Renewable energy currently amounts to around 18.9% of Canada’s energy supply and more than half of its electricity generation. Nonrenewable sources of energy like natural gas and petroleum make up a majority, at 35.7% and 38.7% respectively, but private and public organizations are working to shrink the disparity. Renewable energy in Canada primarily comes from hydropower plants the country has established on its vast system of rivers. Quebec generates the most renewable energy of any province — 40,000 MW on hydropower alone, according to the Government of Canada.
Now, the expanding renewable energy industry is poised to make energy more affordable, fight unemployment, and strengthen diplomatic relationships between Canada and other countries.
How Renewable Energy in Canada Can Make Energy More Affordable
Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy available. It is cheaper to build infrastructure for and generate power than nonrenewable sources. This remains true even without the government-provided subsidies that companies which businesses in the nonrenewable energy industry typically receive.
In recent years, Canada has committed to subsidizing renewables after signing the Paris Agreement, which set a goal for countries around the world to eventually become carbon neutral.
Currently, energy in Canada is the most expensive in the provinces and territories that are the most impoverished. Nunavut has the second priciest electricity — costing $0,37.5 per kilowatt in 2021. No official reports on poverty exist for Nunavut, but the Canadian government concluded that the residents of Nunavut live in some of the poorest conditions and 37% of households there struggled with food insecurity.
Nunavut is largely made up of scattered, remote and scarcely populated communities. This combined with difficult geography makes it challenging to build centralized energy infrastructure. Thus, most people living in Nunavut rely on expensive diesel power generators and burning fuel oil to power and heat their homes.
Renewable energy has shown some promise in Nunavut. Hydropower provides a third of the energy available in the territory. On average, hydropower costs around $0.80 per kilowatt, which is nearly five times less expensive than the average energy bill.
Currently, most people in Nunavut are not able to take advantage of cheaper renewable options because there are no regional or territorial energy grids in the territory. Still, indigenous groups are fighting to bring renewable energy to their communities and make energy more affordable.
Recently, the Canadian government approved grants to provide $1.6 million to indigenous-led projects that will build solar panels, geothermal heating technology and energy storage infrastructures in remote Nunavut villages.
The Economic Advantages of Expanding Renewable Energy in Canada
The focus on renewable energy in Canada also opens new opportunities for Canadian businesses to grow and expand in international trade.
Due to historical success and $200 million from the government, businesses are constantly emerging in the Canadian renewable energy sector. One such company is the Ontario-based NRStor Inc., which builds energy storage devices for renewables. The company has most notably worked on the Oneida Energy Storage Project, alongside the Six Nations of the Grand River. The project could save Canadians $760 million and be the largest battery energy storage facility in Canada.
The Canadian government reports that Indigenous Canadians are more likely to live in poverty than other groups in the country. This project will create internship, training and employment opportunities for Canada’s indigenous community, according to Six Nations Future.
The exporting of renewable energy internationally is an important source of profit for many of these companies. In 2014, renewable energy companies made $13 billion. Currently, clean fuels like ethanol and biodiesel are the most profitable products. However, there is variety among the hundreds of companies within the Canadian renewable energy industry. As these businesses succeed, they create new jobs and those in poverty can find work.
The Political Advantages of Expanding Renewable Energy in Canada
The expanding renewable energy sector strengthens international relationships between Canada and other countries through the importing and exporting of resources and devices needed to build renewable energy plants.
Recently, the Canadian Government announced hopes to export hydrogen to Germany to help replace Russian oil considering tensions caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The government wants to decrease Russia’s influence on Western Europe and push the international community to further embrace renewables.
The U.S. sees Canada as a major export opportunity for its machining industry because renewable energy plants require many different pieces of machinery to work. Trade between the U.S. and Canada within the renewable energy sector has already led to a memorandum of understanding that removed tariffs on solar technology, establishing the groundwork for future trade deals and partnerships.
Ultimately, renewable energy in Canada could be a key component in the country’s fight against poverty going forward, providing a new avenue for safety, opportunity and security to the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
– Ryan Morton
Photo: Flickr
Renewable Energy in Canada
Now, the expanding renewable energy industry is poised to make energy more affordable, fight unemployment, and strengthen diplomatic relationships between Canada and other countries.
How Renewable Energy in Canada Can Make Energy More Affordable
Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy available. It is cheaper to build infrastructure for and generate power than nonrenewable sources. This remains true even without the government-provided subsidies that companies which businesses in the nonrenewable energy industry typically receive.
In recent years, Canada has committed to subsidizing renewables after signing the Paris Agreement, which set a goal for countries around the world to eventually become carbon neutral.
Currently, energy in Canada is the most expensive in the provinces and territories that are the most impoverished. Nunavut has the second priciest electricity — costing $0,37.5 per kilowatt in 2021. No official reports on poverty exist for Nunavut, but the Canadian government concluded that the residents of Nunavut live in some of the poorest conditions and 37% of households there struggled with food insecurity.
Nunavut is largely made up of scattered, remote and scarcely populated communities. This combined with difficult geography makes it challenging to build centralized energy infrastructure. Thus, most people living in Nunavut rely on expensive diesel power generators and burning fuel oil to power and heat their homes.
Renewable energy has shown some promise in Nunavut. Hydropower provides a third of the energy available in the territory. On average, hydropower costs around $0.80 per kilowatt, which is nearly five times less expensive than the average energy bill.
Currently, most people in Nunavut are not able to take advantage of cheaper renewable options because there are no regional or territorial energy grids in the territory. Still, indigenous groups are fighting to bring renewable energy to their communities and make energy more affordable.
Recently, the Canadian government approved grants to provide $1.6 million to indigenous-led projects that will build solar panels, geothermal heating technology and energy storage infrastructures in remote Nunavut villages.
The Economic Advantages of Expanding Renewable Energy in Canada
The focus on renewable energy in Canada also opens new opportunities for Canadian businesses to grow and expand in international trade.
Due to historical success and $200 million from the government, businesses are constantly emerging in the Canadian renewable energy sector. One such company is the Ontario-based NRStor Inc., which builds energy storage devices for renewables. The company has most notably worked on the Oneida Energy Storage Project, alongside the Six Nations of the Grand River. The project could save Canadians $760 million and be the largest battery energy storage facility in Canada.
The Canadian government reports that Indigenous Canadians are more likely to live in poverty than other groups in the country. This project will create internship, training and employment opportunities for Canada’s indigenous community, according to Six Nations Future.
The exporting of renewable energy internationally is an important source of profit for many of these companies. In 2014, renewable energy companies made $13 billion. Currently, clean fuels like ethanol and biodiesel are the most profitable products. However, there is variety among the hundreds of companies within the Canadian renewable energy industry. As these businesses succeed, they create new jobs and those in poverty can find work.
The Political Advantages of Expanding Renewable Energy in Canada
The expanding renewable energy sector strengthens international relationships between Canada and other countries through the importing and exporting of resources and devices needed to build renewable energy plants.
Recently, the Canadian Government announced hopes to export hydrogen to Germany to help replace Russian oil considering tensions caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The government wants to decrease Russia’s influence on Western Europe and push the international community to further embrace renewables.
The U.S. sees Canada as a major export opportunity for its machining industry because renewable energy plants require many different pieces of machinery to work. Trade between the U.S. and Canada within the renewable energy sector has already led to a memorandum of understanding that removed tariffs on solar technology, establishing the groundwork for future trade deals and partnerships.
Ultimately, renewable energy in Canada could be a key component in the country’s fight against poverty going forward, providing a new avenue for safety, opportunity and security to the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
– Ryan Morton
Photo: Flickr
WFP E-Shop Fights Food Insecurity in Somalia
Food Insecurity in Somalia
The food insecurity crisis in Somalia has only worsened in recent years, with COVID-19 threatening to double the number of people suffering from acute hunger in just one year alone. Some of the causes of this troubling trend include:
WFP Intervention
The WFP estimated that if the rainy season fails, Somalia could suffer from famine by the middle of 2022. A quarter of a million lives were lost when the last famine hit Somalia in 2011. To prevent another crisis, the WFP scaled up its emergency food and nutrition response to reach 3 million people. However, there is a large relief funding gap of $192 million, which means the organization has less than a third of the funding it needs to save lives.
A Technical Response
Trying out a new approach, the WFP in Somalia decided to go technical and launch the WFP e-Shop in 2018, a digital food assistance system. First, users can download the WFP e-Shop on a mobile device. Then, the app enables users to receive food vouchers to shop online from local grocery stores. In 2020, the WFP added a feature that delivers food purchases on the e-Shop to users’ homes. The e-Shop fights food insecurity in five major Somalian cities– Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Kismayo, Baidoa and Galkayo.
The e-Shop app is especially useful in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. During social distancing, online ordering and delivery helped Somalians obtain food while still following protocols. That way, Somalians facing food insecurity can be safe and remain well-fed at the same time. Speaking on the benefits of the e-Shop app during COVID-19, one WFP beneficiary remarked, “It has changed many things in my life such as bringing the food into our houses due to precautions taken for coronavirus, so I am very grateful.” Thus, the e-Shop fights food insecurity in a way that is amenable to changing conditions.
Two years after the launch of the e-Shop, the app completed more than 43,000 successful deliveries with more than 90,000 registered users and 1,100 retailers, according to CTG. More importantly, though, the e-Shop app has greatly empowered local communities and economies. With 100% of the proceeds from the platform going to local businesses, the local economy benefits and bolsters up in the fight against food insecurity. Ultimately, as the innovative WFP e-Shop fights food insecurity, the flexibility and profitability of the app are crucial to changing the tide of the food crisis in Somalia.
– Sarah DiLuzio
Photo: Flickr
Driving Growth: Electric Vehicles in Latin America
Foreign Direct Investment
Every major recipient country in Latin America saw foreign direct investment (FDI) rise in 2021, with the majority of this growth being tied to the mining and energy sectors. This is because Latin America contains some of the world’s largest deposits of cobalt and lithium, two mandatory ingredients of the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles. In fact, Latin America contains the “lithium triangle” of Bolivia, Argentina and Chile where the highest lithium concentrations in the world are found.
The Problem
Despite these vast stores of valuable minerals, many Latin American countries have been unable to capitalize on them thus far. Cobalt and lithium can be difficult to mine and store. Lithium, for example, takes 12-18 months of filtration after bringing the mineral to the surface before extraction can occur, according to Lithium Congress. While this process isn’t very capital intensive, researchers estimate it could take nearly 500,000 gallons of water per ton of lithium extracted. In one Chilean region, lithium mining resulted in the region losing 65% of its water.
For some rural communities, this simply isn’t feasible without outside investment in infrastructure. Additionally, mining these materials poses serious health and safety risks to miners, civilians and the environment. In the United States, chemical leakage from lithium mining affects fish 150 miles downstream from a lithium mining operation, according to Lithium Congress. In order to extract these resources in a safe manner, this industry needs long-term infrastructural investment and new technology. Fortunately, due to the increase in popularity of electric vehicles, this investment is starting to flow into the region, developing new technologies to make the process safer.
Chile
Chile, one of the countries in the “lithium triangle” received a 32% increase in its FDI from 2020, bringing its total investment to $13 billion, according to UNCATD. However, not everyone celebrates this investment. Lithium mining in Chile has already placed a heavy burden on its fragile ecosystem. Many citizens are wary of investments that could increase this burden. Entire rivers are beginning to dry up in Chile due to excessive water waste from lithium mining. Without proper intervention, lithium mining is posing a direct threat to the indigenous communities across Chile that rely on natural water sources for agriculture.
Clearly, Chile needs a new mining method. Fortunately, KMX Technologies and CleanTech are teaming up to bring their proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction technology to the country’s mines. This technology could be able to minimize a mining operation’s environmental footprint, address water and other resource scarcity and make mining operations more efficient.
Argentina
Argentina contains the second largest lithium reserves in the world, but like Chile, it has had trouble capitalizing on these reserves. However, this is likely to change soon. Chinese corporation Ganfeng Lithium agreed to construct a $600 million lithium plant that solar panels power entirely. This project could create 100,000 jobs in the country.
Job creation is critical for Argentina. In 2021, the country posted an unemployment rate of 10.9%, a figure well below the OECD average of 5.7% in the same year. Construction on the mine started in June 2022 and while no expected completion date has been announced, the expected production from this mine is an astounding 20,000 tons of lithium chloride per year.
Brazil
In Brazil, relaxed rules on lithium exporting could draw $2.76 billion in FDI by 2030. The majority of this expected investment is predicted to go to one of Brazil’s poorest regions, the state of Minas Gerais. Approximately 1.21 million people in Minas Gerais are multidimensionally poor. The largest concentration of the multidimensionally poor in the state of Minas Gerais lives in the more rural northern regions of the state. This same area is where the largest lithium deposits in Brazil are found, along the Jequitinhonha River valley. Large-scale investment into lithium mining has the potential to completely transform this region and Brazil’s emphasis on sustainable development for Lithium projects adds a layer of protection for civilians in that area.
Lithium and cobalt mining has the potential to transform Latin American economies. While the two minerals can and have created problems for mining countries in the past, an increase in electric vehicle demand is driving corporations to solve these problems. In doing so, electric vehicles are also driving growth in Latin America, making mining cheaper, more effective, and safer. The FDI rushing into Latin America due to lithium and cobalt demand could not only transform the mining sector but most of the economy. This level of investment necessitates infrastructural investment, creates long-term jobs and could foster a competitive business environment.
–Benjamin Brown
Photo: Flickr
Remittance to Afghanistan
The Situation
According to a recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) study, around 19.7 million people, about half of the population in Afghanistan are food insecure. This means that they are unable to provide food for themselves on a day-to-day basis. These people are suffering mainly due to food prices reaching new highs and an increase in the cost of producing agricultural materials, especially fertilizer.
The IPC dates back to January and February 2022. In actuality, “the report predicts that the outlook of June-November 2022 sees a slight improvement in the food security situation, with a reduction in the number of people facing acute food security to 18.9 million.”
To combat this, The Afghanistan Emergency Food Security Project plans to boost the production of crops in order to benefit local farmers in Afghanistan. With help from the Food and Agricultural Organization, (FAO) and The World Bank, a $195 million emergency project has emerged, according to U.N. News.
This project plans to ensure “critical life-saving and livelihood assistance to smallholder farmers.” This reduction is largely thanks to the upcoming wheat harvest that will take place from May to August.
Planned Project
There is hope regarding the current remittance to Afghanistan. According to Mary-Ellen McGroarty, the country Director Representative in Afghanistan of the WFP, the largest food operation was established in August 2021 and assisted over 16 million people. “We are working with farmers, millers and bakeries, training women and creating jobs to support the local economy…Allowing the economy to function normally is the surest way out of the crisis, otherwise suffering will grow where crops can not,” she said to WFP.
According to U.N. News, “It is a historic moment for poor farmers in Afghanistan, and it represents an important milestone in our collective efforts to deliver results at scale… and make real transformative differences in the lives of vulnerable people,” said QU Dongyu, the director of FAO. FAO’s funding for remittance to Afghanistan is supporting about 2 million people during the November and March-November 2023 cultivation seasons.
Also, FAO plans on supporting the needs of children, people with illness and women-led households. The goal is to provide seeds and other necessary tools for gardening and the kitchen combined with training on improving nutrition and nutrition habits. “Secondly, the project will increase access to water for irrigation, while improving soil and water conservation,” U.N. News reports.
WFP has helped more than 16 million people since 2021 by providing remittances to Afghanistan. The organization has granted food to locations across the north of the country in an effort to help the communities there that are cut off during harsh snow storms.
Future Outlook
Both McGroarty and WFP are proud of the achievements that have been made thus far but admitted that the need for assistance amounts to $220 million in order to adequately assist the people of Afghanistan. According to the latest surveys performed by WFP, “an estimated 98% of Afghans are not consuming enough food- a worrisome 17% rise since August 2021.”
Due to increasing the costs of food and fertilizer, half of Afghanistan’s population faces food insecurity. Organizations such as the World Bank and the WFP are dedicating themselves to the people of Afghanistan with a $200 million budget to increase the production of crops and ensure the continuing function of the country’s economy.
– Henry Hyman
Photo: Flickr
Curbing Inflation in Venezuela
Mounting Challenges in Venezuela
In 2016, Venezuela entered a streak of hyperinflation which is when the rate of inflation increases by more than 50% for 12 consecutive months. In 2022, Venezuela has been able to pull itself out of this downward slide pretty simply. The country ramped up printing money in 2016, which became a real issue at the end of 2017 and caused the recent inflation. This has even been a problem in the United States because innately the more currency circulating, the less each piece of currency will be worth. That, along with deficit spending created one of the worst inflation crises in the world.
The solution to this problem appeared to be just as simple as the cause because as soon as the central government of Venezuela decided to stop printing so much money, the inflation rate eased. Although inflation has been on the decline, poverty has still been on the uptick rising to 76% in 2020. Even though these two statistics would seem to be contradictory there are reasons why simply curbing the inflation in Venezuela is not the end all be all.
Solutions
Curbing inflation in Venezuela is only the first step in a long line in order to help the situation in the country. In June 2022, the U.S. announced more than $314 million in aid to help stabilize Venezuela and the rest of that South American region.
These funds will go to multiple countries and aim to improve education and provide COVID-19 relief along with aid for other basic human needs. These funds will also go toward an effort to help potential migrants leaving the country, fleeing in an attempt to find better financial stability. They will also improve access to health care, which has been a challenge for people to access in Venezuela. As many as 5.4 million people have left the country in 2022 because of the unstable economy.
These funds ensure these people can have safe and productive new lives after leaving the country. Venezuelans will receive access to life-saving humanitarian programs like emergency shelters and obtain health care which has been difficult to access because of Venezuela’s own health care system. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provided health care to more than 100,000 Venezuelans between 2020 and 2022, and since 2017, the U.S. has donated nearly $2 billion in total to Venezuela and the surrounding region. The humanitarian aid provided to the country has already done a lot to improve the lives of those living there and those attempting to leave. Curbing inflation in Venezuela is a step in the right direction.
Looking Ahead
The inflation crisis is severely affecting the entire world including Venezuela. People are having to leave the countries they call home in search of refuge and the possibility of a better life. A person’s displacement is a life-altering event that can change how they live forever. As more and more countries join in the fight to help Venezuela, hope exists that it will have a bright future.
– Alexander Peterson
Photo: Flickr
Droupadi Murmu: First Female Tribal President of India
In a 2020 interview on the show ‘Ek Mulakat’, Murmu stated, “I come from the poorest of poor families and never expected I will take up politics.” Murmu also stated that “I come from a society that is very rigid when it comes to perceptions about women and they would raise questions about any woman stepping outside the confines of their homes.”
Poverty In Tribal India
In India, five out of six impoverished people are from lower tribes or castes. For many tribes, ownership and access to forests and land are critical to their way of life. On the other hand, the rapid urbanization in India is proving difficult for tribal communities to do so as amendments to legislation including the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, which protected the rights of tribal land, weakened their claims to their lands. As such, development projects in the past decade have displaced millions of Indians and 40% of the displaced were indigenous people as their poverty makes them easy prey for moneylenders, exploiters and traders.
Displaced indigenous people in urban areas often live in slums. In particular, women are disproportionately more affected. They are faced with domestic violence as men in households become alcoholics. Women also face health conditions that take a toll due to a lack of family planning and child spacing capabilities, many women do not have autonomy over their reproductive healthcare. The women have little opportunity to gain employment, forcing them to seek work in unorganized sectors, which are not regulated by the government, as wage laborers or even prostitutes.
Additionally, the lack of infrastructure and sanitation negatively impacts the livelihoods of tribal India. In Jharkhand, tribal populations do not have access to piped water because of the lack of proper infrastructure and the process of getting piped connections is too complex for poor communities to follow. Tribal women in Kashmir also can’t afford sanitary pads during their periods, highlighting the case of period poverty in tribal India.
India’s Future With Droupadi Murmu
Murmu’s ascension to the presidency is a trailblazer for tribal communities across India. In the districts of Alluri Sitaramaraju and Anakapalli, representatives of tribes assembled under the leadership of Professor Murru Mutyala Naidu in June to support the victory of Murmu.
Years before her political career kick-started, Murmu fought for her rights as an indigenous woman by convincing a local lawmaker to sponsor her education since higher education provisions were not available in her native village. Murmu then worked as an assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983.
During her political career in 2017, Governor Murmu made the bold decision to stand her ground against the controversial amendments to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, both of which restricted the rights of indigenous people. She asked how these amendments would benefit her state’s tribal population and forwarded 192 petitions against the amendments to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, highlighting her ardent advocacy of tribal welfare.
A Look Ahead
With Droupadi Murmu earning her spot as the 15th president of India, she can be a catalyst for change for many tribal communities, which have long been neglected in India. While it may be challenging to reverse the government policies that restrict the rights of indigenous people, Droupadi Murmu’s rise from her poverty-stricken past to one of the highest government posts in India can empower and signify the inclusion of many tribal members.
– Samyukta Gaddam
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
World’s Largest Urban Garden in Progress to Fight Hunger in Brazil
Hunger in Brazil
Brazil is a large nation with a sizeable population of 212 million, so any social safety net shortcomings reflect on a larger scale, affecting millions. As of 2022, 60% of families in Brazil face some form of food insecurity; this equates to 125 million people.
The situation is not improving either as the number of those facing hunger doubled from 19.1 million to 33.1 million over the past two years, according to The Brazilian Report. Hunger in Brazil now is similar to rates from 30 years ago.
Urban Garden in Rio de Janeiro
Beginning in 2013, the Manguinhos community garden started in a patch of land previously used as part of the Rio Olympics. Around one football field of land became a workable garden thus far, BBC reports. Prior to its transformation, the land was infamous for being a slum, home to many displaced persons struggling with addiction.
There are currently 35 gardeners who assist in managing the land. They receive a monthly stipend of $95 in addition to access to fresh produce which they can take for free. The majority of the produce, however, goes to the tables of families in need in the area. Currently, the garden feeds 800 families a month. The food is always pesticide free, a rare option in the area.
Julio Cesar Barros, a soil and crop expert leading much of the project, stresses the importance of providing organic food in low-income areas. “Why do poor people have to be doomed to eating poisoned food? My goal is to stop organic food from just being for the elite,” he says.
Plans for the Future
The Manguinhos urban garden does not plan to stop at being the largest urban garden in Latin America. By the end of the year, the garden could expand to nearly 27 acres, according to BBC. This development would make it the largest urban garden in the world.
The plan is to donate half of the produce to those in the area in need, while the other half will be sold at inexpensive prices. All of the money will be divided amongst the gardeners, according to BBC. As such, the garden acts both as a means of accessible fresh and healthy food and as a source of income for those that dedicate their time to maintaining the land.
The Manguinhos urban garden is an innovative and sustainable way for Rio de Janeiro to combat growing food insecurity in Brazil. Once expanded, the garden should be able to feed 50,000 local families by 2024.
– Eleanor Corbin
Photo: Flickr
Georgia’s Path Into Europe
Recent EU Pushback
In 2014, Georgia signed association agreements with the European Union to set the country on the road to EU candidature status. On June 23rd, 2022, the EU held back from granting Georgia the status, placing the nation behind Ukraine and Moldova. These two other post-soviet countries followed a similar timeline to Georgia’s path into Europe.
Though candidate status does not guarantee membership, it would be a significant step forward for the Caucasus country. In 2020, 80% of Georgians reported that they supported joining the EU and tens of thousands of people protested in the capital to express their frustrations with the government, which they deem responsible.
Their anger could be justified, for the European Commission did not withhold candidature status due to economic shortcomings. Indeed, the percentage of people living below the national poverty line in Georgia dropped significantly in the last decade, from 37.3% in 2010 to 21.3% in 2020.
Instead, the EU decided that Georgia does not show sufficient support for the democratic values European nations must respect through solid institutions. The European Commission emphasized that the government should focus on dismantling the oligarchic structure that dominates Georgian politics if it intends to continue Georgia’s path into Europe.
Effects of Oligarch Rule in Georgia
The billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili created the current ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), in 2012 and served as prime minister until 2013 before resigning. However, Ivanishvili maintains a strong hold over the party from the sidelines. During his tenure, he appointed political actors that are personally loyal to him, and he continues to influence prominent politicians by funding their campaigns.
Moreover, Ivanishvili openly stated his intention to eliminate opposition parties, turning the nation into an autocracy. Since GD came to power, multiple affluent political opponents were accused of criminal charges, leading them to be jailed or sued.
As long as the status quo does not disrupt business interests, oligarchs have no interest in cultivating significant change in the nation, for rule-of-law systems would threaten their interests. This lack of reform means the country will not modernize and its weaknesses will only worsen. Under the Georgian Dream’s rule, crime rates increased dramatically and economic growth slowed, according to New Eastern Europe.
Furthermore, the decline in Georgia’s absolute poverty rate stagnated after 2015 and increased by 1.8% in 2020 following the pandemic.
The World Bank reported that from 2010-2014, the country’s most significant progress in reducing poverty came from increased household income due to economic activity: the country’s strong economy helped all tiers of its society. The report also emphasized the importance of the government’s redistributive policies in continuing poverty reduction and the oligarchic adversity to investing in public spending jeopardizes the continuation of these efforts.
Geopolitically, Georgia is more vulnerable to Russia than Ukraine – its entire territory is smaller than the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. If it was to join the EU, it would benefit not only from protection from Russia, but could also have access to more trade deals that could stimulate its economic activity, hence reducing poverty.
Oligarchs’ Relationship with Russia
Ivanishvili’s promised to improve relations with Russia without compromising Georgia’s path into Europe and NATO. However, tensions persist over the independence of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions, which Russia has occupied since the 2008 Russia-Georgian War.
Moreover, the Georgian government did not impose sanctions on Russia following the Ukraine War, claiming that the country was too economically dependent on Russia. Non-governmental Georgian advisors refute this claim and claim that the government lacks the political will to go against Russia.
Unlike Ukraine and Moldova, oligarchs in Georgia are Georgian-descent Russian industrialists that came to Georgia in the late 2000s. The oligarchs’ origins and their disdain for democratic values align the ruling class closer to Russia than to the European Union, according to a study by 3 DCFTAs.
Georgia’s Future Path
Georgia’s path into Europe could determine whether the oligarchic structure is dismantled. Solid democratic institutions could help pass needed reforms to help reduce the rate of people living in absolute poverty. For the institutions to exist, however, democratic values must be respected. By distancing itself from Ivanishvili, the Georgian government could gain the European Union’s trust and its people’s trust.
– Elena Sofia Massacesi
Photo: Flickr
No Energy Bills for UK citizens
The Partnership
The strategic partnership between the two companies comprises two factories, situated in Stanfordle-Hope, Essex, including an air source heat pump, solar panels and battery storage technology. These environmentally friendly technologies can generate clean, free energy whilst making use of the Octopus energy tariff. All of Octopus’s tariffs use 100% green electricity and are no more costly than other energy providers’ non-green tariffs.
Currently, the project is undergoing testing with two semi-detached, medium-sized family homes in Essex. The project consists of eco-friendly and intelligent houses, equipped with technology that sustainably collects and transforms energy. Further, exceptional insulation should prevent heat from escaping and reduce the need for gas-dependent heating. As the houses are meant to reach the “No Energy bills for U.K. citizens” specification as advertised, they will have highly efficient solar panels covering their entire roofs, heat pumps to convert solar energy into heating and a central battery to store any excess energy. In the case that this proves to be insufficient, the houses can still access the central electricity grid and can draw energy when needed. The scheme aims to start mass production of energy bill-free houses and is ready to deliver to all parts of the U.K.
The Cost of the Scheme
The scheme cannot undergo implementation in already existing houses, and buyers have to buy it when they acquire their homes. The setup itself adds an extra £8,000-£9,000 to the total buying price, which includes the individual energy generator components like the solar panels, the battery storage and the air source heat.
However, the providers argue that individuals should not only expect increasing living costs but also even higher energy price caps. The energy price cap in the U.K. increased to £1,971 per year in April 2022, and the previous cap had already been very troublesome for many. Ofgem’s CEO has stated that he predicts the energy cap will increase further and be around the £2,800 mark eventually. This could subsequently hit low-income households the hardest and force many into so-called ‘fuel poverty,’ which is defined as a household with an energy rating of band D or below.
A total of 8.5 million households are at risk of not being able to pay for heating and power. In that context, the junction shows real potential for the average citizen. Further, the CEO of Ilke trusts that “green technology building costs” are only going to reduce over the next few years with the hope of breaking even compared to conventional energy systems by 2030. No energy bills for U.K. citizens would not only lift millions out of poverty but also free up funds for children’s education, health care and pension funds. The U.K. government has not yet granted a grant scheme but continues to actively express its support for innovative and consumer-friendly schemes like Octopus X Ilke.
– Pauline Lützenkirchen
Photo: Flickr
Abt Associates Is Tackling Global Issues
What is Abt Associates?
Clark Abt founded Abt Associates in 1965. It is an organization with the goal of achieving his dream: a world no longer suffering from war and poverty. This organization is dedicated to addressing the world’s most drastic issues and implementing action through methods based on extensive research to create growth in those specific areas. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide,” the organization says on its website.
There are nine main areas that Abt Associates focuses on: education, inclusive economic growth and agriculture, equity and inclusion, governance and justice, environment, climate and energy, health, housing and financial capacity building and workforce and economic mobility.
There are five “capabilities” of Abt Associates including digital transformations and advanced analytics, data capture and surveys, research, monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance and implementation. Abt Associates is tackling global issues successfully by strengthening systems and organizations, creating knowledge and inform policy and improving population well-being.
Impacting the Entire World
From maintaining health to food security to economic well-being, Abt works in more than 50 countries to solve the challenges worldwide. Abt works in the following regions including the Middle East & North Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia & Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom & Europe and South & Central Asia. Of the regions, many countries are facing severe poverty rates. The regions include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Burundi and Guatemala, which are all countries in the top 10 highest poverty rates in the world.
Abt is working in other countries with high poverty rates, such as Haiti, with a 58.5% poverty rate, Sierra Leone, with a 56.6% poverty rate and Afghanistan, with a 54.5% poverty rate. The organization is currently working with more than 3,100 partners around the world to enact tangible and sustainable impact.
Life-Changing Projects
Abt Associates has dozens of current programs in place in each focus area to apply new technologies and solutions to improve lives. “Building the Next Generation of Resilient Ugandans” is one of the many programs in focus on food security and agriculture. This project aims to keep Ugandan children enrolled in school, make sure that families are on a healthy and nutritious food diet and are engaging in environmentally harmonious living from agriculture and other endeavors. The results have been a success. Abt Associates stated that in the first 18 months “we linked more than 1,400 community groups to markets, equipped more than 1,000 out-of-school girls with livelihood skills, and worked with 750 cultural leaders.”
The “Improving Nutrition for Tajik Mothers and Children” project works to improve Tajikistan’s health system, provide quality services to mothers, newborns and children and improve nutrition and child health. These are just a few of the many projects improving thousands of lives all over the world including “Building a 21st Century Road Map to Child Welfare Transformation”.
Abt Associate Awards
Abt Associates is tackling global issues and making real change in countries that are facing extreme issues, many of which are experiencing extreme poverty. For decades, Abt has been doing important research and making active and long-lasting changes in communities to improve quality of life. This organization has even been recognized with multiple awards for its notable work, including the MarCom Gold Award and the 2020 Commuter Connections Incentives Award. This powerful organization is essential in battling world issues and easing the gruesome effects that poverty generates.
– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr