Soccer balls powering the world? AWESOME!!!

Kids playing Soccer - Africa - Oct 2006 from Fundy Peace Foundation on Vimeo.

" Burning kerosene indoors equals the harmful effects of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day." In many countries people rely on the use of kerosene lamps, which cause variable health problems. Burning kerosene also generates 190 million metric tons of carbon monoxide emissions a year. Four Harvard students are trying to better this, and have com e up with the idea of using the popularity of soccer around the world to reduce the use of kerosene. sOccket, a typical soccer ball, generates electricity during a normal pick up game. The electricity that is stored in the ball can then be used to light an LED lamp or charge a cellphone, or even a battery. “Soccer is something you will find in every African country,” one founder, Jessica Lin, told Green Inc. “People play for hours a day, so we thought, ‘Why not try to get a little more out of that energy?’ and that’s where the idea ultimately came from.” Jessica Matthews, Julia Silverman and Hemali Thakkar's initial inspiration came from the dance floors that capture people's dance movement. Early models of the ball use an inductive coil mechanism, similar to the technology found in shake-to-charge flashlights. The movement of the ball forces a magnet through a metal coil that induces voltage in the coil to generate electricity, For every 15 minutes of play, the ball stores eneough energy to light a LED ight for three hours, according to trials. The team is hoping to have the balls for sale by the of 2010, with the idea of a "buy one, give one" idea. For every ball they sell, they use the profits to distribute the balls at little or no cost in poor countries.

here is my source sorry the video is shaky!!!