Pius Sawa at AlertNet (and the Christian Science Monitor) writes, “Residents of Rusinga Island in Kenya [are experimenting] with renewable energy innovations, environmentally friendly farming, tree planting, and other efforts aimed at improving the island’s environment, creating jobs, and overcoming shortages of food and water.
“For the past 16 years, Ester Evelyn Odhiambo has dedicated herself to improving life on one small island. It’s no small task.
“Rusinga Island, in the northeast corner of Lake Victoria in Kenya, is about 16 km (10 miles) long and 5 km (3 miles) wide. About 30,000 people call it home. But the island over the years has become an increasingly inhospitable environment for them.
“ ‘If you plant something, it just dries out,’ says Ms. Odhiabmo, who runs an organization to help people widowed or orphaned by AIDS [Kisibom, or “come and learn”]. ‘You try to irrigate, and the water is too little because the sun comes and dries everything.’
“The changes have come because of poor management of resources – including forests and fishing grounds – and because of increasing climate impacts.
“But now residents are experimenting with renewable energy innovations, environmentally friendly farming, tree planting, and other efforts aimed at improving the island’s environment, building resilience, creating livelihoods, and overcoming shortages of food and water.”
More.
Photograph: Pius Sawa/AlertNet
Ester Evelyn Odhiambo opens a charcoal refrigerator on Rusinga Island, Kenya. It is lined with charcoal, into which water seeps through a hosepipe fed by a bucket. The wet charcoal absorbs heat and keeps the items inside the fridge cool without needing electricity.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
What a wonderful technology; I love the idea.
It’s probably not icy cold but a step in the right direction. I love that people are always thinking up solutions to problems, high tech or low tech.
We need all the hopeful stories we can muster! Thank you for this glimpse into the life and work Ester Evelyn Odhiambo on behalf of this island and its residents.
This sounds like a good technology. Yesterday where I live, the climate committee heard about a fancy technology that is supposed to be good for delivering green energy more cheaply, but it just bamboozles people into thinking net-zero methane is a worthy goal. Buyer beware.
Hurrah that you have a climate committee at NC! It is certainly very challenging to sort out which potential solutions are worthy to pursue and which might just create new problems…