In Finland we have every spring a happening called “Nuukuusviikko”, something about Thrifty Week in english. NGO organisations encourage people to live their daily lives using less energy and natural resources.

The Green Changemakers have found a Japanese term for Thrifty Week. It is Mottainai! It is an old Japanese word with love and compassion to think of the gift from the nature or someone who made the product. The word closest to Mottainai in English is “Do not waste!”.

© Esko Männikkö 2005

Good news from periphery! Photographer Esko Männikkö from Northern Finland wins the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2008. The other three finalists were John Davies, Jacob Holdt and Fazal Sheikh. Congratulations to all!

Daily Telegraph article with photos.

The lack of proper sanitation kills every day about 5000 children. 2,6 billion people have never used proper toilet. In many parts of the world people suffer water shortage, and the climate change will even worsen the water crisis. So it will not make much sense to build water closets in the dry parts of the world.

The Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland has a dream. (more…)