Innovation really turns me on, as does anything that eliminates smoke. A sensitive asthmatic, my darling friends often suffocate me unintentionally, particularly at parties. There's a fireplace going, a bunch of candles everywhere spewing chemicals that are similar to those produced by a diesel engine, and then there are campfires.
Rural Africans without electricity and public utilities have similar issues with pollution. Most families use kerosene lamps, highly polluting contraptions but there is hope. An amazing lighting solution, called a 'solar pebble', is expected to transform rural Africa by replacing the need for the highly polluting lamps. Solar Aid, http://solar-aid.org/projects/health/lighting-malawian-homes.html, a UK non-profit and three undergrads collaborated and designed the solar lamp. Not only can it light the entire smaller African rural home, but it is designed to also function as a mobile phone charger. It can also replenish the charge on other portable equipment.
The designers also made it a 'snap this piece in and out' design to make repairs easy. The parts are shipped dissembled so that putting the lamps together can create work for the local people.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20001768-54.html?tag=nl.e797
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