November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

Wind-Up Wonder

How old-fashioned low-technology saves lives in the developing world

July/August 2002 Issue
By Andy Steiner 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share
In the Western world, we’re so wired to cell phones, laptops, and disk players that the electronic din drowns out just about everything else.

RELATED CONTENT

But there are parts of the world where electronic technology is so precious that one transistor radio can literally mean the difference between life and death. For rural Africans, a radio report on AIDS prevention basics could be a lifesaver, as could a community cell phone for Indian families in a flood-ravaged village. But the very parts of the world that could benefit most from electronic technology are the ones that are least likely to have access to it. A big part of the problem is electrical power. While the West is tangled in wires connecting everyone to everything, people in the poorest parts of the world may still need to walk miles just to reach the nearest electrical outlet. Batteries are expensive and hard to find—and they wear out.A simple but effective answer to this problem is self-powered technology: flashlights, radios, cell phones, and even computers that use muscle and mechanical power instead of electrical input. Thanks to recent advances in this technology, people the world over may soon be turning on even when they can’t plug in. In certain parts of the globe, the result would be nothing short of miraculous."Access to communications can have far-reaching effects on people’s lives," says Kate Raworth, co-author of the 2001 United Nations Human Development Report, in New Scientist (Sept. 8, 2001). "And wind-up technology offers the possibility of moving forward without having to supply electricity to rural areas."Contemporary advances in wind-up technology began some 10 years ago, when British inventor Trevor Baylis, inspired by a television report on the spread of AIDS in rural Africa, developed a wind-up radio that could play for more than eight minutes after 30 seconds of winding. A certain number of the low-cost radios, originally manufactured by the Freeplay Energy company, were sold in Africa, according to New Scientist, but the devices soon became a novelty hit with Western consumers.
Page: 1 | 2 | Next >>
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!