TACOMA, Washington – Technology has proved critical in bringing the world closer to reaching the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in which sustainable energy is a key element. According to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “achieving sustainable energy for all is not only possible, but necessary. It is the golden thread that connects development, social inclusion and environmental protection.”
Many innovations have been developed over the years in order to tackle energy deficits, but have usually been constricted to commercial uses such as increasing the productivity of farms.Very few developments have actually tackled individual’s access to energy which typically relies on the burning of fossil fuels. MPOWERED Inc. has created an alternative to the dangerous, unsustainable kerosene lanterns used by millions of people with no access to the grid.
The company’s solar powered lantern, called Luci, hopes to diminish not only the reliance on fossil fuels, but provide the poor with a sustainable light source that’s affordable and safe for daily use. Though run by the sun’s rays, Luci is capable of storing energy, making it capable of use hours after the sun has set. Its battery is rechargeable, design collapsible and it weighs in at 4.5 ounces.
The company states that the product has significant advantages over other similar developments due to its night functionality, which allows students to read and do schoolwork in the evenings, as well as provide safety to women and children traveling at night. According to the Energy Minister of Haiti, in one particular community in 2012, incidents of violence dropped from 57 per week to two per week after the introduction of lights.
With about three billion people globally relying on coal and kerosene as a household energy source, innovations such as Luci have the potential to greatly transform the lives of many living in poverty- freeing up money for other expenses, securing their neighborhoods and eliminating the health and environmental effects of burning fossil fuels.
According the company’s website, over 850,000 lives have been “impacted” by Luci. Though the site is adorned with photos of primarily African communities enjoying the product, the technology is available and used by people all over the world- including camping enthusiasts in the Western world.
Though there has been no report indicating how much of their product has actually been utilized in the African continent, the need for such technology is apparent. Currently, 589 million Africans live without “modern forms of power.” In order to address such a huge need, the U.N. Decade of Sustainable Energy For All initiative is set to begin in 2014 to help meet development goal benchmarks by 2015. Goals of the program hope to secure energy access globally by 2030.
In order to meet these deadlines and help empower those around the world, ensuring access to sustainable energy will be a critical step in alleviating global poverty. According to Jacques-Philippe Piverger, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of MPOWERD Inc., “Energy is empowerment. It’s a catalyst for development. And it’s the force that will ultimately change the world. The key is that we collectively rise to the occasion making energy poverty a thing of the past in short order.”
– Jamison Crowell
Sources/Photo: Huffington Post, Epic Road