Global Voices Online

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe posts a Stern.de's 2006 video from inside the Chernobyl Sarcophagus.

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe writes about plans to keep Lithuania's nuclear reactor open, despite an agreement with the EU to shut it down in 2009: “The reactor currently supplies 70% of Lithuania’s electricity, as well as power to Latvia and Estonia. Many Lithuanian leaders and citizens want to renege on the agreement, fearing the closure will cause a problematic reliance on Russia for the country’s electricity needs.”

Dr. Sean's Diary comments on Lithuania's parliamentary elections and the tendency towards populism in Baltic politics, whereas The 8th Cricle adds a discussion on the concurrent referendum, approving a prolongation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant. Lituanica posts the full results of both the parliamentary elections and the referendum.

Due to high fuel prices, Lao and Thai farmers are going back to the basics: Water buffaloes are helping plow the lands again.

Andrew is trying to create his own electricity in Lesotho: “To bring real electricity we needed bigger 12v batteries. I got one, and the priest has one. The batteries are nice, but my little solar panel is just too small to give them a good charge. That is why we are now trying different methods of creating our own electricity. The priest had the generator which when turned puts out electricity.”

Noel blogs about the use of solar power in rural clinics in Madagascar: “Solar power has been given to these clinics four years ago and people have become very thankful. After all, rural clinics in the country actually do see around 400 patients each month. That’s a huge amount of patients. And when some emergency arises, it’s good to have electricity.”

Unzipped comments on the latest intrigues and recent scandal to hit Armenia. They include allegations from a senior member of Armenian Public TV that the bodyguards of a prominent government parliamentarian were responsible for an attack on a cafe which left one dead, and speculation that a regional energy project might yet bring about a solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.

Guyana-Gyal is on a steady diet of power cuts and “thick, charcoal-dark bitter carbon…”

Applied Gandhi blog reports that e-charkhas (spinning wheels), with their electricity-generating attachments would provide a means of economic independence to spinners in remote places of India.