A new start for old mills

Is there a way to update traditional and now obsolete machines to make them greener and more efficient? That’s the focus of next week’s Global Ideas report. In Nepal, farmers have long depended on water-powered mills, called Ghattas, to process rice and grains. But recently, the mills were revamped and retrofitted and they can actually generate electricity. Nearly a fourth of the 25,000 traditional mills have already been rebuilt, and each one slashes up to 6 tons of CO2 emissions a year. In her report, Birgitta Schülke explores the mills' success story and how it has uplifted families and communities in Nepal. Mills have made a splash elsewhere, too: Germany has already invested in the technology. That is the focus of next week’s background article by Hanno Böck.