Nicolas Dykstra's Blog – March 2010 Archive (16)

Currently the Great Lakes provide water for 30 million people. Have you ever seen Lake Michigan, it's gross looking water. Obama recently just pledged $475 million to Rescue the Great Lakes. This plan includes cleaning the water, rescuing native species, and getting rid of the invasive species like the Asian Carp, which is destroying the Great Lakes. The Goal is to make the Great lakes like they once were, GREAT. I may not agree with everything Obama does, but this is a pretty good… Continue

I just read this article from Popular Science about simpler Solar Power. We are now producing cheaper, thinner solar panels. One of the examples was a messenger bag that could charge a cell phone, and the others where new designs of roof panels. Read it.

There is a reason I love living in a big urban environment. Urban environments [apartments] create more space because they stack homes on top of each other. Apartment complexes equal beauty to me. They cost less to heat, and are much more affordable. Imagine a city without suburbs, in place of the suburbs we place parks, and natural agriculture. Apartments allow us to share. We share our homes and can grow closer to our neighbors. Continue

So I was watching this video from the TED conference [It's a Think Tank], and I saw an idea for sand dune homes. Apparently you can actually make sandstone with bacteria and sand. The idea became this: Build a sandstone wall across the Sahara to create homes for the retreating natives, and to prevent the expansion of the desert with a wind breaker. Wind breakers stop the sand storms from… Continue

Consider our two basic nutrition needs. Water, and food. We have purifying systems that can easily purify water, like lifesaver bottles, the aguaduct bike, and many other forms, but that still doesn't solve the food crisis. Israel is currently expanding its agriculture in the middle of the desert with drip irrigation, similar to that of Ancient Egyptians. Here is my thought, what if we developed better agriculture in places like Africa through increased drip irrigation. We could tame the… Continue

Urban living is more environmentally friendly, and it uses less space than suburbs. According to an interview by GOOD, Highways destroy the population of those Urban centers by 18%. Why is this a big deal? When Highways are placed, it causes people to relocate to a place with more space. Suburbs get over run, businesses move out of downtown, and we have a longer commute. Highways increase crime and bad neighborhoods.

I found out about these water bottles that actually purifies dirty water. Imagine the possibilities if people could purify their own water. Refugee camps are a thing of the past. No more does disease have to spread through water and camps. lifesaver bottles are genius.

2020, I decided to start an event reminding people of the importance of clean water. We decided to have a mud day. Why Mud? Mud is basically what people without clean water are drinking. We would have a mud fight [mud balloon, squirt guns with dirty water], mud pie contests, and mud baths, to remind people of this issue.

I learned of a new invention that might just save the water supply of many foreign countries. The Aquaduct is a bicycle that purifies water as the rider pedals. This is essential because it doesn't burn fossil fuels like vehicles, or fires [to purify water]. Water is gathered miles away in foreign cities, and with this bike, by the time they return home, the water is purified. Great Idea, I think so.

In the year 2020, I plan to party with sustainability. The main festivities will be held during the day, and outside. This means I don't waste my power indoors. People will ride their bikes together, and these bikes charge their batteries. Because the festival requires biking from place to place, we can successfully hold a party indoors with the batteries when it gets late. Food is prepared fresh so I don't use a large fridge, and the wind turbine I installed outside provides enough energy to… Continue

I live in a small dorm room. I am limited in what I can do. I can't change the power source from the dorm, but I could possibly change it from the window. My idea apparently isn't original, but I would like to see Window Solar Panels. Solar Panels could become a power source for my fan [since I don't have air conditioning], or for other small appliances. They could either hang from the Window, or… Continue

The year is 2020, and I am eating food grown naturally in my apartment. I used my favorite herbs and spices from my window garden, and on the roof of the apartment is planted a garden of beautiful vegetables and grains. What I don't have in my gardens, I easily find at a local farm [inside the cities many parks]. Food is grown by each individual person, and is much healthier because there is no need for preservatives. I have chosen to lessen my meat consumption, and a majority of my food is… Continue

Currently I reside in a large city. Where does the food for the city come from? The City is fed by large farms outside the city that are shipped in via trucking, barges, or plain. This creates a problem. Imagine if we could no longer use vehicles. The city would starve quickly because there isn't a way to support itself. The biggest problem for any city is that cities haven't been able to sustain themselves. Continue

Ten years from today... I could be anywhere. I see myself living in a big city, but a small apartment. Why a small apartment? I would be living in a small apartment because I have master simple space saving living. I would be encouraging others to live the same way, in order to be more energy efficient. I see myself striving to make my lifestyle a life of community, where people are interacting with their neighbor. Everybody is willing to share food, stories, and… Continue

Creativity rules in my book. Without it, none of the good Ideas would have occurred. I decided that my Evoke mentor would have to be someone who inspires me to be creative. Erwin Raphael McManus is that creative person. He is a writer, poet, activist, and pastor. He sees the world differently, viewing Culture as a wh***, and not as individual enclaves. He strives to see how we can influence culture, and learn from the culture around us. He also… Continue

Africa is one of the poorest places in the world. What bothers me is that they have all of these natural resources that they can use to better their economy. They are in a situation where they could become the GREEN nation of the future. Most travel is done by foot and food is generally cooked by open flame. After reading this article...… Continue