Beijing set an Olympic Record for power consumption.  The Beijing power grid peaked at a consumption of 12.48 million KW at 11:24am…enough power to run a city of 17 million while they host an international sporting event attended by 200+ countries and 10’s of thousands of people. The previous record was 12.28 million KW. I think they were trying to finish all the building projects for the Green Village in one day for that peak.

It is estimated that the maximum demand will hit 14.6 million KW. The biggest demand is made by air conditioners, very much needed as the city is experiencing sweltering conditions - 35C (94F).

Despite the demand, Beijing Electric Power Co. is keeping up and the grid is stable. In the case of emergency, 50 power vehicles are standing by with a capacity of 26,890 KW and 201 repair teams are hanging out with their fans in hand. And…Africa is still being called the Dark Continent.

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There are so many reasons why food prices sky-rocketed during the last twelve months, but more important than blaming, is to find a viable solution.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, head of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and adviser to the U.N. chief, talked on Monday about the food crisis in developing countries. He said that simple reforms could double Africa’s food production in just a few years and this solution may probably cool down food prices. He also mentioned that the African farmers need help from wealthy countries to invest into better practices including fertilizers, water management systems or drought-resistant seeds.

In an interview in Nairobi, Sachs also mentioned that in his belief, a $10 billion aid to small farmers would probably solve the problem which is worse than believed. During the last year, rice prices went up more than 40-percent and reached higher values because of the cyclone in Myanmar, a large rice exporter, that devastated the whole area.

According to Sachs, the only solution is to immediately invest in agriculture.

Picture by Frankie Roberto

If every person from a rich country would pay $10, Africa would double its production and help reduce the burden on poor countries, because those are the most affected by high food price.

Riots and protests in Asia, the Caribbean and several African countries, arose last month which means that the food crisis is real.