Neil MacGregor on why he picked the solar-powered lamp
"One object alone cannot definitively sum up the world in 2010 but the aspiration to make clean, affordable power available to the most remote communities through the natural power of the sun is a story worthy of this generation."
Thursday, 14 October 2010
100th Object: "a story worthy of this generation"
What the twitterverse thinks of 100th Object
One twitterer last night suggested the Chile rescue capsule be included as a last-minute entry on the short list for the 100th Object. But at 7.45am the solar-powered lamp was announced as the winner. The reaction in the twitterverse was largely positive. Some twitterers were "inexplicably annoyed" that it wasn't the mobile phone. But the mobile has been included in the British Museum display. And as Anne points out
All the great things you can do with a mobile phone don't work unless you have a power supply to charge the battery, and solar can provide that power anywhere.
Here are some of the reactions. For non-twitterers, AHOW stands for A History of the World.
@maccalarena Ok, phew - it's the solar powered lamp. And a mobile phone. #AHOW
@nigelcsmith First time I've heard a round of applause for a lamp #ahow
@bridgetmck @britishmuseum Thanks for choosing a solar object as the 100th #AHOW Hope BBC knows we're hungry for them to cover climate solutions #cach
@nikstanbridge I have one of these! RT @BBCRadio4: Unveiled @R4Today, the 100th #AHOW object: a solar-powered charger
@SamCrome The #AHOW British Museum 100th object is solar-powered lamp! Very pleased with this; fitting end to a fantastic series
@MattPByrne So the100th #ahow object is a solar-powered lamp representing global environmental sustainability - good choice I think
@Michael1952 The 100th object in History of the World in 100 Objects unveiled http://bbc.in/HOW100 I totally agree choice is 100% on the money ! #ahow
@Richardpagett RT @BBCRadio4: Solar panels like the #AHOW 100th object will power access to knowledge for the world's poorest
and - a view shared by this office today -
@ascorbic I think A History of the World in 100 Objects might just be the greatest radio show of the millennium. #100objects #AHOW
@ascorbic I think A History of the World in 100 Objects might just be the greatest radio show of the millennium. #100objects #AHOW
Follow AshdenAwards on Twitter.
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100th object offers solution to two of our biggest problems
Latest: Neil MacGregor on why he picked the solar-powered lamp
Update: Watch the video as Neil MacGregor explains to Evan Davis why the solar-powered lamp was the 100th object.
Evan Davis says
I have to say, in my view, absolutely right to pick an object or objects that are relevant to the whole world, not just the West.
Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder-director of the Ashden Awards, says
It's great news that the solar lantern is the 100th object. It's a small object that represents a solution to two of our biggest global problems: climate change and poverty.
How we tackle climate change and how we reduce poverty are vital questions to address if we are going to survive the 21st Century. Clean renewable energy has to be the energy of the future and affordable, accessible energy is crucial for ending poverty. This 100th object meets both those challenges.
Ashden's Senior Advisor, Anne Wheldon, says
I thought that the solar lantern was up against stiff competition with the mobile phone, particularly now that phones mean banking and the internet as well as calls and SMS. But Neil MacGregor was so right. All the great things you can do with a mobile phone don't work unless you have a power supply to charge the battery, and solar can provide that power anywhere.
See also Solar-powered lamp revealed as 100th Object, Tomorrow’s vote on 100th object keeps solar in the news, Solar lamp an icon in social entrepreneurship and Will solar powered lamp be 100th object? Click here to read the rest of this post.
Solar-powered lamp revealed as 100th Object
an object that tells the story of the ingenuity and the challenges that shape humanity in the 21st century.
The result was announced on the Today programme at 7.45am this morning by the British Museum's director Neil MacGregor. He said:
The result was announced on the Today programme at 7.45am this morning by the British Museum's director Neil MacGregor. He said:
We are still making things that change the world and change the way we are ... What solar power does is give a whole range of people power over their lives.
Update: Watch the video as Neil MacGregor explains to Evan Davis why the solar-powered lamp was the 100th object. Evan Davis ends
I have to say, in my view, absolutely right to pick an object or objects that are relevant to the whole world, not just the West.
See also Tomorrow’s vote on 100th object keeps solar in the news, Solar lamp an icon in social entrepreneurship and Will solar powered lamp be 100th object?
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Tomorrow's vote on 100th Object keeps solar in the news
As its example of a solar-powered lamp and charger, the BBC's website features the D.light Nova Model. The 2010 Ashden Gold Award went to D.light Design for their work in bringing solar power to rural communities across the developing world.
It's been a newsworthy couple of weeks for solar. President Obama announced he was going to put solar panels back on the White House roof. President Nasheed of the Maldives personally installed solar panels on the roof of his residence. And this week in Los Angeles, there is the Solar Power International 2010. One CEO there says
The solar industry is wrapping up its most successful year ever. Solar is now the fastest growing energy industry in the U.S., employing nearly 100,000 Americans
Today's Guardian carries the news that installation levels in the UK are hitting five times what they were in 2009.
The name of the 100th object will be announced on Radio 4 tomorrow and feature in the broadcast on 22 October.
Pic. Ned Tozun from D.light Design receives his 2010 Ashden Award from Sir David Attenborough
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Six days to go for international awards deadline
A big thanks to the websites and tweeters who have spread our call for entries for the 2011 Ashden Awards. We now have less than a week left for international entries (deadline 19th October) and less than two weeks for UK entries (deadline 26th October). For UK entries, click here. For international entries, click here.
For the UK awards, thanks to (among others) Transition Network, IFV News, Fundraising.co.uk, Sustainability West Midlands, Keep Wales Tidy, Education Executive and Energy Saving Trust. For the international awards, thanks to (among others) REEEP, GVEP, SEED International, International Union for Conservation of Nature, PCIA, Scidev.net, Renewable Energy Focus, News from Africa and on Twitter thanks to (among others) @CleanEnergyOrg, @REfocusmag, @Stevebenvirotec, @NEW_FRONTIERS, @GreenFutures, @WelHatCouncil, @vphase, @LifeSizeMedia, @EnergySvgTrust, @paulbrichardson, @richgreenhouse, @GroundworkLON, @groundworkuk, @simonredding, @centre_alt_tech, @LBSecoschools, @ArchitypeUK, @NEW_FRONTIERS, @LearnFromNature, @kimtrapese, @groundworkuk, @ogunte, @wpartnerships and @Lovechaweng.
Thanks also to those who have spread the word through mail-outs and e-bulletins.
Click here to read the rest of this post.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Solar lamp an "icon in social entrepreneurship"
These range from the iPhone ("epitomises our hyper-connected reality") to the washing machine ("liberated western women from domestic duties") to the plastic water bottle ("symbol of our wastefulness").
The solar-powered lamp is one of the four (out of five) contenders that have so far been selected by the series makers for the shortlist.
One of the most recent comments on the BBC's blog - from Elaine Khoo in Singapore - supports the specific example of the D.light solar-powered lamp.
it is an icon of the gravitational shift of social entrepreneurship - the focus of designing for consumers at the bottom of the pyramid which even the Fortune 500s are scrambling to get right.
One of this year's Ashden Award winners, D.Light has already sold over 220,000 units in over 30 countries via a network of rural entrepreneurs.
The 100th object will be announced on Thursday.
Will solar-powered lamp be 100th object of the world?
On Radio 4 this morning, the Today presenter Evan Davis inspected "a plastic and metal object that's about 15 centimetres by 10 centimetres".
The British Museum curator Ben Roberts told Davis that one and half billion people don't have access to electricity and the burning of fossil fuels contributes to climate change. This small handheld object "actually addresses these global problems". Roberts explained that this small solar-powered lamp and charger could generate 100 hours of light. As the British Museum's blogger writes today,
As long as the sun shines, this object provides. It’s a life-changer and not just for a few of us. It could alter and secure the existence of billions.
The other three contenders to have been nominated are: a football shirt, a mobile phone and Antarctic clothing. The 100th object in A History of the World in 100 Objects will be announced on Thursday.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Architype scoops top award for designing sustainable school
Architype has once again been recognised nationally for its outstanding work in sustainable design. It has scooped the RIBA Sorrell Foundation Schools Award for the ‘exceptional’ St Luke’s Primary School in Wolverhampton.
Founder Director of the Ashden Awards, Sarah Butler-Sloss said:
“It is fantastic to see Architype recognised again for its ground-breaking work in sustainable design. We hope others can learn from these excellent architects and replicate their work in future new school builds.”
The St Luke’s school is an exemplar of Architype’s commitment to low carbon energy sources and sustainable building materials. A biomass boiler provides under floor heating whilst the school’s insulation is made from treated newspaper. What is impressive about the St Luke’s project is not just the energy saving credentials of the building itself but the engagement and education it encourages for sustainability within a new generation. The eco-awareness of the young users is evident in this short film made by pupils about the new build.
Architype won an Ashden award in 2009 for their work in the sustainable design of buildings to minimise carbon emissions. You can view a film of their Ashden Award-winning work here. For more on all our award UK winners, visit our website.
Friday, 8 October 2010
Two Ashden winners shine in energy access report
One of the speakers, Olivier Kayser, is managing director of Hystra Consultancy. His company has worked with Ashoka to produce a 100-page report, Access to Energy for the Base of the Pyramid (pdf here).
The report studied 150 projects in terms of their "economic viability" and "project scalability". When it came to the lunchtime talk, Kayser decided to single out two projects for praise.
The key discovery of these projects is to have started out from a base of what the beneficiary populations can manage to pay for them and to have already researched what can be done to improve them.
Both, of course, are Ashden Award winners.
China winning race for green jobs
More on China: as latest round of UN climate talks takes place in Tianjin, China, Oneclimate.net includes films of our winners as part of their webcast from the conference.
The Ashden Awards has four winners in China: the Shaanxi Mothers for domestic biogas and lighting; DAXU for stoves designed to burn crop waste; REDP for bringing affordable high-quality solar lighting to rural China; and Aprovecho Research Center and Shengzhou Stove Manufacturer for mass-producing affordable, efficient stoves.
We welcome applicants from China for 2011. As we've tweeted
领先世界的绿色能源奖邀请您申请2011年度的奖项!
http://bit.ly/cvYCiY #China #绿 #能 #奖
Pic: DAXU employee at work making stoves that burn crop waste
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Brazil's ex-energy minister could become 'most powerful woman in the world'
Rousseff was originally Secretary of State for Energy in the state government of Rio Grande do Sol (she went on to become National Minister for Energy and Chief of Staff in Lula's government).
Two Ashden Award winners come from Rio Grande do Sol.
CRERAL supplies electricity via the grid to 6,300 mainly rural customers.
CRELUZ has built six micro hydro plants which supply electricity to an area of 12,000km2, benefiting over 80,000 people.
Rousseff has been an active advocate for getting rural customers connected to the electricity grid, and set up the funding programme from which CRELUZ benefitted.
The Ashden Awards welcomes more applicants from Brazil. As we tweeted today:
O prêmio líder mundial para energia sustentável convida candidaturas para 2011 - Please RT through Brazilian networks! http://bit.ly/bQNqR8
Four winners in China the UN delegates should follow
The latest round of UN climate talks is taking place in Tianjin, China. Oneclimate.net is including films of some of our winners as part of their webcast from the Climate Conference.
The Ashden Awards has four winners in China: the first, in 2006, was the Shaanxi Mothers for domestic biogas and lighting. The next year's winner was DAXU for stoves designed to burn crop waste. In 2008, Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP) won for bringing affordable high-quality solar lighting to rural China. Last year's winner was the Aprovecho Research Center and Shengzhou Stove manufacturer for mass-producing affordable, efficient stoves.
As we tweeted in Mandarin earlier this week, we welcome more applicants from China.
领先世界的绿色能源奖邀请您申请2011年度的奖项!
http://bit.ly/cvYCiY #China #绿 #能 #奖
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
‘Communities of interest’ within business is a key driver for New Green Deal
Tim said communities are not just those within streets and neighbourhoods, there are also ‘communities of interest’ within organisations, businesses and charities. There's a great example of measures taken by a ‘community of interest’ at Lunel’s own organisation, NEF, which practices what it preaches: NEF's buildings reach impressive standards of energy efficiency, consuming less than half of the industry best practice level. When people come together to act, it appears, they are capable of doing more collectively than they can on their own.
Ashden Award winners are also doing just that. Take the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. Through community-led initiatives, they have managed the demand and supply of renewable energy, reducing the islanders carbon by 50%. You can download a full case study and film of their work from our website.
Obama to put solar panels back on the White House
In 1986 Ronald Reagan took the panels down. It was said the roof was leaking and work needed to be done. But as Scientific American writes
By 1986, the Reagan administration had gutted the research and development budgets for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and eliminated tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies—recommitting the nation to reliance on cheap but polluting fossil fuels, often from foreign suppliers.
By 1986, the Reagan administration had gutted the research and development budgets for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and eliminated tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies—recommitting the nation to reliance on cheap but polluting fossil fuels, often from foreign suppliers.
Yesterday it was announced that President Obama is putting solar panels back on the White House roof.
More on this: Dot Earth hints at the influence of the Maldive President; Huffington Post suggests the decision has more import after climate change legislation died in the Senate; the New York Times' Green blog says it's part of a broader administration push to promote renewable energy; Grist says 'presidents often act first in symbols'; and Business Week says one of the criteria for the winner will be 'how well it showcases American technology, products and know-how'.
For Ashden Award winners and how solar works, see the database for case studies.
See also: Aryavart Gramin, SELCO, Solar Century and other Ashden winners. More generally: How the Senate and the White House missed their best chance to deal with climate change. (New Yorker)
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Ofgem says electricity traffic will double
There are two challenges here: one is preparing for the predicted doubling in electricity traffic; the other is making the energy industry greener. It is estimated that customer bills will rise by an average of £6 per year. Mike Pepler, our UK Awards manager, says,
While extra costs are sure to be unwelcome during difficult economic times, the costs of not improving the country’s gas and electricity networks could be even higher. If action is not taken to allow greater use of renewable energy and better management of energy demand, then the security of supply for the UK will be threatened.
Below the Telegraph article, one of the paper's readers comments:
Wait a minute here ... Electricity demand will double yet we will all be using less.
The next reader explains:
More PCs, iPods&Pads, widescreen TVs, electric cars, etc. etc.
Read more: Energy bills set to rise as Ofgem urges £32bn investment in 'rewiring' of energy networks (Daily Mail)
See Ashden Awards case studies on energy efficiency in the UK Click here to read the rest of this post.
Didcot pilots an energy source closer to home
Centrica is opening a plant at Didcot sewage works which will be the first in the UK to produce renewable gas for households to use.
National Grid believes that at least 15% of all gas consumed could be made from sewage slurry, old sandwiches and other food thrown away by supermarkets, as well as organic waste created by businesses such as breweries.
Telegraph reports 'human waste is being turned into renewable gas and used to power homes for the first time'.
Learn more about biogas
Read about the Ashden Awards biogas winners
Telegraph reports 'human waste is being turned into renewable gas and used to power homes for the first time'.
Learn more about biogas
Read about the Ashden Awards biogas winners
Monday, 4 October 2010
New website reports on how the arts in the UK are going green
The website Sustainable Ability is a new arts project that aims:to help drive forward transformative responses to resource scarcity and climate change from individuals and organisations working in the arts.
It is intended as another point of connection in the growing network of support designed to help the UK’s cultural and creative sector.
Sustainable Ability has just launched a report by Hilary Jennings and Lucy Neal on the cultural sector's response to climate change, along with a Google map of activities, the findings of a survey, and a useful list of additional resources.
For organisations and websites in the UK working in this field, see also: Julie's Bicycle, Tipping Point, Cape Farewell, Arcola, Do The Green Thing and - closer to home - Ashdenizen. See also what the National Theatre is doing to reduce its energy consumption.
Arts institutions should note that the Ashden Awards 2011 welcomes applications from the public sector: from fire stations, hospitals and colleges to theatres, galleries and museums.
Pic: Lyttelton Flytower by Ackroyd and Harvey
Update: Science foundation provides $700,000 to theatre company for climate change play Click here to read the rest of this post.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Two visions of India
This week's Economist offers a very different vision of India's surprising economic miracle.
For more on India and sustainability, see the Ashden Awards's Building a sustainable energy future for India
Click here to read the rest of this post.
For more on India and sustainability, see the Ashden Awards's Building a sustainable energy future for India
Last night's pub quiz on cookstoves
The Hedon meeting took place in an upstairs room in the pub, crowded with people with a high level of knowledge about cookstoves. The questions afterwards included:
How would Hillary Clinton's $50m affect those already making cookstoves?
Would the money go towards pre-finance? (A big problem is waiting for accreditation for carbon finance,which can take three to four years.)
Would there be a global standard of efficiency over cookstoves?
Would that standard be based on design features or on measurable output?
How is the Clinton scheme different from other initiatives over the years?
Is it better to have a very popular stove that improves efficiency by 25% or not-so-popular one that improves efficiency by 90%?
Why isn't there a hefty textbook on cookstoves - with all the maths, geometry and equations - freely available to designers?
Where's the social science research on what makes some gadgets take off?
Why did mobile phones take off in Africa? (Hint: it's the men who buy the phones, the women who buy the stoves.)
For more on stoves: Stoking up a cookstove revolution (Ashden Awards)
See also: Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and Hillary Clinton calls clean cookstoves a "cross-cutting issue"
And for some Ashden award-winning stove projects, go to: TWP/AHDESA, GERES Cambodia and Aprovecho/SSM. Click here to read the rest of this post.
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