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Sun-powered phone charger gives migrants in Greece free electricity
For refugees and migrants stuck in Greece, a smartphone is a lifeline — as long as its battery lasts. But access to electricity can be hard to find in overcrowded camps, nor is it always free in cafes where young and old crowd together over a socket, waiting anxiously to phone home.A team of students from Edinburgh University is hoping to change that, having designed a mobile phone charging station powered only by the sun — something Greece has plenty of.
They have installed two units in camps, each configured to generate electricity for 12 plugs an hour using solar energy alone, providing free power to as many as 240 people per unit each day.The idea was borne out of a visit last summer of one of the founders, 20-year-old Alexandros Angelopoulos, to the island of Samos, one of the entry points into Europe for nearly a million people fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and beyond.Hundreds arrived on its shores each day, soaked and exhausted from clinging onto rubber boats from Turkey. Relieved to have made it, they snapped selfies. Others logged on to messaging applications and Google Maps to plan their onward journey to northern Europe.
“People started asking for my phone to call family and to use the internet,” Angelopoulos said. Often, they were stranded at the port sharing one plug.”We just wanted to make a positive contribution to local communities through renewable energy,” said co-founder Samuel Kellerhals, 21.The first two units of Project Elpis — which means “hope” in Greek — were designed and built with the help of Greek solar technology company Entec. The pair said they had to overcome red tape along the way.”Initially it was quite difficult. Everything in Greece is quite bureaucratic,” Angelopoulos said.
Now, another three units are in the works with money raised through crowdfunding, a method of generating funds from a large number of people via the internet. Its founders hope to reach as many of the dozens of camps around Greece as possible.At the Kara Tepe camp on Lesbos where the first unit was installed, authorities and residents are thrilled.”I told them — you should’ve brought it yesterday and not one, but four,” said Stavros Miroyannis, who manages the camp for families which is run by the local municipality.
“They’ve promised me three more and I’m expecting them with great pleasure.”Miroyannis hopes to one day power the entire site using solar energy. Solar panels have already replaced street lamps.
Another Great Gesture from Pawan Kalyan :: Shoulders Responsibility for his personal ‘Friend’
Seems ‘Failure’ brings out the best from each actor. Pawan Kalyan who is anticipating a lot from his next project is taking active part in deciding his casting and other production responsibilities. Even though Pawan is not a producer in his next project, he actively participates in the discussion.
In current trend, Tollywood is going gaga in bringing villains from Bollywood or other film industries. But Pawan preferred to go with local talent and he opted Ajay. Pawan is so keen to reduce the budgets and he does it for the sake of his long term good friend Sharath Marrar.
Pawan is completely taking care of Pre-production and he minimizes the budget in order to maximize the profits for his good friend and producer Sharath Marar. The movie will go on floors next month and the whole shooting is expected to be wrapped up in a single schedule.1So a strong pre-production work is going on. Anup Rubens will compose tunes and Akula Siva will handle the script work. Watch out this space for more updates.
Cong To Follow Jagan Route Against Defections!
The Congress party seems to be following the route of YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in questioning the defections of its leaders into the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Telangana.In Andhra Pradesh, Jagan had moved the Supreme Court seeking disqualification of MLAs who had defected to the TDP. In Telangana, the Congress party is learnt to have decided to approach the court, besides Election Commission and the Centre to stop the defection malady as Anti-Defection law became ineffective.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has to own the responsibility for the continuous political defections in the State.He alleged that KCR was giving huge contracts to the MLAs and MPs, who were joining his party. He said the MLAs and MPs were taking ‘politics as business’. He said the cadre was with the party and leaders were only deserting it for business interests.
Digvijaya said the Congress alone has bright future in the State as the TDP, YSRCP and BJP were ineffective. The party would stand by the people and wage war against the TRS government with regard to land acquisition.He also said the party would discuss with the leaders who were criticizing each other openly and would take steps to maintain discipline.“The party doesn’t need any surgery because the cadre was with the party and only leaders were leaving the party with selfish motives”, he added.
How Did Naidus Come Up In Life?
It is an open secret as to how Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has grown from a farmer with two acres of land into a multi-millionaire.Though he and his family declare assets every year, there are allegations that he has 100 times more than what he has declared.
So is the case with Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, who is facing allegations of amassing huge wealth, though he projects a clean image.So, how have they come up in life? Venkaiah gave a pat to himself and Naidu at a function on Thursday, stating that both of them had come up in life through sheer hard work.
“We have taken inspiration from Abdul Kalam and Narendra Modi, who strived hard to reach higher positions in life. Everybody should follow our example,” Venkaiah said.Naidu, too, had a pat for Venkaiah, saying the union minister had reached a stage where he commands respect all over the world.
