Poor People's Energy Outlook

Coming from a well-to-do town, it is difficult to imagine what it would be like to struggle with seemingly everyday "necessities" such as lighting or plumbing. As I sit here and type into my high-speed computer with faster than light wireless internet connection, someone else is struggling to collect wood for lighting. As I get up to adjust the level of light in my room, someone else is mourning the loss of a child due to a smoke related cooking incident. For most of us, these are our every day lives. For those with more difficulties and less resources than others, they need to make their situation as efficient and safe as possible. For these reasons, it was nice to see an article with such an emphasis on the need of energy in certain parts of the world. It's true that energy makes up an incredibly portion of our lives, but when questioning how to help poorer countries and communities, it is necessary to note that many will likely have little to no access to electricity (as nearly 1.5 billion people lacked in a 2009 survey).

One surprising aspect of this article is how quickly the use of cellular technology has spread throughout third world and impoverished countries countries. Because of their increasing affordability, phone usage throughout places in Latin America, South and East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and more has sky-rocketed. By using these amenities, these places are more likely to become more efficient in business and more likely to achieve their Millennium Development Goals.