I had this vast plan to write on these stories, but uh … I bit ambitious that was. Aah, the best laid plans of Cats and men. So instead, I bringing them to you in one big wallop.

1. Bio Latrines in Kenyan Slums from Afrigadget
   Pete and I were just talking about this for use in Haiti.
   Ethan Zuckerman’s comments
2. Portable Wind And Solar Powered Mini-Utility/ISP/Water Treatment Plant from The Sietch [via Hugg]

   

   Portable, self-contained Ecos LifeLink uses solar power and optional wind turbine to provide clean electricity, convert contaminated ground water to purified drinking water, and deliver wireless Internet connectivity over 30 mile range. Supporting off-grid disaster relief and remote location needs.

3. Two sided PCB using toner method from Instructables
   See also this post: Circuit Training: a Brief Overview of Making PCB’s
4. $100 Bicycle Motor Gets 50 km per Liter from Afrigadget
5. This one is marginally appropriate technology but fun nonetheless.
   Earthrace: Biodiesel Boat Prepares for Record-Breaking Trip from Green Options

   On March 6, Earthrace - a powerboat run on biodiesel - will set off from Barbados on a trip to attempt to break the world record on circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat. However, the true Earthrace journey started over three years ago. Run by Pete Bethune of New Zealand, this Captain has a background in the oil industry. Truly on a mission to promote the use of alternative fuels, he and his crew (all volunteers) have been dedicated to this project, to spread the word and inspire change.

6. Seven Questions: Wiring the World’s Poor from Foreign Policy
   “Most of the world’s population, including the vast majority of the developing world, remains unwired. Everyone agrees on the need to bridge this digital divide, but there’s hardly agreement on how to get the job done. Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett has been at the center of the debate. In a recent conversation with FP, Barrett fired back at his critics and sounded off on the future of the Internet.”
7. Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 7) from Treehugger
8. SWAZILAND: Community gardens flourish to feed the vulnerable from Sociolingo
9. Challenges and Advancements in Solar Cooking from World Changing

   Quote from an exchange with Ethan Zuckerman:

   Solar ovens are a good example of a long-standing debate over appropriate technology. Does it make more sense to try to convince people to change their behavior - i.e., the kind of food they eat and the way they like to cook - to have a major cost savings and environmental impact? Or should we figure out how people like to behave and try to make those processes more efficient and less costly?

   Personally, I would say that it doesn’t make sense to try to do this kind of behavior change, unless of course you have a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of patience. Look at how hard it is to get people in the U.S. to start eating healthy. While the coasts seem to have a surfeit of slim people, there is still a major obesity epidemic going on in this country. My point is if people won’t change behavior here to save their own lives, it seems like it would be a tough sell for people in developing countries to try to get them to save trees.

   Also, even if you think I’m being overly pessimistic, I think the fact that people are still posing the two questions really highlights what is wrong with the appropriate technology movement and international development work. It’s not customer focused. Rather than trying to educate/change the customer/aid recipient, they should be changing the product because it is substandard given what the enduser needs/wants. Harumph, I say.

   It’s a great article though and do check out the comments section.

10. African architecture: Are mud floors Cool? from Sociolingo

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