Driving in Johannesburg one day, Tapiwa Chiwewe noticed an enormous cloud of air pollution hanging over the city. He was curious and concerned but not an environmental expert — so he did some research and discovered that nearly 14 percent of all deaths worldwide in 2012 were caused by household and ambient air pollution. With this knowledge and an urge to do something about it, Chiwewe and his colleagues developed a platform that uncovers trends in pollution and helps city planners make better decisions. “Sometimes just one fresh perspective, one new skill set, can make the conditions right for something remarkable to happen,” Chiwewe says. “But you need to be bold enough to try.”
Check out more TED Talks: http://www.ted.com
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more.
Follow TED on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks
Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED
Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/TED
Interesting, Actionable Ted Talks
You don’t have to be an expert to solve big problems | Tapiwa Chiwewe
March 16, 2018
More from this series:
- Why you should define your fears instead of your goals | Tim Ferriss
- 7 principles for building better cities | Peter Calthorpe
- How to build a company where the best ideas win | Ray Dalio
- Immigrant voices make democracy stronger | Sayu Bhojwani
- Why I’m a weekday vegetarian | Graham Hill
- 10 ways to have a better conversation | Celeste Headlee
- This app makes it fun to pick up litter | Jeff Kirschner
- Help discover ancient ruins — before it’s too late | Sarah Parcak
- Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it | Emma Marris
- How to practice emotional first aid | Guy Winch
- Know your worth, and then ask for it | Casey Brown
- To raise brave girls, encourage adventure | Caroline Paul
- A pro wrestler’s guide to confidence | Mike Kinney
- No one should die because they live too far from a doctor | Raj Panjabi
- Poverty isn’t a lack of character; it’s a lack of cash | Rutger Bregman
- How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day | Tristan Harris
- Who belongs in a city? | OluTimehin Adegbeye
- A global food crisis may be less than a decade away | Sara Menker
- The revolutionary power of diverse thought | Elif Shafak
- The future we’re building — and boring | Elon Musk
- How we can face the future without fear, together | Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
- Why the only future worth building includes everyone | Pope Francis
- You don’t have to be an expert to solve big problems | Tapiwa Chiwewe
- Sleep is your superpower | Matt Walker
- The difference between healthy and unhealthy love | Katie Hood
- “Everything happens for a reason” — and other lies I’ve loved | Kate Bowler
- You are not alone in your loneliness | Jonny Sun
- What reading slowly taught me about writing | Jacqueline Woodson
- The dirty secret of capitalism — and a new way forward | Nick Hanauer
- How changing your story can change your life | Lori Gottlieb
- 3 ways to be a more effective fundraiser | Kara Logan Berlin