When we talk about the minimalist lifestyle, people often think of western activists initiating the 'Zero Waste Challenge'. However, in the far north of Asia, Mongolia has been a beacon of minimalist lifestyle-- going back to 8,000 BCE. Due to constant travels, nomads pay close attention to their belongings and usually limit their desire for unnecessary possessions. In short, the average waste of a nomad and a settler would amuse you as nomads never buy groceries with a plastic bag nor expensive brand clothes. Despite their admirable lifestyle, gypsies in Mongolia faced some difficulties until the early 2000s.

 Travelling on horseback to get medical help or to charge a phone was one of the common daily chores in Mongolian nomadic families. To provide basic rights of education, health, and enfranchisement, the government of Mongolia announced the “National 100,000 Ger Electrification Program”, an initiative to provide nomads with portable solar home systems. With the help of the World Bank, Mongolia successfully introduced solar panels to 70% of an estimated 1,000,000 nomads. Thanks to this project, nomads are finally enjoying a safe, energy-efficient and more productive life; they currently use a refrigerator for food storage, watch television for a daily news source, and stay-in-touch with their relatives in nearby village's board schools through phones. 

Whether a metropolitan or a nomadic, every lifestyle is sustained by the environment: empowered by the Sun. 

I also included the World Bank Report in case of further interest. (http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/718091468323710464/pdf/726830REVISED00olar0Paper0v2-3FINAL.pdf),