Wind is cheaper than coal? — Fact checking this statement

The other day I heard in passing, “wind is now cheaper than coal.” If true, this symbolizes the holy grail of renewable energy. It would mean that a turning point for not only cleaner energy, but global warming, climate change, pollution, foreign oil dependence, and more. To fact check this, I pulled up the top …

The Sikh’s have their own ferocious martial art – Shastar Vidiya – among the oldest in the world

Yesterday, after hearing a lot about the shooting at a Sikh temple, I spent some researching what the Sikh’s are. A fascinating people in many respects, one which is on the verge of extinction, the Sikh Warrior. I poked around a bit and learned that the Sikh’s once had a great empire in India. It existed …

Be Informed: Who are Sikhs and what do they believe?

Sikhism, the world’s fifth most popular religion, emerged more than 500 years ago in Punjab, in what is now India. It was founded by Guru Nanak, a non-practicing Hindu who was against rituals and praying to idols. It is a monotheistic faith that believes in equality and service to others. Doing good deeds is important for …

Forget the BRICs it’s the CIVETS now – the new developing world

The past decade was all about the BRICs, the massive economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, which kicked off at the beginning of the new century, boomed and are now slowing like the rest of the developed world. Taking their place is a new group of fast-rising economies promising businesses outsized returns. The next …

Africa is experiencing the biggest falls in child mortality ever seen

Child mortality in Africa has plummeted, belying the continent’s “hopeless” reputation. The chart below shows the change over the most recent five years in the number of deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births. Sixteen of the 20 have seen falls, but the more impressive finding is the size of the decline in …

In 2012, broadband will be in 678 million homes

We are truly in the age of the internet, or rather the Dawn of the Internet Age, as the number of internet connected homes approaches a billion. The stats on broadband and wi-fi in homes: According to a new report from Strategy Analytics, 25 percent of all “households” worldwide now have Wi-Fi networks set up. In …

Indian Institute of Technology – spins off a start-up, EnNatura, working on green ink

BY 2017 printing presses around the world will lap up 3.7m tonnes of ink, worth some $18 billion. Most of it will contain hydrocarbon-based solvents resulting in emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an undesirable by-product of the manufacturing process. But not all. EnNatura, a company spun out of the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi has created …

Vivek Express – new train connects India over 2,600 miles in 83 hours

A fascinating new podcast for travelers/adventurers talks about the Vivek Express which starts in the far North East of India and travels all the way to the southern tip. It has 52 stops, takes 83 hours, and travels over 4,200 kilometers. It is the 8th longest train in the world. The cost to ride is …