All People Making a Difference
Innovations in storage boost renewable energyBecause utilities can't control when the sun shines or the wind blows, it has been hard to incorporate solar and wind power into the electricity grid. But new storage technologies could soon change that.
Difference MakerChelsea and Rob McFarland lure people into a sweet science: urban beekeepingHoneybee populations are under attack but the founders of nonprofit HoneyLove believe bees' best future is in cities.
How to best help refugees: Hand 'em cashHanding out goods such as tents and blankets may not be the most effective way to help those displaced by war or disasters. Refugees may know their own needs best.
Corinne Hindes helps those in need enjoy Warm WintersAs a teen she founded Warm Winters, which has worked with ski resorts, Girl Scouts, and high school ski teams to donate more than 5,000 items of warm clothing to 2,500 homeless people.
Public art in Detroit builds safer, stronger neighborhoodsDetroit artists Gina Reichert and Mitch Cope bought vacant homes and converted them into a multi-faceted artistic community, including a performing arts center and recording studio.
Goats take on a notorious invasive speciesHungry goat herds could replace toxic herbicides, controlled burns, and even bulldozers to eliminate invasive phragmites that choke off native vegetation.
Animals from around the world find a sanctuary in central MaineBob Miner's DEW Animal Kingdom & Sanctuary cares for more than 200 animals, many of which once were in zoos or kept as exotic pets.
Nonprofit pays off education debts for US veteransLeave No Veteran Behind helps pay for veterans' student debts not covered by other military programs, like the G.I. Bill.
Difference MakerLeila Janah helps people in the developing world find work 鈥� near homeSamasource breaks down complicated data-processing projects into small steps that can be done remotely on PCs in countries like Ghana, Uganda, and Haiti.
Why gangs are making sandwiches in New ZealandThe Tribal Huks gang have been聽making approximately 500 sandwiches daily and dropping them off at New Zealand schools. American gangs have responded similarly in the past.聽
Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi: an engineer of freedomKailash Satyarthi has taken effective steps toward ending the worldwide exploitation of children, says the head of one of his efforts, Goodweave International.
Farmers in Burkina Faso outsmart climate changeFarmers in one of the world's least-developed countries are restoring degraded land using innovative techniques to conserve water and soil.
Difference MakerTerumasa Akio saw poverty firsthand. Now his charity helps 400,000 children.A visit to a poor Thai village alarmed Mr. Akio. Now his Japan-based charity EDF-International helps thousands of children across Southeast Asia.
Difference MakerLibby Weir turned her 'passion' for Africa into a life of serviceOver the past decade Libby Weir has adopted a struggling family in South Africa and built them a new home, established vegetable gardens, created a school library, run school vacation activities, and sponsored educational programs for adults.
Samoa's architects look to the past to boost climate resilienceIn Samoa and other Pacific island nations, which risk devastation from gale-force winds, flooding, sea surges, and tsunamis, a return to indigenous building styles could be the key to creating disaster-resilient communities of the future.
How worker-owned co-ops lift people out of povertyCooperative Home Care Associates has 2,300 workers who enjoy good wages, regular hours, and family health insurance. New York City is investing $1.2 million to encourage more co-op businesses.
Why the world is getting betterIncomes haven't improved everywhere over the last 20-30 years. But quality of life has improved everywhere, argues researcher and journalist Charles Kenny.
In a small Maine town, it took a community to build a libraryIn an effort similar to an old-fashioned barn raising, scores of people from Lincolnville, Maine, contributed their materials, labor, and know-how to create a privately funded library.
X-Prize taps the crowd to tackle global educationThe goal: Create software so exciting to use that kids will want to teach themselves to read and do math.
Difference MakerGeorge Wolfe brings to life the story of the US civil rights movementThe award-winning Broadway playwright, director, and producer spent six years carefully preparing exhibits for the new National Center for Civil and Human Rights.