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Sustainable development

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Sustainable development

 

Recipe for banana power

Banana briquettes turn banana waste into fuel. They also provide an alternative to burning wood in stoves, taking the strain off precious woodland resources.

 

Cisgenesis: cross fertilization, but a bit quicker

Cross fertilization at the speed of light: that's cisgenesis. The first cisgenic plant - a potato with a natural resistance to potato rot - has been developed by Dutch scientists using "not-too-scary" gene technology.

 

Tamiflu - will it get to all who need it?

The World Health Organisation has launched a major antiviral distribution scheme: 2.4 million treatment courses to 72 countries across the globe. Will it be enough and will all countries, rich and small, benefit equally?

 

Pink guests of a grey city

Very few places can boast flamingos within the city limits. Nairobi, Miami, and who would have thought it? The busy and bustling Indian financial capital - Mumbai.

 

Rotterdam’s harbour could be much greener

The world as we know it will become much cleaner and environmentally friendly in the next 40 years. Even Rotterdam's harbour could become greener. According to Jan Rotmans, we can't even begin to imagine it.

 

Dutch aid groups: "A Sector Under Fire"

Dutch NGOs are under attack from all sides for being too closed, too fragmented and too bureaucratic. So, what's wrong with Dutch aid organisations? Author Marieke de Wal explains.

 

Blue energy: a new 'green' power source

Clever harvesting from a mix of salt and fresh water could provide enough energy to meet as much as three quarters of the Netherlands’ needs, without damaging the atmosphere.

 

Burkina Faso: the cotton-food chain damaged

Burkina Faso is being hit hard by the international economic crisis. It is dependent on cotton, and with the price for that commodity falling, there are serious concerns about the country’s food supply. An RNW video report.

 

Pakistan aid package 'too late'

Is the $5 bn aid package for Pakistan - pledged at a donor conference on Friday - a case of 'too little, too late'?

 

Free mobile calls... almost

Now that more and more people have internet on their mobile phone, free telephone calls are not far off. Technically, that is, because telecom providers don't like to see their lucrative market go up in smoke.

 

Two approaches to sustainable building

They were launched almost at the same time: the 'Eco-Igloo' and the 'Energy+ house', two innovative homes in the Netherlands that actually produce rather than consume energy. But they couldn't be more different.

 

Washington's man at the FAO steps down

UN agencies often control and distribute huge sums of aid money - so does the Food and Agriculture Organisation. RNW presents an audio profile of the outspoken US ambassador to the FAO, who has just left the post.

 

'Women are born peacemakers'

Two strong African women, Kenyan Wangari Maathai and Liberian Etweda Cooper, have become role models for a younger generation of African women. They both visited the Netherlands last month.

 

Dutch poised to protect New York from the sea

Dutch experts have presented a plan for new sea defences for New York that are expected to cost 6.5 billion dollars. The plan combines the properties of two existing sea defence systems in the Netherlands.

 

Rotterdam port throughput down 11 percent

The volume of cargo handled in the port of Rotterdam plunged almost 11 percent in the first quarter of this year as a result of the economic downturn.

 

Will indigenous agriculture save our climate?

An ancient Amazon Indian way of fertilising the soil appears to be the ideal remedy for saving the climate, as well as reducing famine and producing cleaner energy. But does it really work?

 

Is astronomy relevant to developing countries?

While there are people living in poverty, isn't astronomy a luxury? Kevin Govender, South African chair for the International Year of Astronomy 2009, argues the case for developing countries to get involved.

 

Rwanda: with or without aid?

Can Rwanda survive without development aid? No, says Dutch Minister of Development Bert Koenders. At the moment, Rwanda depends on foreign donors for at least half of its budget.

 

Microfinance - banking the Muslim way

A few years ago, Ahmet Bubalku of the Kosovar village of Zabel i Ultë borrowed 3,400 euros, to build up a small farm. The microfinance institution START, established and funded by Islamic Relief, lent him the money.

 

'G20 measures lead to greater economic imbalance'

Dutch economist Rick van der Ploeg warns that measures taken by the G20 will lead to a greater economic imbalance, with the US and UK probably borrow even more money than they already do.

 

Cradle to Cradle: hype or vision of the future?

An economy that can expand unrestrictedly without exhausting natural resources or adding to rubbish heaps. Impossible, say the opponents of the cradle-to-cradle concept. A world without waste, claim the advocates.

 

Dutchwoman uprooted

Following her divorce, Dutch film maker Corinne van Egeraat decided not to look for a new roof to live under. Instead, she went on a journey around the world and is blogging about her "rite of passage".

 

Cement made out of CO2? A bad idea!

Storing CO2 permanently by turning it into cement turns out not to be the ideal solution it is claimed to be. What at first appears to be a great idea, in actual fact makes things worse.

 

Canals of Amsterdam - what lies beneath?

18,000 cubic metres of rubbish is cleared from Amsterdam's canals yearly, including couches, small boats, stethoscopes, guns and even a dead body. Ashleigh Elson goes on patrol with Waternet's dredging team.

 

Asking to die in their sleep

More people are asking to die in their sleep. And they are being given the right medication to do so more often. Still doctors in the Netherlands do not consult enough, say colleagues from the US.

 

Brussels: No debate on EU development aid

EU member states are passing on the financial blows they are receiving: Italy and other countries may postpone or even terminate their aid payments to developing countries.

 

'Rubble radar' discovers life under the ruins

Scientists at Delft University of Technology are developing a ground radar which is not only capable of pinpointing trapped victims, but can also detect if they are still breathing.

 

Girlpower in rap

The musical world of rappers is dominated by men, but that is about to change. Dutch-Caribbean rapper ladies MC Nina and MC Farah are ringing the changes.

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