Joseph, 20, Uganda - My community greatly depends on the available forest resources for survival. This includes cutting trees for wood fuel (charcoal and firewood) for cooking, timber for income and creating spaces for agricultural practices. These practices are creating a huge socio-economic, biodiversity and environmental problem. We are now experiencing an increase in drought, floods, decrease in bio-diversity as well as loss of soil fertility and ultimately very low food production.

My main reason for intervention is to convince people to adopt alternative sources of energy - mainly biogas whose raw materials (cow dung and urine) are in plenty in our community - and the use of biomass stoves.

This will save the forests and reduce the impacts of deforestation. Over 2000 residents will benefit. We will sensitize the community to adopt sustainable practices to natural resource use.

This I will do, in partnership with four members of our school wildlife club.  We will hold a demonstration on biogas use which will work as a model to other members of the community. 

A biomass energy saving stove that uses less wood fuel and is affordable and smokeless.

 

Nick, 24, El Salvador - My idea is called Aquaponics. Aquaponics is very much like hydroponics but instead of using chemicals to supply plants with nutrients it uses fish and bacteria. Along with solar power this system is almost completely independent and can be placed anywhere (jungles, deserts, etc.). It is 100% organic and environmentally safe. It can provide an excellent source of nutrition from fish to vegetables and fruits.

Because it involves creating an artificial environment crop diversification has no limits thus providing a key opportunity for increased nutrition in rural and/or poor areas. Maintenance is extremely cheap and potentially can provide a steady source of income for poor families.
Thus, it could potentially provide subsistence living support, better nutrition, increase environmental awareness, and educational opportunities for children. The project is designed primarily to create a practical training curriculum to teach Aquaponic techniques to farmers but has many other broad applications as well.

The project includes the construction of a training system and primary training. With this new technique farmers will be able to farm year round, diversify their crops, feed their families, and do it all cheaply without impacting the environment.