Here is an email on locale-appropriate technology that I send out to various interested parties. Please send a copy to anyone you think might be able to help get this information to those who so desperately need it.
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Hey, guys! I’m just here to pass on some links on water filtering; safer, more efficient heating/cooking; strong, inexpensive buildings; soil improvement; and safer septic systems. (All five technologies can be easily put into use with local materials and few tools.) Please note that most subjects will require further study to see how best they can be implemented, but, when used together, almost guarantees a substantial improvement in the standard of living, when not outright saving lives.
CERAMIC WATER FILTER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_water_filter
http://www.rdic.org/water-ceramic-filtration.php
ROCKET STOVE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfKHVoCY2so&hd=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtFvdMk3eLM&hd=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfag47dRCs&hd=1
http://erica-k-wisner.hubpages.com/hub/Rocket-Mass-Heaters-Efficient-Home-Heating-With-Wood
http://www.cracktwo.com/2011/01/woman-built-rocket-mass-heater.html
http://hackaday.com/2010/10/04/wood-burning-house-heater/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buPtpr-0sqA&hd=1
http://www.aprovecho.org/lab/home
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/10.0
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/3352_0/alternative-energy/rocket-stove-water-heater
http://milkwood.net/2011/10/28/rocket-stove-water-heater-redux/
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/4052_0/alternative-energy/rocket-swimming-pool-heater
http://www.cowboyhottubs.com/
Main points of rocket stoves:
- Fuel is completely burned:
- Because the combustion chamber is well insulated, the temperature inside of it can reach 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.
- No smoke. The operating temperature inside the combustion chamber is more than double the autoignition point of any fuel you would be using, so everything (even smoke) is burned. Once at operating temperature, the exhaust mostly consists of warm, moist air, rich in CO2, which is perfect for greenhouse atmosphere.
- No soot in pipes. (As one link states, it took over two years for sufficient creosote to build up in the heat exchanger to noticeably effect performance, without becoming a hazard.)
- No carbon monoxide. Because of high air flow rate (the reason behind the word ‘rocket’), every carbon atom has lots of oxygen atoms to bind to.
- Very little ash to clean out.
- Versatile. Burn wood chips, branches, leaves, grass clippings, newspaper, entire trees. It will all burn completely.
- +90% efficiency. 4-8 times more efficient, compared to regular wood stoves.
- Safe. The only high heat is in the combustion chamber, which doesn’t strictly need to be immediately adjacent to where the fuel is burned, or the mass to be heated. The exhaust is generally as hot as a cup of coffee.
- Inexpensive. Almost all of the stove can be made with materials gathered on-sight (clay/straw/etc.)
- Attractive. The outer surface can be clay/metal/etc., Whatever you want it to look like.
- The top of the combustion chamber can be used as a flat cooking surface, contain a stock pot insert, and/or be used for a hot water heater/boiler.
COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_earth_block
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2010/11/02/compressed-earth-block-questions-and-answers/
http://www.ecohabitar.org/PDF/04-5793-1.pdf
http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/CEB_Press_Intro
http://www.grisb.org/publications/pub34.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le-Nmg0q9jE&hd=1
http://www.terrablock.com/images/testimonials/test6.jpg
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001282/128236e.pdf
http://www.earth-auroville.com/maintenance/uploaded_pics/cseb.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyKx6b2NOoU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4roFRm_PyE
— BIOCHAR —
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
http://michiganbiochar.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a07PR8SU6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkWYM7rYpU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPqvVH7jiw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvRrciRY_SY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlYwLycMEMA
- Functions almost like a coral reef for sheltering soil micro-organisms
- Holds water and nutrients until plants remove them, keeping both from leeching further down into soil, and water from evaporating upwards.
- Component of terra preta
- Solely mechanical soil improvement
TREE BOGS
http://permaculture.wikia.com/wiki/Tree_bog
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/loo-view-build-your-own-treebog