If I Could

This blog is in response to the honors presentation of Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability. This group decided specifically to focus on improving Minneapolis slums through the implementation of sustainability. They came to this decision after finding that many of the apartments in Minneapolis are being converted to condominiums, and that the residents are not able to buy them afterwards, being left without a home.

They also explored some green buildings and how they were beneficial. One of the buildings they looked at was the SC Johnson Co. headquarters in Wisconsin. They noted that it was cheaper to build and decreased the utility bill drastically. Another example that they looked at was the near north apartments that had a 1500 gallon rainwater collection system that used rainwater to flush toilets. After exploring these buildings, they decided to focus on water conservation and lowering energy costs for new high density, low-income housing IN the city.

Specifically, they came up with ideas to renovate the Riverside Plaza using green technologies. These are the proposals:
1. Install water re-use systems (rainwater collection, shower sink water reuse to flush toilets)
2. Use compact fluorescent bulbs
3. Install vertical recycling chutes in all 6 towers
4. Replace old windows with high-efficiency triple-paned glass
5. Replace outside panels with new environment-friendly wooden panels
6. Repaint concrete
7. Use solar panels
8. Apply Energy Star roof coating to reduce solar absorption
9. Install new Energy Star appliances
10. Use KONE elevators which use less energy because they’re gearless

Overall, I thought that this group’s presentation of their Millennium Development Goal was done very well. They communicated very effectively and were not too boring like some of the other groups. They had just the right amount of information on the slides and then verbalized the other important information. Their solution was very clear and I thought it was interesting because it seemed like something that could be done rather simply.

Picture Citations:
http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal7.cfm
http://www.ecosherpa.com/images/logo_green.gif
http://www.ci.wilmington.nc.us/Portals/0/pubutilities/images/water%20use%20it%20wisely_white%20bkgd.jpg
http://images.publicradio.org/content/2006/06/07/20060607_aptbulding1_2.jpg
http://veganmuse.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/green-light.jpg http://www.procurement.duke.edu/procurement/buygreen/EnergyStar.jpg

Posted by Daniel at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This blog is in response to the honors presentation of Millennium Development Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development. Broc Blegan and Kelly Berry decided to focus their investigation and implementation of this goal in the capital city of Somalia, Mogadishu. They chose this place for two main reasons. First, it was behind the “technological curve� and was the last country to offer the internet in 1999. And second, only 10% of their population use mobile technology. Both of these statistics were very valid reasons for Broc and Kelly to choose to develop a partnership with Mogadishu.

They decided to come up with a solution that would lead to a society of mobile communications, through the internet and cell phones. In doing research, they looked to Kenya as an example for technological progress. Cell phone use increased there and it ended up helping produce record high turnouts for their last political election. Since 2000, cell phone use in Somalia has increased from 1.1% to 6.1% in 2005. Telecom, Nationlink, and Hormund are competing to provide Somalia with affordable communication options.

The two presenters decided that it was important for Somalia to leapfrog landline communications in order to catch up because wireless is both easier and cheaper than landlines. They included a quote from Dr. Sugata Mitra in which he said, “technology should be designed for education, not be adapted for it.� I felt that this was great and that it really resembled my feelings toward technology.

Another solution this team explored was the One Laptop Per Child program set up by an old professor at MIT. This charity designs cheap personal laptops (about $150) and distributes them to children in developing countries to improve their education and communication capabilities. The laptops have educational games, wireless internet, a word processor, and are very durable so that they can be implemented effectively in the third world. The only problem with this service is that they require the recipient country to have an established, stable government (something that Somalia lacks).

I think this group did an excellent job presenting their research, ideas, and goals for their Millennium Development Goal. The layout of the slide show was easy to read and not too busy. They kept the audience’s attention rather well and presented their conclusion very clearly

Picture Citations:
http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal8.cfm
http://mogadishu.info/map.somalia.mogadishu.jpg
http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/ask/archives/AMB%20Single%20Masai%20on%20Cell%20Phone.jpg
http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/ball_of_wires_2.jpg
http://www.topnews.in/files/OlpcGreenLaptopRCOM222.jpg

Posted by Daniel at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)