Welcome to Optimism

Lactofree – listen up, hedgehogs!

Over the last six months, we’ve spent a lot of time talking and thinking about hedgehogs.
 
We’ve learned that hedgehogs probably do like campfires and crumpets, but are less inclined to hold their own cheese and wine evening (too posh).
 
We also learned that like many humans they are lactose intolerant (allergic to the lactose sugars in milk). 
 
Happily, Arla make a special range of products called ‘Lactofree’ which is free of lactose sugars.
 
We found some photogenic hedgehogs (African Pygmies), filmed them doing their shopping in a local supermarket and then we captured their dreams on film to make an advert.

This was the result. It airs tomorrow night during the Coronation Street break at 8.45pm.
 
Hope you like it.

(This is the ad that led to the infestation in our reception blogged about previously.)

how solar-powered lights help Africa

Light

Above is the S1 solar-powered light from d.light design, which was sent to me by Anna at Solar Aid, with whom we've done some work on our Off/ On Project.

Screen Shot 2012-02-21 at 08.35.57

These lights are currently selling well in Africa. How come? At 6pm every night when the sun goes down across sub-Saharan Africa, most off-grid households, of which there around 110 million in Africa, opt for burning dirty, dangerous kerosene lamps in their homes. Or if they can't afford that, they sit in the dark. That's obviously not conducive to productive working, safe cooking, socialising, studying or reading. Not only that, it costs lives. The kerosene lamp contributes to indoor air pollution that kills more people in
the world than malaria.

 

The S1 solar light costs around $7 and after that it's free to run. Solar Aid's goal is to banish kerosene lamps from Africa by 2020, freeing people from the need for dirty, expensive kerosene.

For more information on Solar Aid and their work see…

www.videos.solar-aid.org
http://www.youtube.com/sunnymoneytv/
http://www.facebook.com/SolarAid

Elliott

And here's Elliott (in Islngton, not Africa) reading his Moshi Monsters comic by solar-powered light. He was amazed to learn it was charged just by leaving it near the window during the day.

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