Affordable solar energy for the global population without access to electricity. That is the mission of Solar For All, an initiative founded by the Canopus Foundation, which supports the growth of social enterprises developing renewable energy. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) joined efforts with Solar For All to administer their second contest…
By Diego Ponce de Leon Barido and Josiah Johnston Rolling black outs and high electricity prices were a common ritual in Nicaragua a decade ago. Schools and shops often languished for hours without power. Hotels and restaurants relied on kerosene, candles and expensive generators to keep businesses open. From a financial and health perspective, this…
Every night, more than a billion people live in the dark when the sun goes down. They experience a different world than that of people in developed countries. Their only source of light, where available, comes from kerosene – a fuel that is expensive, dirty and potentially dangerous. Consequently, their immediate environment is often filled…
Deauville and Le Havre are located along the Seine estuary in northwestern France, home to a diverse ecosystem and economic and environmental lifeline. The Seine estuary supports trade, fishing, tourism and recreational activities. In order to promote these and other services, mayors of both towns met with environmental experts at the Global Estuaries Forum in…
National Geographic helped advance the cause of sustainable energy for off-grid communities by crowning the winners of the Terra Watt Prize—the first competition of its kind—on June 11 in Washington, D.C. As torchbearers for cleaner, safer, and cheaper energy alternatives for the global poor, co-champions Mera Gao Micro Grid Power (MGP) and EGG-energy Tanzania Limited…
Five years ago photographer James Balog collaborated on a National Geographic magazine story called The Big Thaw, documenting the retreat of the world’s glaciers in what has been the most popular National Geographic article on the environment since then. This led to further visual documentation and most recently a film called Chasing Ice. At the…
In today’s polarized climate, it is not uncommon to hear opposition to anything labeled climate-friendly or green. But confronting inaccurate and unfair arguments requires constant effort, and the trend toward complacency is dangerous. According to Jigar Shah of the Carbon War Room at the American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY) conference in Aspen last week, if…
Featured speaker and MIT professor, Daniel Nocera, participated in an eloquent dialogue at the Aspen Environmental Forum. He captivated the audience with humorous and informative anecdotes, while explaining his vision to meet the world’s energy needs. The world will require 30 terawatts* of power by 2050, assuming that humans will achieve an additional 15 terawatts…
“We’re using tomorrow’s water to meet today’s food demand,” warned Sandra Postel, National Geographic Freshwater Fellow, helping to provoke a meaningful discussion on water as it relates to food at the Aspen Environmental Forum. Agriculture was a central theme as it consumes a disproportionate share of global water resources. Jon Foley from the University of…