We all know that a rotating magnet will produce current in a wire. This is the basic principle behind all generators. Most sustainable energy techniques for power generation is centered around way to spin the magnet. Well why not use human power to spin the magnet? We know that in America and Europe there is an obsession with being fit. There are hundreds gyms where people can go and work out. In these gym you will find treadmills, stationary bikes and various weight lifting machines. What I…
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Added by Michael on March 18, 2010 at 2:33am —
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The year is 2020 and I am sitting on a Native American Reservation in South Dakota. I am on the phone talking to my project lead in a small village in the Benin Republic. I ask him if the people in the town are read to flip the switch. He says yes everything is a go. I roger that. Everything is a go on this side as well. Then we start to count down from 10. Soon we are at one and on que a switch is flipped in both location. What then happens is nothing short of a miracle. Light is produced for…
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Added by Michael on March 18, 2010 at 2:06am —
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I guess this is the mission that has my name on it. My new purpose in life is to bring sustainable energy to those who have none. I was reviewing the presentations from the last TED conference. I came across a very interesting presentation by Cat Laine. Cat is the Deputy Director for Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG)
www.aidg.org . The goal of this organization is to help project get off the ground by providing either low interest rate loans,…
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Added by Michael on March 18, 2010 at 1:45am —
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Can you name a traditional belief system outside of Christianity, Islam and Judaism? There are probably thousand of belief systems in the world. No matter what you believe in the key is to have respect for all beliefs. So by now you are probably wondering what does one's beliefs have to do with food security. I recently took part in some ritual to give thanks to Mother Earth and to promote the fertility of the soil at a small community farm in Baltimore. It was a beautiful event attended by…
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Added by Michael on March 17, 2010 at 12:33am —
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As I said in one of my other blogs, the sleeper has awaken. Once you has set your focus exactly on what you want to do and is clear the universe will send to you exactly what you need. As an engineer my "thing" is using technology to better the lives of people. Specifically I want to bring sustainable energy practices to Native Americans and West Africa. To make this happen, I am in the process of birthing People Over Profits(POPs). I will use POPs to bring my sustainable energy goals to the…
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Added by Michael on March 17, 2010 at 12:00am —
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I saw the above story on CNN international while going through my daily routine. I really like the prospects that this new technology holds. Specifically
I like how this could be used in Africa to produce energy in rural
communities. I had the opportunity
to spend some time in both Nigeria and Benin Republic. While I was in Nigeria I visited Old
Oyo City and while in Benin Republic I stayed in…
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Added by Michael on March 13, 2010 at 12:27am —
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The year is 2020 and I have just arrived at a small rural village in Benin Republic. I am here on an assignment with the chapter of Engineers Without Borders I help to start five years ago. The reason for being here is two fold. First we are here to gain knowledge to see what type of sustainable energy projects could work here and second we are working with a group of agriculture students from Tuskegee University on a sustainable farming initiative.
We have arrived at the village and…
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Added by Michael on March 12, 2010 at 3:52am —
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The post title is something that I have heard may times and said a couple times myself. It refers to the fact that you are so hungry or haven't eaten in such a long time that it feel like your stomach is touching your back. I went to school at Xavier University in Louisiana. One summer I decided to stay and take a class during summer school. I figured I would take a class during the day and try and find a job so I could sustain myself. Well I was able to take the class but a job wasn't so forth…
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Added by Michael on March 12, 2010 at 3:00am —
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Dr. Frankenstein did not know what he created when his monster came to life. I think the creators of this game might not know what type of monsters they will create or do they. Dune is one of my favorite movies. The scene that sticks out the most to me is when Paul takes the water of life. Upon waking he yells the sleeper has awaken. In this very moment I feel like I have awaken. I was told by a very wise lady from Africa that I was here to help people. When she said this, I did not know who…
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Added by Michael on March 9, 2010 at 2:28am —
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It's 2020 and I am sitting in Kennedy Airport waiting to board a flight. My final destination is Benin Republic. The reason I'm on my way to Benin Republic is that the chapter of Engineers Without Borders(EWB) I started is going there to start our latest project. I started an EWB chapter 2 years after joining the organization. The chapter I have started tends to develop projects for people living in West Africa. We work on projects to bring affordable solar energy to small villages as well as…
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Added by Michael on March 7, 2010 at 4:20am —
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In this portion of Evoke, I have chosen to shadow two people. First I have chosen to shadow Heather Fleming of Catapult Design. I chose her because her area is technology and design. As a person who has an engineering background her work spoke to the inner nerd in me. Also engineering in of itself is the application scientific discovery for everyday use and to make life easier. By shadowing her I can get ideas on how to use my engineering background to make the lives of people in Africa easier.…
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Added by Michael on March 7, 2010 at 4:02am —
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Do the hard work needed to find a simple solution. As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”—and it is the key to this type of design work.
When it comes to design there are no words truer than these. As a member of an African American fraternity, my organization has a philosophy that is summed up in what is called the 12 Inch Rule. The 12 Inch Rule are twelve things a member of the fraternity should measure themselves by. Number… Continue
Added by Michael on March 4, 2010 at 3:41am —
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