The Argument for Solar

For rural Tanzanians, access to electricity can mitigate many daily hardships and can immediately provide a drastic increase to their quality of life.  I recently read an interview from theworld.org where a Tanzanian women describes the role that solar electricity has played in her life.  The woman tells the interviewer a sad story about a young school child who fell asleep studying with her candle lit and it caught her bed on fire, killing the child and 14 other children.  Also, she tells of doctors that perform emergency medical procedures at night by holding flashlights in their mouths for light, promoting pathogen exposure.  There is a seemingly endless list of specific ways in which electricity can increase ones quality of life, many of which we fail to realize because we take electricity for granted.

It is obvious that a rural society can benefit from electrification and I believe that the best part about it is that it enables communication to the outside world.  Without electricity villagers are burdened with the challenge of charging their portable electronic devices and without these devices they have no link to the outside world.  It all goes back to the old proverb "'give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Communication is fundamental to learning and it provides people with a means to access an unlimited source of information.  Thus, electrification enables communication which enables learning and now the Tanzanians have the power to control their own destiny.  The work I plan to do with Solar Hope this summer will enable Tanzanians to learn and unlike traditional forms of humanitarian aid, it will provide them with a means to help themselves.  

I have included a fun video for your enjoyment.  

New Profile Page and Donation Meter Added to Solar Hope Website

Just wanted to let everyone know that Solar Hope has added my profile page to their website and now donations can be made directly through Solar Hope.  Also, they have included a donation meter which makes this whole process even more enjoyable.  I cannot thank you enough for your support thus far.  Please feel free to visit the Solar Hope website and my new page.  The group has been meeting regularly now and I am getting more and more excited for the trip.  Next week I will begin to work with our translator to rewrite the solar installation instruction manuals in Swahili.  This will help the Tanzanians to maintain their systems long after we leave.  Also, I have begun to design my system based on the power consumption specifications that were sent to me from the hospital.  I will get the details posted as soon as I work them out.   Here is a picture from the donation meter on the Solar Hope website.  As you can see, I have already raised $1,155.  A big thank goes out to everyone who has helped.    

I have officially raised the first $1,000! Thank you to all contributors

Hey guys,

I reached the $1,000 mark this past weekend and I have now raised a new total of $1,055!  I wanted to say how much I appreciated your support of this great cause and I cannot thank my friends and families enough for their contributions.  I believe that the charity provided by the Solar Hope team this summer will really improve the lives of thousands of Tanzanians.  I recently received the original application from the townspeople of Mlowa and their requests were humbling.  I have included the hand drawn map of their facility and the electrical equipment they hope to power with my solar installation.  It is difficult to read but they list a microscope, centrifuge, a 165w vaccination fridge, and solar powered examination lights so they can tend to patients at night without dealing with the pollution and danger associated with oil burning lamps.

Hand Drawn Map

New UN Report Foreshadows the Global Expansion of Renewable Energy

Here is a link to a recently released article by an environmental correspondent from Reuters, Alister Doyle.  The article provides a synopsis of the " most comprehensive U.N. overview of the (renewable energy) sector to date".  Basically, the UN report is an all encompassing look at the future development of renewable energy technology (wind, solar, hydro... etc.).  All incomprehensible projections aside, the take home message is that renewable energy is going to grow as technological advances establish economic parity.  Furthermore, mankind has the potential to provide 75% of its total energy consumption using renewable sources by the year 2050.  Exciting?  It depends on your perspective.  Personally, I think that would be an amazing accomplishment for our race.  Momentarily, this is the only planet we have to call home and despite the illusion of limitlessness, earth's natural resources will eventually run out if we continue to use them at the current rate.  That may be hundreds or even thousands of years down the road but the sooner we learn to thrive without expendable resources the sooner we establish the longterm survival of our species.  If you can appreciate that then you can understand the importance of renewable energy, regardless of your stance on global warming.