Worldchanging reports on efforts to establish solar powered cities in Haiti. Self-sufficiency seems a key idea here instead of dependence on Shock Doctrine-style foreign loans for energy.
Last week’s quake cut electricity to most of Haiti’s capital. Without power, residents and aid workers are struggling to maintain basic communication, lighting and water purification systems.
CBC News had reports of officials queuing to recharge their mobile phones. What power there is comes from gas powered generators, but diesel is running low.
In the aftermath of the quake, Reuters reported that at night the only lights visible over the city came from solar powered traffic signals. Now there is a push to roll out more solar. But beyond the emergency, renewables are key to making cities more resilient to natural disasters.