Guest Post 3: Energy Innovations for Energy Security & SDG7

Guest Post by Venkatesh R.

Editor's Note: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy is a key factor in facilitating development and improving quality of life. Constant innovation is vital in the quest to find newer, cleaner and cheaper sources of energy for sustainable development. Venkat highlights some innovations that help facilitate this quest for and access to "affordable and clean energy."

When It Comes to Saving Energy

Your Kinetic Energy to Electricity while working out - a la the Free Electric bike of Manoj Bargava but on a schievable scale: Instead of having the treadmill connected to a power source, a device to power it up like you would an electric bike to move the belt which in turn has your kinetic energy producing electricity will be a boon. Your workout could power-up batteries. In gyms and in homes if such a gadget is introduced then it's a win-win. Gyms will generate power instead of consuming it. 

Use Graphite in High Voltage Application as the Resistance Is Least

Use of graphite with solar cells to store the energy, probably more energy will be collected and stored.

 

Piezo Electricity for Street Lighting

Sound energy can be used to power up the street lights. In a major stage events where a lot of sound systems are been used, in the main road during the high traffic times as the energy been generated and been used within the place by charging the capacitors or some medium, the distribution loss are minimized.. So the distribution losses can be avoided. This can be done by using Piezo Electric devices.

Solar Panel Orientation 

 We have street lights powered by solar panel above the light, if we can place that panel, below the light; I feel there will be more energy but more research is needed to assess feasibility, because it is visible light that charges photovoltaic cells. So during the night as well they can be charged, though it is based on intensity mainly efficiency of such setup needs to be checked. Another way to improve productivity of solar panels is to use the wiper motors to change the orientations based on the sun's movement in sky, but mobile panels will more costly and you need to factor in replacement costs for wear and tear.

Drone-Based Energy

Self-powered drone, Flights with graphite-based solar panel body. As wind energy and solar energy are best at the higher altitude if they can be harvested from drones or even with passenger flights a lot of power can be generated, with so many flights flying across the world a small experiment on flights can prove to be useful.

River Horizontal Turbines

Sloping Architecture: harness energy of flowing water by constructing horizontal turbines across the river where it slopes. These horizontal turbines can use tangential forces and generate clean energy.

Guest Contributor Bio

Venkatesh R. is a Science and Social issues blogger with 10+ years of experience in the IT industry. Venkat is on a mission to create a better world for children. Venkat has won the "Beyond the Armchair" challenge conducted by the Red Elephant Foundation (REF), has contributed a number of articles in Voices of Youth, and has shared a number of ideas in climatecolab.org innovation labs, UNHSCR, GPY2015 and Openideo forums for the past 6 years. His writings and ideas can be accessed at: http://vramanusocialthoughts.blogspot.com/ (Social Issues); https://fissionminded.blogspot.com/ (His writings to bring a change in society through art as a medium); Science Blogs: http://randomthoughtsofvramanu.blogspot.com/  https://vramanu.blogspot.com/

Other Guest Posts by Venkatesh on the Sunshine Millennium Blog

https://sunshine-millennium.blogspot.com/2019/03/guest-post-2-save-water.html 

https://sunshine-millennium.blogspot.com/2019/03/guest-post-human-security.html

Guest Post: A Gender Equal Utopia - Wakanda Rulez!

Guest Post by Kirthi Jayakumar

Editor's Note: As the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW63), the UN’s largest gathering on gender equality (#SDG5),takes place at UNHQ, New York, from 11 – 22 March 2019, Kirthi writes about how the Gender Equal utopia of Wakanda immortalized in Black Panther is an ideal that needs to be worked towards as a truly gender equal world can make life better for all. 

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Watching Black Panther twice made me see something in Wakanda that we are missing out in the world around us, that we can certainly strive to create. No, I don’t mean vibranium. And no, I don’t mean the Dora Milaje (although I wish…). What I do mean I mean, is the status of women. 

Think about it: in Wakanda, gender equality is a fact that breathes and lives among the community. In Wakanda, women are badass and are not restrained from attaining their full potential. In Wakanda, women are respected. But most importantly, in Wakanda, women are not burdened with having to be culture signifiers. And yet, their cultural diversity is respected, engaged with and revered. 

In sharp contrast, many communities in the real world, continue to essentialize culture,[1] and focus on ways to keep culture a homogenous standard against which they hold their women accountable. In doing so, there has been a poor focus on the subordination of women and its social, economic and political connotations – coupled with the construction of culture within the confines of power-relations at all levels – local, national, regional and global.[2] Studies have shown that the cultural practices that are upheld, highlighted and celebrated across many of the world’s communities in countries that were once colonies, are largely those that were selected, promoted as generally applicable and privileged, by the colonial powers themselves. Consequently, a lot of the male leaderships in traditional spaces have tended to derive their authority and legitimacy from colonial power.[3] As a result, formalized legislative and policy frameworks tend towards cultural interpretations, and state institutions continue to define culture – subtly or otherwise.[4]

That women’s bodies are the primary vehicles of reproduction has been a basis for the confinement of their roles to being reproducers, or those that are tasked with reproducing the community. That women’s bodies are also primary vehicles to signify and embody culture has been a basis for the imposition of the task of reproducing the dominant culture of their communities, on women.[5] With the rigid gender roles, then, there come rigid structures, patriarchal norms and policing systems that police a woman’s body, identity, choices and movement. The norms that are assigned through unequal gender roles continue to manifest are cyclically perpetuated. As a consequence of being considered the “privileged signifiers” of cultural factors that differentiate communities,[6] women are forced to conform with the status quo. This conformity is equated with the larger goal of preservation of culture – and any attempt to challenge an existing norm is seen as a betrayal of culture – and the sanctions are painful. Women are likely to be bound by tradition when it comes to marriage, child birth and seeking employment, even if they may have access to education, and healthcare. Furthermore, some cultural and traditional practices that granted women rights – such as matrilineal ancestral descent, right to property and right to land – may be discarded, or weakened with the progressive weakening of personal agency.[7]

This form of structural violence leads to women facing a range of discriminatory treatment and violence. Everything from social restrictions and stigma, to honour-based crimes and other forms of violence and discrimination, keep the cycle of violence against women alive. In some instances, the imposition of the status of cultural signifiers takes precedence even over the rigid sex-specific role of reproduction. For instance, in India, a recent policy framework exempted cosmetic products used as cultural signifiers of Hinduism from tax, but levied a heavy tax on menstrual products.

In sharp contrast, Wakanda is very different. Representing culture is not a gender role – and there are no gender roles, either. Everyone is free to live and work to their full potential. For instance, Nakia rejected taking the herb and becoming the Black Panther only because she didn’t have an army and the herb was a good incentive to win the Jabari tribe over, not because it was meant only for men. Nakia also gets to travel the world and work without having to be a cultural signifier. Shuri was a woman in STEM, working to build and improve technology like a pro – she was not kept out of science like women in our world are. Okoye is a General, and the Dora Milaje are the forefront in Wakanda’s military space – not kept out of the army because it’s a traditionally male job. After Zuri is killed, a woman takes over position – not that his job is confined only to men. 

The key lesson to take home from Wakanda is that when culture and tradition bind certain aspects of women’s social lives, women may remain bound by these norms for long after other aspects of their socio-economic and political lives may have changed.

We see it in the world around us. And we need to change it. 

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[1] Farida Shaheed, “Citizenship and the Nuanced Belonging of Women”, in Scratching the Surface: Democracy, Traditions, Gender, Jennifer Bennett, ed. (Lahore, Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2007).

[2] A/HRC/4/34, para. 20

[3] Charu Gupta, Sexuality, Obscenity, Community: Women, Muslims, and the Hindu Public in Colonial India (Delhi, Permanent Black, 2001).

[4] Charu Gupta, Sexuality, Obscenity, Community: Women, Muslims, and the Hindu Public in Colonial India (Delhi, Permanent Black, 2001).

[5] Nira Yuval-Davis, “The Bearers of the Collective: Women and Religious Legislation in Israel”, Feminist Review, vol. 4 (1980), pp. 15-27.

[6] Deniz Kandiyoti, “Identity and its Discontents: Women and the Nation”, Millennium — Journal of International Studies, vol. 20, No. 3 (March 1991), pp. 429-443.

[7] Uma Narayan, “Essence of Culture and a Sense of History: A Feminist Critique of Cultural Essentialism”, Hypatia, vol. 13, No. 2 (Spring 1998)

Contributor Bio

Kirthi Jayakumar (Founder/Chief Executive Officer of The Red Elephant Foundation) is from Chennai, India. She is the recipient of the US Presidential Services Medal (2012) for her services as a volunteer to Delta Women NGO, from President Barack Obama. She is the two-time recipient of the UN Online Volunteer of the Year Award (2012, 2013). Her work has been published in The Guardian and the TIME Magazine. She was recognized by EuropeAid on the "200 Women in the World of Development Wall of Fame in 2016." She received the Digital Women Award for Social Impact in 2017, from SheThePeople, Person of the Year Award, 2017 (Brew Magazine) and the Yuva Samman in 2018 (MOP Vaishnav College).    

Guest Post 2: Save Water

2nd Guest Post by Venkatesh R.

[Editor's Note: Drought and Flood-Drought cycles and fresh water scarcity are the plagues of the 21st century. Be it in urban or rural areas access to safe drinking water is an indicator of development and ease of living. Venkat shares with us some means to improve water quality and water levels wherever you may be.]
 

Bamboo as Conduits of Rainwater Harvesting

Simple ways of handling the rain water can reduce and improve the ground water level. With rain being inconsistent, it’s important to save the water that is available. The simple idea of having bamboo with holes around its length can help in sending the water to a longer distance beneath the surface of the earth. In the conventional houses we are having cement based floors and even in roads the water stagnates. If the roads are made with slopes and if we can have the bamboo at particular intervals the water instead of getting stagnated on the roads and houses gets passed on to the bamboo setup and can improve the ground water level. In villages as well this can be followed up.

At the end learn and share and encourage to participate on SDG goals:

 Encourage children to think metaphorically, the nature has an answer; we need to put it as a concept and concept in action by spreading to school and colleges.

Water conservation can turn a wasteland into wonderland as demonstrated at Aravalli Institute of Management at Kaprada village, Rajasthan:

Forest in the City

Trees roots do act like pipes. One can plant trees between the actual road and service roads, i.e., before the platform. Trees regulate the temperature; the same can be done on agricultural land as well. Street lights are way taller than trees so I don't think it may affect the lighting. One may prefer to plant trees that grows to a certain limit be it vertical or sideways. The amount of money spent in garbage or water problem one can address it with trees by pruning it periodically. Nature does have solution; only man-made products are creating the issue. If one can replicate natural systems, life on  earth will survive for much longer. All the ecosystems plant, insect etc. are interconnected when one specie dies other species as well gets affected or the food chain itself gets changed.

This  44-page technical report compiled in 2014 by IISC provides an exhaustive list of “Tree species for planting on medians and road avenues,”and can be downloaded as a PDF.

Down To Earth documents the creation of a Food Forest and an elaborate water and native seed conservation system created in Nayagarh district of Odisha by Sabarmatee and her father Radha Mohan through the trust Sambav.

Guest Contributor Bio

Venkatesh R. is a Science and Social issues blogger with 10+ years of experience in the IT industry. Venkat is on a mission to create a better world for children. Venkat has won the "Beyond the Armchair" challenge conducted by the Red Elephant Foundation (REF), has contributed a number of articles in Voices of Youth, and has shared a number of ideas in climatecolab.org innovation labs, UNHSCR, GPY2015 and Openideo forums for the past 6 years. His writings and ideas can be accessed at: http://vramanusocialthoughts.blogspot.com/ (Social Issues); https://fissionminded.blogspot.com/ (His writings to bring a change in society through art as a medium); Science Blogs: http://randomthoughtsofvramanu.blogspot.com/  https://vramanu.blogspot.com/

 

Guest Post: Human Security

By Venkatesh R.

Security from Poverty 

"Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime"

Poverty is one of our major crises, one cannot reduce poverty by donating money and food. Poverty can be reduced by humanity, awareness and innovation. Involve youngsters affected by poverty in innovative projects along with the right kind of guidance. In UNHCR some innovative projects have been conducted, let them innovate the solution to the problem and create job opportunities. One can maintain a farm - even an urban or rooftop one with minimum efforts - smart work enabled by science, money can be raised by selling those vegetables. Make people fight not to depend. 

Tackling Hunger

  In case of ensuring security from hunger and providing nutrition there's research that suggests Banana and Eggs can provide the required nutrients for children. If one can teach people how to farm with the minimum resources at least lot of life can be saved by tackling hunger with the provision of the most effective nutrition.

Tackling Violence & Human Trafficking 

 There are various reason for trafficking, internal conflicts etc….. but the major reason is lack of awareness and insecurity of individuals. As per the UNICEF report on Africa, many children and teenagers have been kidnapped or been abused. These kids were attracted to strangers in name of love, especially when both the parents were working. One need to ensure and share the thought once in a while to kids that their parents love them. The communication gap between parents and children is a major reason for kids becoming online prey, similarly with vulnerable women.

Applications like Safecity can help in identifying locations where children and women are not safe.

Areas where streetlights are not present becomes a crime-prone zones.

A major reason for crime is because of the lack of fulfillment of an individual, while satisfying the lowest level of the Maslow principles. If one gets freed of basic needs, crime levels can be reduced. Repetitive  advertisement on the principles and values of humans can shape better humanity. If the humanity and values gets preserved in the individuals there is no need of the punishment, law etc. as the values triggers the guilt and serves as the judge. 

Crimes are been committed by some people without them realizing it is an crime. Thoughts of Buddha needs to spread, not for spreading Buddhism, but it serves as rulebook for a person, how one needs to live. If one doesn’t values others life as their own , crime and violence doesn’t stop.

https://unhcrideas.org/educategirls/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3477

Discarded Mobiles Re-used for Security of Those At-Risk
Mobile phones that still work and are exchanged or upgraded for the latest in mobile technology can be re-used by those vulnerable to trafficking instead of dumped by the businesses. Most phones are can be tracked as mentioned in https://www.wikihow.tech/Find-a-Stolen-Android-Phone so in the places where the risk of kidnapping and trafficking is high such phones should be donated to such communities to ensure at least an avenue to track the individual especially children. For mobile companies it is corporate social responsibility at its finest as well as an advertisement of their support of freedom and security –a high profile social cause and environmentalism as the phones don’t end up in a dump and the resources used are worth it for a longer life-cycle.

Tie-up with forest & wildlife experts
  It’s a well-known fact that lot of people women and children gets abducted in forests. But surviving in forest isn’t easy on a whole one needs cook the food, food needs to be brought from town and more over one needs to settle next to a water body when electricity isn’t present. So setup some cameras at the entry exit of a forest roads and near the water bodies and rivers where the stream speed is less or where there is a bridge. One can set camera that can track animal poachers, animals as well as prevent crimes like trafficking in these vulnerable zones. The presence of wildlife and with the interests of wildlife conversationalists, photographers and journalists, and camera companies  can sponsor such security. A tie up for data collected can be a win-win.

Skill-Based Education

Invest in skill-based training to the people and community, one cannot avoid natural disaster but one teach people how to cope up with it.

Building a self-sustaining tent

Building Algae frame / dung cake based shelter, powered by off-grid system with help of refugees

https://unhcrideas.org/home/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3838

Education in remote areas, with or without internet

Technology Based Modified Curriculum for Education

https://unhcrideas.org/educategirls/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3477

Campaign-based awareness through accessible mediums

https://unhcrideas.org/educategirls/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3479

 Bio-mimicry
One of the basic skill one needs to possess is observation and learning from nature. Nature is the best designer. It creates and destroys life, but never pollutes anything. It is self-sustaining and the most efficient closed system- circular economy and cradle-to-grave design. If one can remember and work as per nature, life will be easier, deviation from it will always create issues.

Guest Contributor Bio

Venkatesh R. is a Science and Social issues blogger with 10+ years of experience in the IT industry. Venkat is on a mission to create a better world for children. Venkat has won the "Beyond the Armchair" challenge conducted by the Red Elephant Foundation (REF), has contributed a number of articles in Voices of Youth, and has shared a number of ideas in climatecolab.org innovation labs, UNHSCR, GPY2015 and Openideo forums for the past 6 years. His writings and ideas can be accessed at: http://vramanusocialthoughts.blogspot.com/ (Social Issues); https://fissionminded.blogspot.com/ (His writings to bring a change in society through art as a medium); Science Blogs: http://randomthoughtsofvramanu.blogspot.com/ https://vramanu.blogspot.com/