Michael Pritchard’s water filter turns filthy water drinkable

Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it — inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009.

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/

Mycologist Paul Stamets studies the mycelium — and lists 6 ways that this astonishing fungus can help save the world.

DIRT! The Movie, tells the amazing and little known story of the relationship between humans and living dirt.

Here’s the dirt… from “DIRT” movie website…

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Dirt feeds us and gives us shelter. Dirt holds and cleans our water. Dirt heals us and makes us beautiful. Dirt regulates the earth’s climate. Dirt is the ultimate natural resource for all life on earth.

Yet most humans ignore, abuse, and destroy our most precious living natural resource. Consider the results of such behavior: mass starvation, drought, floods, and global warming, and wars. If we continue on our current path, Dirt might find another use for humans, as compost for future life forms.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Another world, in which we treat dirt with the respect it deserves, is possible and we’ll show you how.

The film offers a vision of a sustainable relationship between Humans and Dirt through profiles of the global visionaries who are determined to repair the damage we’ve done before it’s too late. There are many ways we can preserve the living skin of the earth for future generations. If you care about your food, water, the air you breathe, your health and happiness… it’s time to see DIRT! the Movie, roll up your sleeves for action and Get Dirty.

DIRT! The Movie–directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow, and narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis–takes you inside the wonders of the soil. It tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility–from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.

It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil.

“The only remedy for disconnecting people from the natural world is connecting them to it again.”

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DIRT website

If the trailer is any indication, this will be a phenomenal film. The film is now available for pre-order in DVD, shipping at the end of September ‘09

Watch as Global X intervies and found themselves, mesmerized and actually speechless. Listen to Professor Yunus as he tells the story of the first US$27 loan in a village of Bangladesh, the loan that launched the microfinance movement. Watch him as he recalls how surprised he was that it took so little money to free village women.

Aryavart Gramin bank, financing solar PV in India - 2008 Ashden Award winner

In Bangladesh, one of the least developed countries in the world, Microcredit from Grameen Bank has brought mobile phone services to the most isolated villages. Poor rural women now operate small businesses providing public call services to their communities.

The Inka Philosophy… the Eagle and the Condor have reconciled… we are all one culture, all one family….

This question is now a hot topic, mostly because of dis-information and fear being fueled by the insurance industry, and those financially benefiting from keeping the status quo.

A 20 year veteran of the insurance industry, turned whistle blower… Wendel Potter testifies before congress as a very strong advoacte of insurance reform here in the US.

From the PBS Bill Moyers show… Bill Moyers interviews former health insurance industry executive Wendell Potter.
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In his first extended television interview since leaving the health insurance industry, Wendell Potter tells Bill Moyers why he left his successful career as the head of Public Relations for CIGNA, one of the nation’s largest insurers, and decided to speak out against the industry. “I didn’t intend to [speak out], until it became really clear to me that the industry is resorting to the same tactics they’ve used over the years, and particularly back in the early ’90s, when they were leading the effort to kill the Clinton plan.”
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Here are two excerpts from that interview…

And another interview with Democracy Now!

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile.html

This Renewable Energy World video is a very good analysis of the current conditions in the PV market.
Interviews of some of the key players at Intersolar North America conference and expo provided some valuable insights. Pay particular attention to the last four minutes as they talk about what to expect from inovative companies entering the market… yes, and of course I am thinking of Citizenre.

Full Article from Renewable Energy World.com

This outstanding talk by UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is very poinient and appropriately points out our interconnected and interdependent world. “We’re at a unique moment in history”, says Mr. Brown: “we can use today’s interconnectedness to develop our shared global ethic — and work together to confront the challenges of poverty, security, climate change and the economy.”