Monthly Archives: August 2006

India Blows Coke

india flagCoca-Cola and Pepsi Cola can no longer be purchased in some states in India. This is after the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based NGO, discovered that pesticides were inside the drink. The level of pesticides in the drink are technically legal, but also against voluntary standards set in India.

It’s good to see that some states in India are taking this public health issue seriously and banning the poisonous drinks. Still, it is not a complete ban; however it is very symbolic. Banned is the selling of colas a certain distance around schools because of health concerns for children.

“The sale of Pepsi, Coca Cola, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Blue, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Thums Up, and 7up will be banned within 100 metres of all schools, colleges and hospitals across the state, they said.”

This is getting a lot of media attention and should pave the way for more stringent health and environmental concerns in the country.

Green Wifi

green wifi logoGreen Wifi is a non-profit organization that wants to bring free wifi access to the internet using solar power. They are using off the shelf products installed with linux to keep costs as low as possible. The reasoning behind providing internet access is that development require easy access to information, and what better way to disseminate mass amounts of information than the internet?

This is the essential question though:
“Why Green WiFi? A number of non profit entities focus on addressing the digital divide by providing internet access to developing areas. Green WiFi addresses one of the biggest barriers to success: the lack of reliable electricity in developing areas required to power the network.”

Boiling Point Reached in Global Warming

Global warming is happening, whether we like it or not. For the most part, corporations, politicians, and “scientists” have been proclaiming that global warming isn’t happening, and that if it is happening, humans are not to blame. Well, the good news is that this is changing!

New York State Governor has called for a 25% reduction in oil consumption over the next 10 years.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has had enough of politicians ignoring the truth of global warming. Now the paper is demanding action to protect the environment.

The best article is from the Montreal Gazette. They have an article written to show how some politicians, like Arnie and Blair, and some corporations are making change right now.

I know all of this is not perfect, but we are here to celebrate the good that is happening in the hopes that people don’t get discouraged.

Good Shirts

biking rocksThe Spacing Wire is a blog that is all about public space. It’s a Toronto-based magazine that has some great coverage on public space in Toronto and around the world. The only comparable public space organization that I’ve found is the Project for Public Spaces in New York.

Anyway, over at the Spacing Wire there is a post on some cute and fun pro-pedestrian and cycling shirts.

Power, Water, and Refrigeration From One Source

A product of American military research is something that can actually help people. The army wants it to save money, but aid organizations can use it to save people. A new system that can fit on a truck can provide drinking water, electricity, and even refrigeration. The device is clever because it reuses energy that would otherwise be waster, making it more useful and efficient.

“The engineering researchers’ solution: a small system that ties a novel gas turbine power plant to a heat-operated refrigeration system. The refrigeration makes the gas turbine more efficient, while also producing cool air and potable water. The turbine can run on conventional fossil fuels as well as biomass-produced fuels or hydrogen.”

This would be amazing to have in disaster relief situations.