13 Technological Fix 2013-2014

"Half the planet cooks on smoky open fires, causing over 4 million premature deaths each year and contributing to climate change. Your purchase of the BioLite CampStove helps us fund the initial costs to build and support the HomeStove market abroad."

"Smart meters being fitted in UK homes will make energy use more visible, but it is not clear if technology alone will be enough to reduce energy consumption"

"Owen Paterson's speech is the latest in a long line of attempts by the government to persuade us to accept GM food"

"The UK's environment minister says GM crops will help combat hunger in developing countries. But Owen Paterson is wrong"

"Owen Paterson, the environment minister, says the UK should lead the way in Europe by growing genetically-modified crops that reduce the use of fertilisers and chemicals and are more efficient. But anti-GM campaigners say there is not enough evidence that GM techniques are not harmful on food and farming"

"Google has made it public knowledge for some time that it wants to connect the world to the internet. The challenge of facilitating this in remote areas has seen the search giant come up with some seemingly unorthodox methods, such as its TV white space project in South Africa. Now it's extending the use of existing technologies to provide wireless networks across Africa and Asia with blimps."

"Across the world, efforts are underway to improve the way we store and distribute energy, as we move towards more sustainable but intermittent forms of energy generation, such as wind and solar power."

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"Space institute to float internet-transmitting balloons over remote Amazon regions to help rural communities get online"

"BJP-led government gives in to demands from nationalist RSS to not surrender country's food security to foreign companies"

"We discard huge amounts of electronics every year, creating a toxic wasteland - often in the poorest countries"

"This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Phil Kerrison and Lars Brunner from the Scottish Association for Marine Science explain how seaweed could be cultivated to fuel a power station, your car or even aircraft."

"US biotechnology firm AquaBounty given green light  * FDA expected to follow with decision on sale of GM salmon"

"Large businesses lobbying intensely to undermine safety regime in new trade deal, campaigners warn"

"When you think of geoengineering, you may be imagining huge mirrors in space, or iron filings being dumped into the ocean. Geoengineering, though, can occur on a smaller scale. Some researchers are proposing small-scale fixes as in an effort to save some of Chile's 3,100 glaciers."

"Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can help poor people improve their lives. They have the potential to reduce poverty, deliver basic education, improve agricultural outputs, increase access to healthcare information and improve incomes."

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