Agriculture

The article "Beyond Cola: A Resilient New Economy for Appalachia" on Solutions Journal, written by John Todd, Samir Doshi, and Anthony McInnis caught the attention of The Global Innovation Commons today.

The article discusses the repercussions of coal mining's domination in the economy of Appalachia for the past century in regards to the regional ecology.

Willem van Cotthem, a Belgian scientist turned social entrepreneur has found a way to take the technology in disposable diapers and create a time-release watering system which could help us usher in a green world. The secret to using the diapers is the hydrogels. Hydrogels are absorbent polymers that can take in over a hundred times their weight in water and then release them over a longer time period. The constant release of moisture can help to bring fertility to places like deserts.

Bringing democracy and science to environmental decision making at the local, state, and national levels, the Environmental Commons encourages citizen involvement in the democratic process to defend our environmental heritage. They consider the commons to be water, air, biodiversity, and genetic variability and the preservation of these key factors can be linked to the quality of our health and the health of our ecosystems.

In an on–going effort to build relevance in international efforts to stimulate the engagement of creativity around the world, the World Bank and International Finance Corporation"s infoDev has published a briefing paper on technology transfer and commercialization. The following is an excerpt from the paper which can be downloaded in its entirety HERE.

Health, agriculture, water and food security technology transfer require a depth of moral engagement frequently considered (with regret) post facto.