuries and even fatalities as an unfortunate but inevitable cost of doing business. But at some point, public revulsion (and subsequent social action) rose to the level that a cavalier attitude on the part of corporations towards employee safety became simply unacceptable.
That is what we need now. We need “sustainability” to be elevated everywhere in corporate America, to sit alongside safety, in that fine place where economic viability gives way to moral necessity.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis is firmly upholding church teaching banning contraception, but said Monday that Catholics don’t have to breed “like rabbits” and should instead practice “responsible parenting.”
Speaking to reporters en route home from the Philippines, Francis said there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births. But he said most importantly, no outside institution should impose its views on regulating family size, blasting what he called the “ideological colonization” of the developing world.
African bishops, in particular, have long complained about how progressive, Western ideas about birth control and gay rights are increasingly being imposed on the developing world by groups, institutions or individual nations, often as a condition for development aid.
“Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized,” Francis said.
The pope’s comments, taken together with his defense of the Catholic Church’s ban on artificial contraception during the trip, signal that he is increasingly showing his more conservative bent, which has largely been ignored by public opinion or obscured by a media narrative that has tended to highlight his populist persona.
On the trip, Francis gave his strongest defense yet of the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which enshrined the church’s opposition to artificial birth control. He warned against “insidious attacks” against the family — a reference to gay marriage proposals — echoing language often used by overwhelmingly conservative U.S. bishops. And he insisted that “openness to life is a condition of the sacrament of matrimony.”
At the same time, however, he said it’s not true that to be a good Catholic “you have to be like rabbits.” On the contrary, he said “responsible parenthood” requires that couples regulate the births of their children, as church teaching allows. He cited the case of a woman he met who was pregnant with her eighth child after seven Cesarean sections.
“That is an irresponsibility!” he said. The woman might argue that she should trust in God. “But God gives you methods to be responsible,” he said.
He said there are many “licit” ways of regulating births that are approved by the church, an apparent reference to the Natural Family Planning method of monitoring a woman’s cycle to avoid intercourse when she is ovulating.
During the Vatican’s recent meeting on the family, African bishops denounced how aid groups and lending institutions often condition their assistance on a country’s compliance with their ideals: allowing health care workers to distribute condoms, or withdrawing assistance if legislation discriminating against gays is passed.
“When imposed conditions come from imperial colonizers, they search to make people lose their own identity and make a sameness,” he said. “This is ideological colonization.”
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Carmel is a destination renowned for its natural beauty, art, food and dog-friendliness. However when it comes to family travel in California, it flies under-the-radar. A closer look reveals that Carmel is a convenient base for exploring the myriad of adventures along the Monterey Peninsula and it’s more affordable than it appears.
Carmel-by-the-Sea: The compact art and beach town measuring just one square mile is easily explored on foot, though you won’t find a street number anywhere. Houses and businesses are identified by cross streets and residents pick up their mail at the post office. For families, the convenience of parking the car after a day of sightseeing and walking to dinner, the beach, ice cream or even just to dog-watch (much more interesting than people-watching) is a huge perk.
The Family Suite at Hofsas House Hotel: Family-owned Hofsas House Hotel has what all parents dream about on vacation; an affordable two-bedroom suite where kids and parents have their own rooms. There are three family suites with varying amenities including a full kitchen, fireplace and dining area. The Bavarian-themed hotel has peek-a-boo ocean views, free continental breakfast, parking and best of all, it’s walking distance to everything in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Carmel Beach: At the end of Ocean Avenue sits the famously photographed Carmel Beach framed by Cypress trees and swirling white cloud skies. The beach is a picnic-perfect stop for families who can pick up lunch staples at 5th Ave Deli & Catering on the way. Beyond the crashing waves, there are views of Pebble Beach golf course and a walking path above. There’s limited parking and while the walk down to the beach is manageable with kids, the climb back up is better suited for longer legs.
Farmstand at Earthbound Farms: This isn’t your average farm stand. Earthbound Farms distributes its lettuces and produce nationally but there’s only one farmstand and it’s a scenic 15-minute drive from downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea to the countryside of Carmel Valley. Take a photo on a straw horse, make yourself dizzy in the aromatherapy Walking Labyrinth or learn the vegetable ABCs in the kids’ garden. There’s a cut-your-own herb garden and for the sweet tooths, yogurt and baked goods inside as well as produce.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo: Founded by Junipero Serra, the father of the California missions network, Carmel Mission is an active church and school as well as a popular stop for visitors. Father Serra founded nine missions but Carmel was his favorite and it’s where he lived out his life. He is buried under the Basilica’s altar. The restored mission is compact enough to keep kids’ attention with kid-friendly gardens and open space to explore. For added adventure, cross the street for a walk on the wooded paths at Mission Trails Park.
Dog and More Dogs: Want a vacation but don’t want to leave the pooch at home? Go to Carmel where many hotels welcome dogs. There are so many four-legged friends around town and at Carmel Beach that kids can play “count the canine” game all day long. Looking for dog-friendly dining in Monterey? Try the outdoor, shaded patio at Tarpy’s Roadhouse.
(MORE: Find great rates on kid-friendly hotels in Carmel, California.)
Convenient Base for Exploring Monterey Peninsula: Carmel’s best attribute may be its seaside location close to all of the area’s star attractions. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seventeen Mile Drive, spectacular hiking and marine life at Point Lobos, kayaking on Monterey Bay, Cannery Row and the seasonal Monarch butterflies in Pacific Grove are all within a 15-20 minute drive.
Kristi Marcelle, a San Francisco Bay Area freelance writer, contributed this to MiniTime.
More from MiniTime:
7 California Hotels that Woo Parents and Kids
5 Spectacular Stops on the California Mission Trail
3 Coastal Gems Worth Discovering in Northern California
4 Beach Towns That Are California’s Best Kept Secrets
Iconic California Coastal Road Trip from LA to San Francisco
A 5-year-old boy in Plymouth, England, was given a $24 invoice for missing a friend’s birthday party in an unusual dispute that appears to be heading to court.
Alex Nash was supposed to attend the party at a local ski park in December, where kids were treated to snow tubing, tobogganing and lunch. However, Alex’s parents said they realized at the last minute that he also had plans to see his grandparents that day.
“We asked Alex what he wanted to do,” Alex’s dad, Derek Nash, told Sky News. “He chose to be with his grandparents.”
Nash said he didn’t have contact information for the birthday boy’s parents so he intended to apologize later.
Instead, Alex came home from school on Jan. 15 with an invoice in his backpack.
The bill, dated Dec. 14, lists “1 Childs Party No Show Fee” at a cost of 15.95 pounds, or $24.
“I thought it was a joke to begin with. I am lost for words,” Nash told the Plymouth Herald.
Nash said he visited the birthday boy’s mother and told her he had no intention of paying.
“I told her she should have spoken to me first and not put the invoice in my son’s school bag,” the Herald quoted him as saying.
The Daily Telegraph has published what it says is a Facebook conversation between Tanya Walsh (Alex’s mother) and Julie Lawrence (the mother of the birthday boy).
“If I had known that I would have to pay if Alex did not go, then I would have paid you the money, no problem,” Walsh wrote. “I do not like fighting with people, and would prefer to settle this amicably.”
“I don’t like fighting with people either, and was not best impressed when Derek turned up on my doorstep, and said you won’t get any money out of me, rather rudely, I do admit it rattled me,” Lawrence replied. “the amicable way round this I believe would be to pay me the money and let a lesson be learnt, I hope this is agreeable?”
Walsh did not find that agreeable and Lawrence is now threatening to take the matter to court.
Clive Coleman, legal correspondent for the BBC, said on the network’s website that the parents would have a hard time collecting the money.
“(F)or there to be a contract, there needs to be an intention to create legal relations. A child’s party invitation would not create legal relations with either the child ‘guest’ or its parents,” Coleman wrote.
The Plymouth Ski and Snowboard Centre, where the party was held, is listed in the delivery address of the invoice. But the company wrote on its Facebook page that it wants nothing to do with the dispute.
“No invoices are ever sent out from the centre to private individuals,” the company said. “This is a disagreement between the two parents involved and the fact that the centre has been named on the invoice is fraudulent.
But the biggest victim here may be a childhood friendship: Alex said his friend has stopped playing with him, the Herald reported.
When one country annexes another, there’s some things you expect to happen, like airstrikes or strongly-worded letters to the UN. One consequence you probably wouldn’t have predicted is that you’ll no longer be able to spend $0.99 on certain apps.
Back before the days of selfie-sticks, or selfies or even the concept of front-facing cameras, humanity had plastic disposable cameras. You’d shoot your 20 photos, take it to the drugstore, rewind the film — yes, film — and walk out with 20 blurry holiday snaps of your own. WhiteAlbum is an app that’s trying to bring that experience back, but without having to pay a visit to Walgreens.
It looks like the YouTube AdBlitz is back – and this is deemed to be the start of the Super Bowl ad season, now how about that? In fact, over 6.3 million hours’ worth of Super Bowl ads were watched on YouTube in 2014, which is a whole lot of hours when you think about it. Just how much time is that if we were to quantify it into something that most people can relate to? Well, it is similar to flying from Phoenix to the moon – and back, not a thousand times, but 87,500 times. If you were to watch every NFL game in history, that would be 138 reruns in all.
It is widely believed that this year’s YouTube AdBlitz would also bring about a similar sense of excitement and anticipation, not to mention quality like what we have seen in the past. Needless to say, YouTube will this year host a teaser gallery so that folks can watch advertiser submitted pregame ads – all in a single place, without having you to run around looking for different sources. Not only that, all of the advertiser-submitted game-day commercials on the YouTube AdBlitz channel will be uploaded the moment the ad is aired on TV, which means YouTube folks have a fair number of embargos to look out for, too.
YouTube AdBlitz Signals Start Of Super Bowl Ad Season , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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