“Green City in the Sun”—Reporting from TEDx Nairobi
October 27, 2010
The TEDx talks recently came to Nairobi, and with each speaker the old views of what this city is all about faded further and further away. There were talks about everything from plastic bag recycling, to encouraging more youth in agriculture, to solar powered stoves, to rebranding what is “modern and cool” in Nairobi society in order to save the environment. Here are a few highlights:
Kyoto Energy produces solar and water powered products—including a simple, compact, lightweight solar oven that made an onstage appearance at TEDx Nairobi. From Kyoto’s website:
Kyoto Box is a solar cooker made from polypropylene with acryl glass cover. It provides free energy for cooking, baking, cleaning water and drying foods. At the same time, it reduces many severe problems such as indoor smoke inhalation, fire hazard and time loss and spinal injury from gathering firewood. It also reduces deforestation, lowers cost of energy and reduces household CO2 emissions. It packs flat and thousands can fit on a lorry.
Biovision is an online agriculture resource with information about crops, pests, diseases, weeds and more. In the words of its creators, it is “a web-based information platform offering trainers, extension workers and farmers in East Africa quick access to up-to-date and locally relevant information in order to optimize their livelihoods in a safe, effective, sustainable and ecologically sound way.” They also have a weekly radio program.
Voice of Kibera is a free information portal for and about Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, and the second largest urban slum in Africa. People can use their mobile phones to submit updates to the site, which aggregates information ranging from news, to information about health services, to book club announcements.
Here are a few videos of TEDx Nairobi talks:
- Jon Bohmer – Solar, An Alternative Energy Source
- Su Kuhumbu – Improving Our Agriculture
