Setup
Electricity is still out of reach for 1.2 billion of the world’s inhabitants. Even where cell phones are now common, like sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India, villagers still walk miles to charge them. Large-scale, sustainable innovations will not only usher in a new era of light, but will also be an important first step in lifting people from poverty and putting them on a road of sustainable economic development. These regions have largely skipped the analog stage of power development and have moved straight from the Middle Ages to the digital age, unencumbered by existing infrastructure, dependence on fossil fuels, or too many outdated laws and regulations. An ideal innovation incubator, the developing world might just be the best way to make progress on our own energy issues at home. (Book signing to follow.)
- 2016 Festival
- Environment
- Technology
Explore More
Environment



Environmental activist Isaias Hernandez, founder of the education platform QueerBrownVegan, on combatting climate despair, the nuances of veganism, and what helps him sustain...













From March 6-9, policymakers, scientists, business leaders, technologists, artists, educators, journalists and more will convene to address one of the world’s greatest challen...

In May 2022, the world's most ambitious climate problem solvers came together in Miami Beach to address our collective future. Watch highlights from the inaugural Aspen Ideas:...

Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and the smart thermostat Nest, shares advice for inventing things that change the world.

A couple of degrees makes a world of difference — megafires, rising seas, failing infrastructure, and food systems require our immediate attention. Demands on dwindling natura...




From blockchain to back to school and virus-hunting to bridging divides, speakers at the 2021 Aspen Ideas Festival addressed issues in a new kind of world—one touched, and cha...

A 2018 UN report on climate change urged swift and unprecedented action to curb the rise of the planet’s temperature. Experts argue that avoiding a crisis will require signifi...

Soon, we may be able to visualize any biological process in the human body, at any scale, in real time. Here’s what it will take to get there. Presented by Chan Zuckerberg Ini...


