It turns out that there is a lot we can learn about sustainability from people who have been forced by political catastrophe to sustain themselves. Residents of Gaza, desperate because the territory has been effectively cut off from aid and supplies by the Israeli government, have started to recycle pieces of the Separation Barrier that Hamas tore apart earlier this year. Also, given the fuel shortages, many residents use vegetable oil as fuel for their cars. In Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, I noticed that World Food Programme oil cans were widely reused as building materials, and all over the world, all sorts of scraps are transformed into children's toys. One Laptop Per Child is a cool program, but perhaps the kind of design practiced by the "bottom billion" is where we should be focusing. Design for Social Impact, anyone? (no, not that one) Check out the amazing work of MIT's Amy Smith, who designs low-tech solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems using available materials. Her Corn Coal is amazing and could conceivably save millions of lives. Her 7 Rules for design in the developing world are pretty handy. My favorite one is "listen to the right people."  The poor suffer disproportionately from climate change right now, so perhaps their solutions to environmental problems should be examined, and their unique needs addressed. Disaster--economic, political, environmental--can be an opportunity for innovation.