2012 has been officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.  The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, declared the sustainability initiative back in September, 2010, and as 2011 nears an end, global sustainability efforts are moving forward in many directions. The initiative will bring people of all nations together and promote a sense of community centered on sustainable energy.

Now is the time to craft our resolutions to reflect our commitment to living a sustainable life and supporting global efforts to do the same. Available and affordable energy is critical because it promotes sustainability awareness, economic growth and global peace.  Green building, sustainable living and green supply chains are just a few of the ways people around the world are improving their living conditions. 

Below are some of the more inspirational success stories that are coming out of the UN initiative:

Benin, West Africa

With the help of the non-profit company, Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), two tiny rural villages in Benin are able to grow fruits and vegetables year round.  Through the use of solar drip irrigation, crops can now flourish during the dry season, a time when the land is typically so parched that nearly nothing can grow on its soil.  Years of arid ground led to food shortages and widespread malnutrition in the community, but now the communities’ solar-powered drip irrigation systems pump water for food crops when rainfall is scarce. Food security is now assured, and families are well fed year round.

Better nutrition during every season has improved life for everyone, making the villages of Bessassi and Dunkassa healthier and more productive.  There is more time for adults to start their own businesses, children to study for school and farmers to increase their incomes by selling their surplus crops at the market. In the near future, these villages will be implementing solar electric systems, giving much-needed power to schools, health clinics, businesses and homes.

Improving Lives in Tajikistan

One rural community in Tajikistan is improving its residents’ lives with clean and renewable energy generated by small-scale solar panels and hydro power plants.  The UN’s Development Program has provided the village of Bozorboi Burunov with these resources, bringing electric power, heat and clean water to schools, businesses and homes.  Because residents can now rely on this power, economic conditions have seriously improved:  better business opportunities are available for previously struggling farmers and merchants, children can study once the sun goes down, and people no longer need to travel long distances for healthcare. Eventually the mini hydro power plant will be connected to a main grid and will sell electricity during low consumption periods, making the plant more sustainable over a longer period.

Music for Relief with Linkin Park

The musical group, Linkin Park, isn’t standing idle knowing that 1.3 billion people in the world do not have electricity.  No electricity means that once the sun goes down, children cannot study, parents cannot work and clinics cannot provide critical health care during an emergency.  Linkin Park is telling its fans to visit the website, www.powertheworld.org and donate $10 to purchase one solar powered light bulb, to be given to a family in Haiti, provided by Music for Relief (www.musicforrelief.org).  Donors receive a custom holiday card and the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping a family live a safer, more sustainable life.

The Big Picture

As we approach the New Year, many of us are reflecting on 2011 and thinking about resolutions for 2012.  Perhaps we’ll try one more time to stick to our budget, lose twenty pounds, or spend less time on our computers.   Goals like these aren’t going anywhere, so why keep recycling them? Instead, let’s make 2012 a year to look at the bigger picture, one in which we think about how to care for the earth and help its citizens live more sustainably.

 

University Alliance submitted this article on behalf of The University of San Francisco’s online program. The University of San Francisco provides all the tools and resources necessary to gain a sustainable supply chain management certification online. For further information please visit http://www.usanfranonline.com.