[screaminsunshine]

Drums would be a better way for her.

[RWB Patriot]

Coming to a town near you, if big brother continues this global warming craze.

[LibFreeOrDie]

the family sold some animals to buy a small Chinese-made solar power system for about $80.

Good for them! They didn't demand it from their govt for free, nor did they wait for a charity to give it to them.

[Cisco Nix]

Dung Huts are renewable.

[Louis Foxwell]

Exciting efforts are being made by private businesses around the globe to bring energy resources to rural people in 3rd world countries. I recently joined with a group of Hassidic Jews who are investing in the development of resources to bring power to Indian farmers. More than a million farmers will benefit from these efforts by being able to purchase inexpensive basic technology that will transform their lives.

[cripplecreek]

Now balanced precariously atop their tin roof, a lone solar panel provides enough electricity to charge the phone and run four bright overhead lights with switches.

Which is a pretty decent use of the solar energy. Unfirtunately most of us have a much greater use of electricity with far less reliable sunlight available.

Here in Michigan I get some passive solar heating by way of south facing windows and charge a few emergency lights with solar. Unfortunately my use is at its peak for here.

[Truth29]

What happened to an old hand crank generator for charging a phone? Not sexy eco friendly enough?

[humblegunner]

Buying a cell phone when you have no electricity shows a lack of planning.

[sinanju]

Ingenious. But note how the Government aid agencies, big NGO’s and local state-owned power companies are temperamentally disinclined to get involved with little people doing such things privately.

[truth_seeker]

What powers the cellular signal towers?

She can now become a community organizer, and tell her people how to get stuff from goernments the world over.

Maybe they can use their corn for fuel, instead of eating it.

[OCCASparky]

Small scale? Try microscopic. And yet the green idiots think that if we were to go to this it would be all Kum-Bah-Ya for the world.

[dragnet2]

African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power

In the peaceful village of wing-a-what, a large pot, filled with captured white tourist, is slowly heated with solar panels.

[neverbluffer]

I claim BS on this one. Like another freeper stated, what is powering the cell tower?

Also, you donthave electricity and lights, but you have a cell phone? Sounds like Michelle Obama’s soup kitchens where the poor people she is feeding all are taking pictures of her with their Blackberry’s..

Im just saying...

[Talf]

Cell phones can’t use

‘one use’ batteries ???

[familyop]

"As small-scale renewable energy becomes cheaper, more reliable and more efficient,..."

Wrong. The big, grid-tied PV system (solar electric) tax credit welfare for wealthy suburbanites is keeping PV system component prices way high. I'm building better energy systems with no money from government while paying those unnaturally high prices.

[theymakemesick]

It’s a 3 hour ride to the nearest town with electricity but there’s a cell tower near enough to have phone service? My guess is that if the cell towers are powered by solar, it would have been stolen or vandalized by now. I call bull 0bama.

[ctdonath2]

Translation:

“NEWSFLASH - one more square foot of Africa joins 2010.”

[SouthTexas]

Cart - horse.

[Oatka]

Too bad we don’t make many household items any more. I can see a huge market for equipment that use little power or are cordless with rechargeable batteries. And, if some enterprising soul(s) can come up with a cheap battery to hook up to those panels, there’s a ton of 12 volt appliances already available.

The real scandal is that the UN and most all other big do-gooder outfits are against stuff like this. I guess their buddies get more profits from the large scale enterprises.

The article said that the useful small outfits who make these panels available don’t have enough money to order in bulk. I wonder how long it will be before some smart Chinese businessman pulls the deal McCormick did with his new reaper - buy on credit and repay with the savings.

Another good side effect is a lessening of lung problems since the users are no longer breathing combustion fumes - probably a bit cleaner too, with no soot particles drifting about.

[ken21]

a wonderful place for our environment college grads to move to and stay put in!