it was interesting to look around. first i looked for "energy" and "outside the box" - what interests me is to think about old things (energy) in new ways (outside the box). and as it is with surfing, one thing leads to another. it soon become clear to me that i was mostly looking for what i have now learned is called microgeneration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microgeneration - "the generation of zero or low-carbon heat and power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs". for a while i was rooting around in the dirt, so to say - i'm a big fan of composting and was looking for microgeneration ideas involving compost. i'm sure there are some fabulous ideas but i couldn't find any that appealed to me. i realized also i was looking for micro-micro generation. kind of like the crank-powered flashlight that we have. anyway, what i finally settled on were
solar lanterns
"a low cost solar lantern designed to
make solar energy more accessible. the lantern can provide up to six
hours of high quality light, or a combination of light and radio output
to bring news and information to households." it is "a low-cost
alternative to a solar home system and is intended to allow rural african families to climb the first step on the "energy ladder"". i like that. just as we have learned in the favelas here in episode 1, we can't expect people to start off with big projects. small changes with measurable, quick success, i think that is important.
here are some links
http://itcltd.com/glowstar/background.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmf_ZEQGKOUhttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=solar-lanterns-lig...i know this is not the most amazing new thing on the block but another thing i like about it is that this is something i can use, too. we always keep the light on the back porch on at night (we have had a few unwelcome visitors, and that seems to deter them) but a solar lantern might just be the thing.
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke