All People Making a Difference
Earthquake warning on your smartphone? There may be an app for thatThe GPS in smartphones could detect earthquakes and trigger warnings seconds before the strongest waves from the quake begin, researchers say.
A StoryCorps app lets anyone capture someone's storyFounder Dave Isay was awarded the 2015 TED Prize to promote his nonprofit work recording, sharing, and preserving the stories of people's lives.
Pakistan's women-only motorized rickshaw avoids male pestsZar Aslam, president of Pakistan's nonprofit Environment Protection Fund, wants to put at least 25 of the three-wheeled motorcycles in service, driven by women.
Difference MakerShizuyo Yoshitomi started a radio station to help immigrantsEthnic minorities in Japan didn't have a reliable source of news in their own languages 鈥� such as what to do if an earthquake strikes.
How SEWA brings access to energy across IndiaIn India, a lack of electricity can mean sundown equals shutdown 鈥� lost productivity and vital income. Now a grass-roots trade group, SEWA, is helping with solar LED lanterns and clean cooking stoves.
Including the poor in the solar energy boomA Colorado community's solar farm may be the first of many that lets people buy cheaper, greener electricity.
Bringing high-tech volunteers and nonprofits togetherHashtagcharity.org will match high-tech volunteers with worthy charities that need their help.
A charity creates a guide to how to get produce into 鈥榝ood deserts鈥�D.C. Central Kitchen offers a manual for other nonprofit groups that gives tips on staffing, budgets, marketing, and how to building partnerships.- Pauli Murray: Historic change agent for women, blacksPauli Murray was an attorney, professor, author, and the first black woman to be a priest in the Episcopal Church. To raise her profile, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has named her house a national treasure.
An Air Shepherd to guard African wildlifeDrones programmed with a sophisticated search algorithm will patrol the skies over wildlife parks in South Africa, a project backed by the US-based Lindbergh Foundation.
Difference MakerHorse whisperer Monty Roberts aids veterans and others who face traumasMonty Roberts is taking his message of nonviolent communication and developing trust to military veterans, military police, and incarcerated youths with post-traumatic stress disorder.
This food bank feeds humans and wolves alikeA Michigan food bank supplies farms and animal sanctuaries with food it can't use. 'We鈥檙e not taking food away from people, but we鈥檙e keeping it out of the trash,' says one animal shelter founder.
Eyes on the Seas guards the oceans from aboveOne in 5 fish is caught illegally. Now satellites are watching. Using satellite data, seafood suppliers can prove they are working with vessels that are fishing legally.
With fins off the menu, shark slaughter is ebbingFor decades, sharks have been sought for their fins and meat. But bans on finning and new attitudes toward eating shark fin soup are leading to optimism about the future for these iconic ocean predators.
Composting made easy wins over New YorkersThe 14th Street Y finds success in providing convenient composting, accepting a wider-than-usual range of organic items that includes meat, bones, and shells.
Website lets visitors give corporations' money to charitiesViewers to Volunteers allows ordinary people to help direct how corporations spend their charitable dollars.
Difference MakerAlex Cook paints walls, not canvas, with a message of hope and loveThe Boston-based artist creates outdoor murals across the US and abroad. 'Art has the potential to save someone鈥檚 life,' he says. 'Why be subtle about it?'
Drip, drip, drip: Tanzania farmers learn to defeat droughtDrip irrigation systems, introduced to help with worsening drought, are restoring harvests, building resilience to erratic weather, and saving time.
Fighting poverty with eyeglassesWithout clear vision, people in the developing world may be unable to secure a job or support a family. VisionSpring offers inexpensive eyeglasses to meet the need.
A visit to Kenya prompts a well-drilling nonprofit to spring upWater Is Life Kenya helps bring clean water to remote, rural communities, reducing disease and helping to lift people out of poverty.
