international development

The Nature Conservancy has brokered the largest debt-for-nature swap in history -- a deal that will secure long-term, science-based conservation for Costa Rica's tropical forests. $12.6 million in debt will be forgiven and $26 million will be provided to finance forest conservation over the next 16 years.

Tropical forest countries will be eligible for payments for preventing deforestation under a program unveiled last week by the World Bank. Called the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the fund will initially provide $300 million to finance emissions reductions through forest conservation initiatives

What if you could weave a parabolic basket while helping to eradicate non-native invasive species, and line it with a waste stream (or recycle-stream at best) product to create an almost-free solar cooker and pasteurizer? Well this group has laid the ground work, and created a functioning prototype.