Today's New York Times front page features, once again, the pressing crisis that has risen from soaring food prices around the world. The debate has found its way to institutions like the UN and the World Bank, who have called for urgent measures to keep the world's poorest from suffering the hardest consequences.

Meanwhile, another issue is slowly gaining momentum and I'm sure we'll begin to hear more and more about it in the coming months: water scarcity. The past two weeks have seen extensive coverage, discussing everything from proper pricing and innovative technologies, to business models and new concepts like that of "virtual water." This is an issue I will explore in depth in the coming months as I will be joining Al Hammond in the Global Social Benefit Incubator project, studying and mentoring innovative business models that tackle the issue of clean water supply for the poor.

I'm very excited about this opportunity to learn more about a subject that will be increasingly important for my generation, so stay tuned for detailed coverage. Meanwhile, here's a quick roundup of the last two weeks for those of you interested in following this discussion:

Financial Times addressed the issue of proper water pricing, based on the penalty that the world's poorest pay for access and possible measures of accountability on behalf of the world's most water-intensive industries.

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It is impossible to argue against the need for reliable energy at the BoP. Energy drives every facet of society, from nourishment to communication. According to the UNDP, at least 1.2 billion people suffer from energy poverty, which has profound impact on health, education, and livelihoods.

Increasingly, people are calling for the new energy models in developing nations to be "sustainable" and drawn from "clean" and renewable sources. The accepted belief is that if we can get developing nations on a path of adopting clean technologies, they can completely leapfrog the dirty, self-perpetuating system we have created in the west. However, there are barriers to establishing renewable energy projects at the BoP, on both the supply and demand side. One recently-launched for-profit social enterprise that hopes to revolutionize financing in this field is MicroEnergy Credits Corporation (MEC), and I had the wonderful pleasure of conversing with its founders, April Allderdice and James Dailey, last week.

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