D.Net, a non-profit research organisation, is bringing some of the benefits of modern technology to impoverished rural villages in Bangladesh through a band of "InfoLadies".

The InfoLadies are young women equipped with a bicycle, phone, some medical equipment and a netbook loaded with information on topics from agriculture to health, sanitation and disaster management. The content uses simple text, pictures and engaging animations to reach all users, many of whom are illiterate. Their medical kits include items such as blood pressure monitors and pregnancy test kits.

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Researchers from the Beijing-based Chinese National Research Institute for Family Planning have reported a method for male contraception that they say is effective, reversible and without serious short-term side effects.

In the testing conducted with nine other research centers around China, 1,045 healthy fertile males were injected monthly with 500 milligrams of a formulation of testosterone undecanoate in tea seed oil during a course of 30 months. During the 24-month study period, only 1.1 men per 100 experienced contraceptive failure.

After the hormone treatment, the participants’ sperm count returned to normal levels. The tested men experienced mild side effects including weight gain and acne.

"For couples who cannot or prefer not to use only female-oriented contraception, options have been limited to vasectomy, condoms, and withdrawal," said Yi-Qun Gu, a professor with the National Research Institute for Family Planning’s research department. "Our study shows a male hormonal contraceptive regimen may be a potential, novel, and workable alternative."
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Leading members of the corporate community, including IBM, Sony, Nolia and Pitney-Bowes, have come together in a first-of-its-kind effort to help the environment, unleashing dozens of innovative, environmentally responsible patents to the public domain. The pledged portfolio, dubbed the "Eco-Patent Commons", is available on a dedicated, public website, www.wbcsd.org/web/epc, hosted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Examples of the environmental benefits expected for pledged patents include:

• Energy conservation or improved energy or fuel efficiency
• Pollution prevention (source reduction, waste reduction)
• Use of environmentally preferable materials or substances
• Water or materials use reduction
• Increased recycling opportunity.

Availability of these patents will encourage researchers, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes in any industry to create, apply and further develop their consumer or industrial products, processes and services in a way that will help to protect and respect the environment.

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The Indian government has approved the first phase of the proposed "Solar Mission" under which 20 gigawatts of solar capacity is to be installed by 2022 by which time it is hoped that India will have established itself as a global leader in solar power.

In the first phase, which has now been formally approved, 1,300 megawatts of solar capacity will be installed by March 2013.  Of this, 1,000 megawatts is to be grid connected, 200 megawatts is to be off-grid and the remaining 100 megawatt is to be rooftop or other small-scale installations.

The 1,000 megawatts produced by the grid connected installation will be purchased by the National Thermal Power Corp. The government will provide low interest loans for the development of the 200 megawatts off-grid component. Power from the small-scale installations will be purchased by local distribution utilities.

The target for the second phase is to have between 3 and 10 gigawatts of additional capacity installed by 2017, depending on international financing and technology transfer arrangements.

If the first two phases are successful, the installed capacity will be increased to 20 gigawatts by 2022, by which time the government believes that solar power will be competitive with power from other sources. Parity with cheap coal-fired power should be achieved by 2030, if solar technology is developed and deployed as anticipated.

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China has signed an agreement with the California company, eSolar, to build a 2,000 megawatt solar thermal power plant in the Yulin Energy Park in the Mongolian desert in northern China.

Four months ago, an Arizona company, First Solar, secured a contract to build an equally large photovoltaic power plant just 80 kilometres south of the new location. Before these announcements, the largest solar electricity projects were a 550 megawatt plant to be built by First Solar in California and a 500 megawatt solar thermal plant being developed for the US Army in the Mojave Desert.

In addition to the planned solar power plants, wind farms with a total capacity of about 6,000 megawatts are planned for Inner Mongolia.

The new project will also include a biomass power plant to generate electricity when the sun is not shining. The biomass plant will use a local shub, the sand willow, which has been planted in the region to fight desertification. The solar and biomass plants will share turbines and other infrastructure, reducing the project’s cost and allowing around-the-clock electricity production.

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American solar photovoltaic panel manufacturer, First Solar, has signed a memorandum of understanding with China to partner on a 2,000-megawatt power plant in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. This follows an agreement signed last month for Canadian Solar to develop a 500-megawatt solar power plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

Before these announcements, the largest solar electricity projects were a 550 megawatt plant to be built by First Solar in California and a 500 megawatt solar thermal plant being developed for the US Army in the Mojave Desert.

In addition to the planned solar power plants, wind farms with a total capacity of about 6,000 megawatts are planned for Inner Mongolia.

The surge in Chinese power plant investment has come as a result of China’s $586 billion economic stimulus package which included an estimated $70 billion for improving the country’s electricity grid.

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According to the market research company, The Information Network, the wholesale price of solar panels has dropped from $US4.05 per watt a year ago to $US1.85 today. The company predicts that the price could drop below $US1 per watt next year and be as low as $US0.50 per watt in 2011.

The main reason for the falling price is increased manufacturing capacity in China combined with decreased demand during the global financial downturn.

Not only has Chinese competition directly forced lower pices but European countries have begun scaling back their subsidies because the funds were increasingly going towards imports from China rather than supporting local manufacturers.

The Informatioin Network predicts that as many as half of the more than 200 solar manufacturers in the United States will not be able to survive if prices remain below $US2 per watt.

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India’s Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change has approved in principal the country’s "National Solar Mission" which aims to expand India’s solar power generating capacity from the current 3 gigawatts to 20 gigawatts by 2020 and 200 gigawatts by 2050,

The huge scale of the plan can be seen from the fact that, under the plan, by 2020 India would be generating more solar electricity than the world’s entire current solar generating capacity, which is about 16.5 gigawatts - and by 2050, it’s solar generating capacity would far exceed India’s total current power generating capacity, which is about 150 gigawatts.

India’s National Solar Mission represents one of the world’s largest renewable energy plans. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the success of the solar endeavour would "change the face" of the country and that it promises to establish India as a global solar leader, drawing new investment to the country and spuring the creation of new industries and jobs. 

The Solar Mission will rely on a portfolio of policy measures to support the growth of local industry and innovation around solar technology  through the establishment of dedicated solar and technology parks with the goal of achieving cost parity of solar energy with grid power by 2020.

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Chinese vehicle manufacturer, New Power, claims to have developed a full-sized electric four-seater with a range of 400 kilometress which will go into production in China next year. The company plans to bring it to the UK “within the next couple of years”.

Known as the Zhong Tai, the vehicle has lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in 6-8 hours from a conventional socket, or in two hours from a high-power recharging point. With a top speed of 120 kilometres per hour and an estimated price tag of between £16,300 and £20,500 ($au33,000 and $au40,000) in Britain.

The car is based on the 4×4 Daihatsu Terios which New Power manufactures under licence in China.

The Chinese Government is offering generous grants towards the production of electric vehicles, and has a policy that all car companies should be producing at least one green vehicle by 2011.

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Car sales in China in April were 25 per cent higher than in the same month last year - and for the third month in a row, car sales in China exceeded those in the United States.

The sales boom has been attributed to the Government’s halving of sales tax on small, fuel efficient cars.

One of the beneficiencies of the sales boom has been General Motors’ Chinese subsidiary whose monthly sales were 50 percent higher than last year.

Results such as this have led to speculation that Chinese car companies are seeking to take over Western car manufacturers at current bargain prices. Chinese manufacturers have tried to dampen this speculation by issuing official denials that they are bidding to buy Ford’s Volvo and General Motor’s Saab divisions. However, Chinese companies have already purchaseed the Australian gearbox manufacturer, Drivetrain Systems, and the French diesel engine manufacturer, Moteurs Baudouin  Meanwhile, the Indian Tata Motors has acquired Jaguar and Land Rover.

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