Energy Poverty – Energy poverty and indoor air pollution: a problem as old as humanity that we can end within our lifetime (Energy poverty, Max Roser)

The lack of access to modern energy sources subjects people to a life of poverty. No electricity means no refrigeration of food, no washing machine, and no light at night.

If you don’t have artificial light, your day is over at sunset. This is why the students in this photo are out on the street: they had to find a spot under a streetlight to do their homework. It’s a photo that shows both the determination of those who were born into poverty, but also the steep odds that they have to work against.

Energy poverty is so common that you can see it from space. In Sub-Saharan Africa 43% of the population do not have access to electricity. The poorest regions in the world are dark at night, as the satellite image shows.

Energy poverty and indoor air pollution: a problem as old as humanity that we can end within our lifetime – Our World in Data