"When they say let's save the world, they don't talk about Mother Nature, they're saying us," Illac Diaz tells the Daily Tribune in the Philippines.
"If you say save the world, it's like the world will go on way, way past us."
Diaz is the founder of Liter of Light, a social enterprise that has built more than a million solar-powered lights for impoverished people around the world since it was launched in the Philippines in 2013.
The idea is to provide people with a source of light during the day, as well as a means of charging their phones and other electronic devices, so they can stay connected at night.
In an interview with the Tribune, Diaz explains that energy poverty is "one of the greatest threats or crisis points" for the Philippines.
"Yet because it moves so slowly, people are not addressing it," he says.
"For us at Liter of Light, we want to show that we not only need to address certain things but we also can bring this leadership abroad."
Liter of Light works with families, local cooperatives, volunteers, and partners to build simple solar reading lights, mobile charging systems, and street lights using readily available materials.
In addition to the solar-powered lights, the
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