http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Tapping experts in climate, geology, oceanography, ecology, sustainable development, global health, energy, food and water, State of the Planet captures stories of how the Earth works and how we can sustainably make our lives better. Fri, 24 May 2013 19:28:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/03/22/millennium-villages-shed-light-on-water-security-on-world-water-day/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/03/22/millennium-villages-shed-light-on-water-security-on-world-water-day/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:17:13 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=24260 Water is essential to human well-being and economic development. Today, however, water stress caused by inadequate farming practices, demographic pressure and pollution is creating unprecedented problems. Nowhere is this more visible than in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. As the world celebrates World Water Day on the 22nd of March to draw attention to these issues, lessons learned from the Millennium Villages Project can provide a way forward. The project’s success in improving both water and food security are just some of the practical, science-based solutions that rural communities all over the world can use to extract themselves from poverty. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/03/22/millennium-villages-shed-light-on-water-security-on-world-water-day/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/09/solar-power-lights-up-new-business/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/09/solar-power-lights-up-new-business/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:19:34 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=22661 One-hundred twenty light bulbs were switched on in Ruhiira for the first time last year, using the innovative Shared Solar system installed by the Millennium Villages Project (MVP). The impact on villagers' lives has already been tremendous.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/09/solar-power-lights-up-new-business/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/20/columbia-university-opens-first-center-for-africa-in-nairobi/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/20/columbia-university-opens-first-center-for-africa-in-nairobi/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:59:17 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=21859 On the 13th of January, the latest addition to Columbia University’s network of global centers opened its doors in Nairobi, Kenya. The first institution of its kind on the continent, the new Columbia Global Centers | Africa represents an important milestone in the history of the University.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/20/columbia-university-opens-first-center-for-africa-in-nairobi/feed/ 4 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/28/sauri-millennium-village-school-feeding-program-gains-kenya-wide-attention/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/28/sauri-millennium-village-school-feeding-program-gains-kenya-wide-attention/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:23:00 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=19606 Fourteen year old Eugene Obare and his friends from Nyamuninia Primary School in Sauri Millennium Village were invited to address a packed amphitheatre of delegates at the International Food Fair, organized by the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi on October 7th. They are a new breed of happy, confident kids in rural Kenya who [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/28/sauri-millennium-village-school-feeding-program-gains-kenya-wide-attention/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/11/business-and-cooperative-training-to-boost-second-phase-of-millennium-villages-project/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/11/business-and-cooperative-training-to-boost-second-phase-of-millennium-villages-project/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:17:03 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18784 With up to $20 million in business loans pledged by long-term Millennium Villages Project supporter George Soros, phase two of the project will focus on boosting local businesses to help communities achieve the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline, and empower them with sustainable incomes to pay for their own needs way beyond this date.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/11/business-and-cooperative-training-to-boost-second-phase-of-millennium-villages-project/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/22/rwanda-to-scale-up-millennium-villages-model/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/22/rwanda-to-scale-up-millennium-villages-model/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:59:06 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18017 With a renewed sense of urgency, the government of Rwanda has committed to combating poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by supporting new initiatives in health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and business development. The Honorable James Musoni, the Rwandan Minister of Local Government, cemented the partnership with the MDG Centre through a Memorandum of Understanding [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/22/rwanda-to-scale-up-millennium-villages-model/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/20/broadband-commission-sees-progress-in-rwanda-millennium-village/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/20/broadband-commission-sees-progress-in-rwanda-millennium-village/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:45:37 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=17879 Members of the Broadband Commission and representatives from several East African governments visited the Mayange Millennium Village earlier this month to witness some of the success mobile technology has had in advancing health, education, infrastructure and business development in one of the poorest areas of Rwanda. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/20/broadband-commission-sees-progress-in-rwanda-millennium-village/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/08/19/mdgc-nairobi-hosts-the-merry-year-foundation-key-millennium-village-partners/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/08/19/mdgc-nairobi-hosts-the-merry-year-foundation-key-millennium-village-partners/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:59:09 +0000 Natalia Mroz http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=17002 In a visit to the MDG Centre in Nairobi, Merry Year Foundation delegates discussed their commitment to helping rural African communities extract themselves out of poverty and to scaling up the Millennium Village model]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/08/19/mdgc-nairobi-hosts-the-merry-year-foundation-key-millennium-village-partners/feed/ 0