Zachary Weller's Blog (14)

In Rwanda many people live without access to electricity. Curiously the natural resources to support energy production are already among the people. There is no need to import oil. Lake Kivu is a natural feature of the landscape, but it also contains an abundance of methane gas. This natural gas could mean energy for the entire population that they would own. Besides just the benefit of the energy, the people have the chance of diverting a natural disaster. The lake is known as the…

In the year 2020 much has changed in Gainesville. First, there has been a huge push for sustainable energy. Gainesville has adapted by adding a huge solar power grid. Many of the buildings on the UF campus are covered with solar panels. These solar panels are extremely efficient and power all of the campus and some of the surrounding areas. Besides this is the effort to improve recycling programs in the city. A huge recycling plant was added to a dried lake bed. This compound is now a…

In the state of Florida one of the biggest crisis we face is the threat of hurricanes. The chaos they cause occurs on so many fronts it is difficult to ever completely prepare. Initially warnings are needed. People need to know the current track of the storm and whether it is necessary to evacuate. In many of these situations people also need to know where to go for assistance. Unfortunately not everyone follows these warning and some people are left to fend for themselves. During this time…

For the past 10 years their has been an effort in the US to provide women with sustainable employment. Not long ago there was a time when women had difficulty finding meaningful employment. Often they had to take jobs that paid less than men and were often temporary in nature. These were not careers, they were just a means to get by. Through efforts on several different fronts we have changed this. We've given women the education, the opportunities, and the confidence they needed. Now…

Throughout Latin America there is an issue hidden from public view, but prevading the lives of its people. Drug trafficking is a well known problem in Central and South America. However, unknown to most is how much the issue is impacting the lives of women. Women are being forced to traffic drugs over borders. As such they are becoming the highest growing population in prisons. Women are taking positions with drug cartels in order to support their families and retain their normal lifestyles.…

Today's money has predominately become a virtual currency. Most money is not in a physical form. Banks, businesses, and people transfer digital dollars for nearly all transactions. The internet has brought freedom to many different aspects of our lives and so will it do with currency. Already virtual currencies have surfaced competing with traditional money. Things like Bitcoin are transforming the way that money is used and traded. Normal money markets close at 5 PM, but Bitcoin is trading…

Although for the most part the water crisis has been eliminated in key areas, there are still places dealing with the issue. In order to make people aware and help to resolve the crisis we have developed a special event. We are asking a massive donation from companies and individuals everywhere. Several companies have committed 1% of their stock of water bottles and many individuals will be donating 1% of their pay check as well. This effort is huge. We are expecting a huge turn out and the…

Up until now the solutions to the water crisis have been focused on the surface level problem. How can we can get clean water to people. This requires transportation from clean sources or massive investments in infrastructure. However, what if we look at the problem differently? Michael Pritchard, an engineer, has done just that. Throughout the history of mankind and even today people coverge near rivers, lakes, and streams. The issue today is that many of the water ways are polluted and…

As we make our way out to the town square I check the time on my phone. It's 11:30 PM, almost time. I notice that my phone is also fully charged. For years now we've had technology in our clothing that picks up variations in heat and uses it to charge mobile devices. At this point we don't even worry about battery life. We continue our walk down the cold streets with the street lights guiding our way. It's nice to know that these lights essentially power themselves. During the day they…

Sustainable energy has the potential to be integrated into our lives in almost any way imaginable. New technologies are being developed each year to take advantage of these oppurtunites. One student, Zachery Halem, is looking to put such technologies to use in his own life. Zach is a senior at Riverdale High School in the Bronx, New York. He had been interested in sustainable technologies for quite some time, but it wasn't until recently that he was able to make his passion into a reality.…

Today is a special day. It's March 10, 2020 and my 31st birthday. Just like every year my mom has come to my house to visit and prepare a birthday meal. Myself being a lackluster cook, I am more than happy to have her over to make food. Along with her are a few of my brothers and sisters - the one's who aren't working or in school. My mom has always been extremely health conscious even when I was still in college. Now with the implementation of national food protocols she is even more so.…

Gainesville, Florida is Alachua County's largest city. Although most known for the University of Florida, the city is a diverse community that has a large resident population outside of the students. One would assume that food security would not be a problem in such a location, but like many places in the US there is a significant portion of the population that is food insecure. In fact it is estimated that over 50,000 people in the city are in this predicament. This is manifest in many…

I'm sitting at my desk, taking a short break before going back to work. I've been working on a system design for over a week now. Through my direction, my team has developed an economical and efficient solution to one of our clients problems. Over the years I've developed many different systems, but out of each one I always learn something new. Being a manager has its perks, though. I can focus more on leading my team and focusing our vision rather than the minute details of the programming.…

The innovation secret that really stuck out to me was, "embrace market mechanisms." This is not something that most people would automatically think of and many might outright disagree with it. The obvious argument against this secret is that such thinking just leads to everybody seeking a profit and creates a society where no one is willing to help for free. I, however, disagree. Whether we like it our not, Western society values capitalism in nearly all aspects. We all want to be paid for…