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Seed magazine interviews William Kamkwamba, the young engineer who built a windmill from scrap in his native Malawi, and eventually brought power to his entire village…

From the blustery plains of Texas to the Danish island of Samsø, wind power—and the giant, bladed towers that generate it—is all the rage in a warming world searching for cleaner sources of energy. Fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba had never heard of windmills, or climate change, for that matter, when he stumbled across a photograph one day and it changed his life forever.

Now 22, Kamkwamba has become something of an international DIY celebrity: He’s spoken at the World Economic Forum, at the Aspen Ideas Festival, and at TED Global—twice. He’s chatted with Al Gore, Bono, and Larry Page. A documentary about his life is currently in the works. But Kamkwamba’s story isn’t really about stardom: It’s about the grit, resourcefulness, and audacity of a young engineer who built a windmill from scrap in his native Malawi and brought power to his home—and eventually lit up every house in the village. It’s told in brilliant detail in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (out now from William Morrow), co-authored with journalist Bryan Mealer. Seed editor Maywa Montenegro spoke with Kamkwamba while he was in New York City kicking off a US book tour. More…

From Bridgette Meinhold at Inhabitat.com:

South Korea recently announced plans to construct a sustainable super-city that stands to eclipse the size of Masdar in the UAE. Designed by Foster + Partners together with PHA and Mobility in Chain, the Incheon mixed-use development will be a model of self-sufficent sustainability and will serve as an epicenter for the development of green technologies just north of Seoul.

Upon completion the Incheon eco-city will comprise a community of 320,000 residents centered around a spine of transportation and green industry. The hope for Incheon is that the area will become a high-tech research and development center for sustainable industries that manufacture photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. True to this ideal, the masterplan incorporates cutting-edge green technologies such as biomass energy generation, hydrogen fuel cells, and hydroponic roofs. More…

Natalie Angier from the New York Times reports…

If you wanted to push yourself to the outermost chalk line of human endurance, you might consider an ultramarathon, or a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean, or being nominated to the United States Supreme Court. Or you could try studying the long-beaked echidna, one of the oldest, rarest, shyest, silliest-looking yet potentially most illuminating mammals on earth. More….

In February 2009 The Open University in the UK launched an innovative new distance learning course on international environmental policy. Entitled Earth in Crisis: Environmental Policy in an International Context the course comprises three blocks of original written, audio-visual and online materials. Block 1 focuses entirely on climate change, while Block 2 covers ten environmental issues, including population growth, urbanisation, development, fresh water, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity depletion. Block 3 explores future options, and is structured around the question ‘What can be done for the future, and what should be done?’ For further details of the course go to http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01DU311 or contact Dr David Humphreys of the Earth in Crisis course team on d.r.humphreys@open.ac.uk

New York City, USA Wins the 2009 Award

New York City has demonstrated that political will, bold leadership and citizen engagement can lead to sweeping transportation reforms.

Continue reading ’2009 Sustainable Transport Award’