The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Coke, Segway inventor team up on clean water project Posted: 25 Sep 2012 09:14 AM PDT NEW YORK, Sept 25 — Coca-Cola Co plans to deliver and operate water purification systems in rural parts of the developing world, working with the inventor of the Segway transportation device in a project that will also help further Coke's sustainability targets. The world's largest soft drink maker said today that it was teaming up with American inventor Dean Kamen to roll out his new invention, called the Slingshot, to bring clean water to areas where it was limited.
Kamen expects to deliver 30 Slingshot machines to Coke by the end of 2012. Next year, Coke will place machines in rural areas of South Africa, Mexico and Paraguay, in places such as schools, health clinics and community centres. By 2014, the distribution should widen to include thousands of units, and later to extend to India, the Middle East and Asia. "For us to partner with Deka and embark on a project with huge societal implications gives me huge excitement," Coke chief executive Muhtar Kent told Reuters. "And it fits perfectly with our other sustainability pillars, such as our goal for water neutrality." As part of Kent's "2020 Vision", Coca-Cola has committed to replenish 100 per cent of the water used in its drinks and their production. Through 386 water projects in 94 countries, the company is 35 per cent of the way towards the goal. The Slingshot uses a vapour compression distillation system that runs on very low levels of electricity. Through boiling and evaporation, the system can clean and purify anything from ocean water to raw sewage, Kamen and Coke said. One Slingshot unit could purify up to 300,000 litres of water a year, or enough daily drinking water for about 300 people, Kamen said. Coke declined to quantify its financial investment, but Kent said the company would dedicate "whatever funds are necessary" to make the project meaningful. Still, significant investments in time and effort by Coke and its local bottlers would translate to millions of dollars, Kent said. "It is not a small project," he said. Lack of access to clean water can lead to diseases including diarrhoea, the second-leading cause of death in children under five years old, according to data from the World Heath Organisation. Kamen, who has developed insulin pumps, said that giving everyone access to clean water would be a major contribution to preventing such diseases. "Talk about low-hanging fruit," Kamen said in an interview. He said he reached out to Coca-Cola for its vast distribution network and ability to deliver small products everywhere. Kent said he envisioned the Slingshots, which each weighed about 90 kilograms and could fit in the back of a truck, being placed in kiosks that would run on solar power or biofuel and could provide rural communities with other benefits, such as refrigerated vaccines, mobile-device charging stations and entrepreneurial opportunities for women. Last year, the organisation of Coke and Kamen conducted a field trial of the Slingshot, testing it in five schools outside Accra, Ghana. — Reuters |
| Milan fashion opts for light, timeless and wearable Posted: 25 Sep 2012 07:59 AM PDT  Models take to the catwalk with creations of Roberto Cavalli. — Reuters pic Sheer dresses in pastel colours dominated the 2013 spring/summer shows, which ended today with a call for restraint on the catwalk from designer Giorgio Armani.  Giorgio Armani with some of his models at the end of theEmporio Armani collection: Calls for restraint in this age of austerity. — Reuters pic Fashion executives meeting in Milan acknowledged that the economic environment was getting tougher for luxury makers as growth slows in China and recession hits southern Europe. Sales of Italian fashion are expected to fall 5.6 per cent this year after growing 6 per cent last year, according to the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. The decline makes Italy the worst-performing market in a global luxury industry expected to grow 7 per cent this year. Luxury goods makers Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada dismissed concerns of a sharp slowdown among global players with retail exposure to emerging countries. "We follow China with great attention. But the (growth) trend remains," Ferragamo chief executive Michele Norsa said on the sidelines of his label's show.  The kimono look from Prada. — Reuters pic Armani stuck to an androgynous style for his collection, where flowing trousers were cut above the ankle and masculine jackets were tailored to fit like a glove. Prada surprise Trend-setter Miuccia Prada surprised her audience with a Japanese-inspired collection that confirmed the designer as one of the most independent creative minds in the industry. Prada stitched white flowers on kimono-like dresses, while shoes were either impossibly high or replaced by leather socks. "I thought of a woman who is strong and sweet," Prada told reporters after her packed show in a black-and-white theatre. Asked whether her bold creations were to be found in stores, Prada said everything she showed would be on sale. Italian brands insisted on the value of craftsmanship, a quality for which Italy is famous. From Roberto Cavalli to Roccobarocco, designers elaborated embroideries difficult to copy by fast fashion chains. Florentine designer Cavalli, known for making his own animal prints, created deco motifs for his robes in natural shades. Gucci's creative head Frida Giannini proposed aristocratic looks in bright colours with matching shoes. Bell sleeves and ruffles added movement to her sophisticated looks. Lightweight dresses returned at Blumarine and Versace, where platinum-blonde designer Donatella Versace turned mini-dresses in lingerie pieces tie-dyed in pastel colours. Almost every collection offered mixed lengths from mini shorts to flowing trousers in a wide appeal to differing body shapes and styles. Brands such as Gianfranco Ferre, Genny, Versace and Frankie Morello cut new shapes from trapezoidal to A-shaped dresses. Although the clothes were linear, practical and the most dramatic catwalk excesses toned down this season, handbags and shoes with gold and silver details stole into the limelight. The fashion pack descend on Paris next for the finale of the spring/summer 2013 catwalk season. — Reuters  Flowing trousers and masculine jackets cut from the androgynous style of Armani. — Reuters pic |
Kamen, whose organisation is called Deka R&D, has made many inventions in the medical device field but is best-known for his Segway personal transporter. He also worked with Coke on its Freestyle fountain dispenser.| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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