Plastic Bag and Disposable Foam Product Ban in Haiti

Miami Herald reports that as of October 1st the importation, manufacture or sale of plastic bags and disposable foam products will be banned in Haiti. Most such products are currently imported from the Dominican Republic.

Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe says the ban is aimed at attempting to address the nation's massive litter problem and protecting the nation's coastline, shore and remaining mangrove forests.

In built up areas Lamothe says non-biodegradable waste clogs "95 percent of our sewage system, creating mass floods in poor neighborhoods...that is costing the state more than $50 million a year, if we had the means to clean up."

Lamothe also notes that advantages of switching (returning...) to non-plastic biodegradable alternatives "will benefit Haiti's short, mid and long-term environmental interest."

Two main concerns are that unless there are readily available alternatives and there is consistent enforcement of the ban, it will be ineffective and may well end up hurting some of the people most directly affected by the litter problem when sewer systems back up.

The second concern is banning plastic and foam products has to be just the first step. In a situation where plastic pollution is to pervasive (as it is in Haiti and in many poor nations or neighbourhoods where trash collection is non-existent) that trash then has to be cleaned up. Even if the source of pollution is removed, the existing pollution doesn't go away. Meaning, that $50 million/year price tag the Prime Minister mentioned still stands—although it may not be increasing anymore.

The two areas of concern are issues in Haiti. However developed westernised countries and societies where waste is of abundance could really benefit from such a ban. There are high levels of waste, especially in Britain and parts of America and China.
Realistically, I could see this law being implemented and working most successfully in Britain. In Britain there is a high turnover use of plastic bags and disposable foam products. Britain have readily available alternatives which could quickly be implemented and the second concern being trash being cleaned up is also not an issue. The council successful remove waste from all house holds regularly and consistently.
By implementing this law, waste levels will be lowered which means over it will reduce levels of carbon monoxide and pollution, reducing the effects of globalisation.

To sum up, this ban could be applied to Britain through applying new Government laws banning the importation, manufacture or sale of plastic bags and disposable foam products.

Earthquake-proof Table

Israeli industrial designers, Arthur Brutter and Ido Bruno, have designed the "Earthquake-Proof Table" was built with the table’s live-saving potential in mind. "Existing non-earthquake-designated classroom tables often turn into lethal traps for those taking refuge."

A common tip for surviving an earthquake, told to everyone from school kids in Los Angeles to salarymen in Tokyo, is simple: when you feel the ground shake, get under the nearest table or desk to protect your head from broken glass, flying debris, or falling ceiling fans. But the reality is, most tables aren’t that strong, and in developing countries where cheaply built schools are likely to crumble, getting under a table won’t do much anyway.

The designers believe the table could provide safety to the 300 million students worldwide living in countries prone to quakes. It’s light enough for students to move, but can withstand more than 2,000 pounds of impact.

While researching the design, the team interviewed school directors and emergency responders around the world, including personnel who participated in rescue efforts after recent mega-quakes in Turkey and Haiti. The goal was to figure out an affordable way to mass produce the table without sacrificing safety. Their research shows that furnishing a classroom with these tables would be 10 times cheaper than strengthening the walls and 500 times cheaper than rebuilding a class or school to earthquake safety standards. Ido and Brutter, who collaborated on the project at Jersualem's Academy of Arts and Design, are now in talks with various governments and UN agencies to figure out how to bring the new technology to the places that need it.

To sum up, furnishing classrooms with these tables in parts of the world which are at a high risk of earthquakes could prove 10 times cheaper than strengthening the walls and 500 times cheaper than rebuilding a class or school to earthquake safety standards. They are also affordable for the less developed high risk countries as they are cheap to produce.

To promote and encourage use of the tables in classrooms, the designers should persuasively pitch the benefits to various governments and UN agencies.

To stress the benefits they should show a demo of the model in a stimulated earthquake and stress how much money and potential lives could be saved, using direct comparisons to the current set up in classrooms.

Charities could also raise funds through sponsorships and campaigns online, actively on the streets and through advertising on television to fund manufacturing and provide the less developed countries with these for their schools.

Financial Literacy to Help the Poor Escape Poverty

Money management is a critical life skill and those without such skills are often forced into a downward cycle of poverty and missed financial opportunity, unless fortunate enough to be born into a wealthy family. Even minor setbacks can be devastating. The impoverished in developing countries are at an even greater disadvantage due to the general lack of financial education, fewer resources, and challenging socio-economic conditions.  Financial literacy education is a powerful tool that has the potential to help the poor escape poverty by building savings, growing assets, and creating wealth. 

Saving money may seem straightforward, however many at the base of the economic pyramid (BOP) are barely able to do so. What little money they do have is kept on their person or hidden within their household. Saving even a pound or two per week can cultivate much needed savings habits. Core concepts such as saving money are the basic foundation for proactive financial planning. These practices will not only help consumers build savings, but will further develop good money management habits enabling BOP consumers the rare opportunity to plan for their future.

Some, however, have raised concerns about the effectiveness of financial-literacy education. Law Professor Lauren E. Willis of Loyola Law School published a journal titled ‘Against Financial-Literacy Education’ in November 2008, citing the lack of empirical support of the effectiveness of financial-literacy education. Prof. Willis cites in her report that the hours of study needed in order to obtain financial literacy is beyond the reach of most people, citing as an example the complexities involved in evaluating a retirement plan. I agree; this would indeed be a cumbersome task for the non-expert. This does not mean, however, that ordinary consumers would not benefit with some form of basic financial literacy education. 

Not only do the beneficiaries of financial literacy education stand to prosper. There are opportunities buried in untapped markets for banks and financial service providers to offer the same basic services available to those in rich countries, however, designed for BOP markets. Financial service providers serving BOP markets are rewarded with profitable sources of income by tapping into these millions of potential clients, many who are using innovative means to establish micro-businesses in order to escape the poverty trap. 

Technology is key. Online financial planning is a new and innovative way to provide financial planning to consumers who typically do not have access to professional advice. According to the Wall Street Journal, it is estimated that nearly 50 million U.S. based consumers that could potentially benefit from professional financial advice lack access to these services. Imagine the need for these services, even in their most basic form, in developing nations. Technology-based solutions have the potential to make a connection with the rural poor, such as cell phone banking. Banks do not find it profitable to establish branches in regions where the remote poor live. Cell phone bank accounts facilitate ease of deposits, thus avoiding long journeys to deliver cash, the need to conceal money within one’s household, or to incur expensive wire transfer charges. 

Another possible innovation may lie in the creation of social investment strategies designed specifically for consumers typically denied access to financial markets, giving them the opportunity to grow wealth in capital markets. Friends, family, and neighbors in BOP communities often pool their resources together. Fund managers and investment advisors may consider the possible rewards that lie in providing these consumers the opportunity to invest pooled funds, with continued contributions even in the smallest of increments, into low-fee micro-investing index funds. 

Universities are an ideal source of both initiative funding and financial expertise. Like-minded social entrepreneurs can form student and professional organisations enabling students, alumni, and academics to work collectively toward providing financial literacy education to the local community. These initiatives can be a terrific source of uniting low-income families together with financial services providers who may better understand and meet their actual needs. When these consumers become financially literate, they are more likely to better manage their money, and thus avoiding predatory bank revenue generating schemes. 

Many at the top of the economic pyramid have the willingness to explore new and innovative ways to promote financial literacy education. Similarly many at the bottom are actively involved in fighting their way out of poverty. Collectively we have the potential to grant the poor access to the basic building blocks of financial independence. 

Progress is being made toward financial literacy education. Organisations such as the Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL) aim to promote effective financial literacy education in the United States. Similarly, the Consumer Financial Education Body in the United Kingdom aims to help consumers understand financial services and to help them better manage their finances. Meanwhile the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Reserve Bank of India have co-sponsored a financial literacy workshop in Bangalore India with a focus on the implementation of a national financial literacy program. 

For those who are interested in making a difference, The Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL) offers volunteer opportunities as Volunteer Educator or Outreach Volunteers. Those who serve as Volunteer Educators provide financial literacy education in their local communities. Outreach Volunteers are responsible for developing community based networks, holding financial-literacy discussions, and writing letters to newspapers or journals in support of financial-literacy education. The Center for Financial Certifications, an independent division of the IFL, offers professional certifications in credit counseling, financial education, and debt management, among others. 

Socckit

Soccket, is a plug-in soccer ball that captures the energy during game play to charge LEDs and batteries. The ball uses an inductive coil mechanism to generate energy.  After playing with the ball, the child can return home and use the ball to connect a LED lamp to read, study, or illuminate the home. 

Soccket Ball

The clever invention is made from materials found in developing countries and costs only slightly more than a normal high end ball to produce.

Soccket was an engineering class assignment at Harvard University, where co-founders Jessica Lin, Jessica Matthews, Julia Silverman, and Hemali Thakkar quickly bonded over their shared experiences in Africa and other developing countries to create an ingeniously simple portable generator.

The movement of the ball forces a magnet through a coil that induces a voltage to generate electricity and the coil doesn’t affect the motion of the ball. The beauty of soccket is that a kid in a developing nation can play a game of soccer after school, leave the playground, take the ball home, plug a basic lamp into a built-in fixture and have enough light to do homework.

For every 15 minutes played on the first version of sOccket, the ball was able to store enough energy to illuminate a small LED light for three hours. sOccket 2.0 has improved that ratio. Now, less than 10 minutes of play yields three hours of energy.

The ball, which has been trialled in South Africa, is waterproof, durable and doesn't need to be inflated. It uses inductive coil technology which involves having a metal coil and magnetic slug that goes forwards and backwards.

The use of kerosene to light people homes has serious health risks for 1.5 billion people worldwide. Kerosene not only is expensive, but the smoke poses serious health risks and its flames are very dangerous. The World Bank estimates that breathing the fumes created from burning kerosene indoors equals the harmful effects of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.

More than 270 million people play soccer worldwide, including 46 million Africans, according to a 2006 FIFA study. In most African countries, 95 % of the population lives without access to electricity, according to a 2006 World Bank Millennium Goals Report. 

The special ball can currently be used with an ac adaptor but the designers hope this will be expanded in the future to enable other products to be charged by it.

Mass production and distribution of these balls in countries without access to electricity, such as most in Africa, could save thousands from the serious health risks bought on through the use of kerosene and can help bring people together through sport and play.

Mitti Cool

The Pot-in-pot Cooler, based on by ancient techniques, was designed by Mohammed Bah Abba who won the Rolex prize and who has been promoting this process though-out Nigeria. The concept takes advantage of evaporative cooling.

Pot-in-pot Cooler

The system works by fitting a lidded earthenware pot inside a larger pot with the space in between, filled with sand and water. The sand layer can be kept cool by adding water generally twice a day, thus providing refrigerated storage space at minimal cost.

When that water evaporates, it pulls heat from the interior of the smaller pot, in which vegetables and fruits can be kept. As water in the sand evaporates through the surface of the outer pot, it carries heat, drawing it away from the inner core, thus cooling the inside of the inner pot.

The Clay refrigerator enables tomatoes to last for twenty-one days, rather than two or three days–without this technology. It has proved very efficient and it has been tested with a number of different vegetables.

The same principle was applied by Mansukhbhai Raghavbhai Prajapati, a potter from Wankaner in Gujarat. He designed a fridge for the common man that does not require electricity and keeps food fresh too. With this basic premise in mind Mansukhbhai came up with Mitticool, a fridge made of clay. It works on the principle of evaporation. Water from the upper chambers drips down the side, taking heat from the inside gets evaporated, leaving the chambers cool. Cool and affordable, this is the option to keep food, vegetables and even milk fresh naturally for days.

Mitti Cool Fridge

Prajapati has come up with an innovative apparatus that functions like a refrigerator: It cools drinking water and can store vegetables for days on end without electricity. Made of clay, the 'fridge' has a 10-litre water tank at the top while the lower part has a chamber which can be used to store vegetables or other eatables that need cooling. His innovation is being supported by NIF and GIAN. 

After more than three years of continuous efforts and failures, in 2004 Prajapati's clay fridge model worked successfully. He called his product 'Mitticool.' The device works on the principle of evaporation. As the water evaporates through the pores of the clay, it not only cools the water itself, but also the lower chamber and its contents too.

Food preservation is one of the biggest problems in the rural areas, where farmers lack water, electricity and transportation. The harsh climates in several countries make it impossible for farmers to preserve their crops for more than three days. Beyond what they may eat and trade in their communities, the time works against them and they are losing the opportunity to sell the harvest at the market, hence missing an important source of income. Sometimes the market is located several miles away from their villages.

This is a very good alternative for the rural people who can not afford the conventional refrigerator due to high initial cost and its maintenance cost. Educating to less developed countries how to create Mitti Cools and Pot-in-Pot coolers should be encouraged to clay makers in rural areas so that these people are aware of this design and can use and benefit from it too. Examples of some of these regions are Nigeria and India.

Infant Warmer

Embrace has developed an innovative, low cost infant warmer for vulnerable babies. The design looks like a miniature sleeping bag that incorporates a phase change material, which stays at a constant temperature for up to 6 hours. This low-cost solution maintains premature and low birth weight babies' body temperature to help them survive and thrive.

The AccuTemp Heater warms the WarmPak to 98.6F, a temperature critical to a child’s survival. This version of the product requires access to an AC power source. However, it can also be run off of a generator or any alternate AC power source.  

The WarmPak absorbs heat from the AccuTemp Heater, and slowly releases this heat over a period of time to the newborn, when placed in the BabyWrap. No electricity comes in contact with the baby.

The BabyWrap traps the heat from the WarmPak and provides a warm, insulating microclimate to the newborn. The BabyWrap has been engineered to minimize heat loss from the WarmPak to the surroundings, thus ensuring that the WarmPak stays effective for a long time.

This design could save thousands of lives of vulnerable babies in developing countries. Over 20 million low-birth-weight and premature babies are born every year around the world, and over 4 million die within their first month of life. Temperature regulation is a key problem among many of these infants.  Embrace has developed an infant warmer that costs a fraction of the price of existing solutions, and that functions without a continuous supply of electricity.

By providing a low-cost and appropriately-designed alternative to traditional incubators, costs to the health-care system will be reduced. Also by providing affordable and accessible solutions to prevent hypothermia, these Infant Warmers will impact the lives of babies all over the world.

To promote this scheme, Embrace should donate their Infant Warmers to populations in need such as Somalia and India. To do so they could raise funding from campaigns and sponsorships or establish partnerships with NGO's who are serving the target markets.

They could also provide free training and education programs to address the root causes of low birth weight and other maternal/child health issues to raise awareness of the program and hopefully encourage sponsorship.

Waste into Energy in Africa

Students at the MIT Sloan School of Management have drawn up a business model for a company called Sanergy (it begins with sanitation and ends with energy). The idea is to build a network of "sanitation units" in Kenya, collect and process the waste, and then convert it into energy and fertilizer. 

Social and environmental challenges, such as, demolition, health emergencies, a lack of a social safety net, and flooding in the rainy season are all frequent occurrences in the informal settlements. The consequences of these events are devastating. Sanergy is social enterprise which provides solutions to the sanitation-related diseases in Africa’s slums by making sanitation accessible, affordable, and sustainable.

The first part of the model is to build, and franchise a dense network of low-cost sanitation centers, eventually expanding to every block of the slum. Each center will provide basic high-value services: hot showers and clean toilets. Having a small footprint and low cost to construct, each center is designed to service a customer base of 77 people.

These centers will be franchised to local entrepreneurs with direct financing from a local microfinance bank, and the day-to-day operation of the facility. The franchisees earn income through pay-per-use fees, membership plans, and sales of complementary products to toilet users. The income generation potential is a natural incentive for the franchisees to maintain the facilities and provide good customer service.

Rather than septic tanks, pit latrines, or sewer systems, the Ecosan system used in the sanitation centers deposits the waste in air- tight containers. These containers of urine and feces are collected on a daily basis by a waste collector using handcarts. Each day, Sanergy employees collect the full containers of waste from our operators and provide them with clean empty containers. The containers full of waste are brought to our central processing facility.

The processing facility will efficiently convert human waste into biogas through industrial-scale anaerobic digestion process. By centralizing the processing of waste, the yield of the conversion process can be significantly increased through economies of scale when compared to small household and village level biodigesters. The biogas will be combusted in CHP engines to generate electricity that will be sold directly to the KPLC and the national grid through long term power purchase agreements. Finally, the output from the biogas generation will be processed into high-quality organic fertilizer, which will be sold to commercial farms and small hold farmers.

The long term objective is to build and scale viable sanitation infrastructure in the slums of Nairobi. The model involves four parts:
1. Building a network of low-cost sanitation centers in slums
2. Distributing them through franchising to local entrepreneurs
3. Collecting the waste produced
4. Processing it into electricity and fertiliser. At each step, this model creates jobs and opportunity while simultaneously addressing serious social needs