Today, 1.2 billion people still do not have access to modern energy, while 2.5 billion rely on “traditional biomass” (ie wood or dung) and coal as their main fuel sources.
Lack of access to clean, affordable and reliable energy hinders human, social and economic development and is a major impediment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This video clip from Practical Action shows what it means in practical terms to have no electricity, and explains how the charity is working with local communities to resolve some of the issues.
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How can sustainable energy help move people out of poverty?
As well as generally raising living standards, having access to reliable energy also:- enables income generation – for example, through solar pumps for irrigation or electricity for a small business (take a look at this solar pump being tested out at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales)
- provides power to community health clinics, and refrigerators to store medicines, as well as cell phones, which have transformed commerce (watch this video clip showing how mobile phones have changed lives in Tanzania)
- reduces the time and drudgery of collecting fuel wood, supporting cleaner, more efficient cooking and heating options (see how solar stoves can cut cooking smoke)
- provides lighting, so children can study after dark (find out how creating power from burning rice husks brings light to villages in India)
- enables businesses to operate and creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs (see how a small business in the Philippines is installing 'solar bottle' lights - and read the science behind them)