Prior to the latest easing of restrictions, Israel had allowed in construction materials for aid agency projects.

BBC: Israel lifts ban on gravel imports into Gaza

Make sure that the books and materials closest at hand are the ones you need for your current projects.

FORBES: Ten Lessons for Idea Hunters

Common microvolunteering projects include translating text, writing text for brochures and other marketing materials, and helping a group grow its Twitter and Facebook followings.

WSJ: Helping Your Cause��and Your Career

Meanwhile, on Wednesday Applied Materials and China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group announced they have agreed to explore projects for accelerating the development and deployment of solar photovoltaic technology.

FORBES

But by the late 1990s half a dozen promising projects at City of Hope had stalled because it could not find partners to make materials for human testing.

FORBES: Do-It-Yourselfer

At the same time, big infrastructure projects, another key driver of China's growth, have driven up demand for raw materials from resource-rich countries such as Indonesia.

BBC: Can Asian economies fuel Asia's growth?