Cartoon character Popeye had the right idea with his dedication to spinach as an energy booster. Renewables buffs will be pleased to learn that researchers from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee have discovered that the vegetable’s photosynthetic protein, which naturally converts light into energy, more than doubles the power of solar cells when combined with silicon in solar panels.
Farmers in mountainous Nepal have found an innovative way to accelerate market sales with the help of gravity. The NGO Practical Action has helped set up ropeways (like zip wires) to transport produce down steep tracks, cutting lengthy, dangerous and exhausting journeys to less than five minutes. And, because the produce is fresher, farmers take home more money. Ropeways are soon extending into Pakistan and India.
