Motorola unveils cell phone for the developing world

It really seems like technology for the developing world is taking off! First a laptop for the developing world was announced last year with a price tag of $100. And now, a cell phone powered that can be powered by the motions of a bike has been announced by Motorola. Where power sources are hard to come by and with increasing stresses upon existing power sources, enabling a cheap, affordable method of powering a cell phone for the developing world seems like a pretty bright idea to me. In China, more than 500 million people use bikes as their primary means of transportation. The potential market for this innovation is the huge. Not only has Motorola developed this innovation but they are branding bicycles designed for this purpose. Brilliant. I'll be keeping an eye out for any new developments.

Developing Markets and LEED

Source: emagazine.com

India has become the first country outside of the US to meet the standards for platinum-certification as outlined by LEED. The article also discusses how China, in the midst of its economic boom, is also having a green revolution.

Last summer the Chinese Premier and Mayor of Shanghai unveiled plans for the
world’s first fully sustainable “eco-city” in Dongtan, strategically located at
the mouth of the Yangtze River next to Shanghai. The first phase of the massive
project will be completed in time for the 2010 Expo in Shanghai. By then, the
city plans to showcase innovative urban water harvesting and purification
systems, community waste recycling, waste-based biogas facilities and
co-generation power plants. When completed in 2040, the city will be
three-quarters of the size of Manhattan and almost entirely self-sufficient in
energy, water and food.

While I have been aware for sometime now that the Chinese government and Chinese entrepreneurs have been developing green solutions to energy use, they are going above and beyond my expectations. I did not believe that environmental sustainability would be a top priority for China this decade since they are still a developing country, regardless of the amount of economic growth that is taking place.

The article questions whether or not it will be enough to quell an energy crisis. It's a fair question, but to get the developing world on board with energy conservation is a huge step and something that, at this point, may become the model for the West in the coming years.