With greywater recycling, it is possible to reduce the amounts of fresh water consumption as well as wastewater production, in addition to reducing the water bills. If greywater is regarded as an additional water source, an increased supply for irrigation water can be ensured which will in turn lead to an increase in agricultural productivity. … Read more
Sahara Forest Project Greening the Desert
The Sahara Forest Project is a scheme that aims to provide fresh water, food and renewable energy in hot, arid regions as well as re-vegetating areas of uninhabited desert. This proposal combines saltwater-cooled greenhouses with Solar Power technologies, either directly using Photovoltaic (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) and technologies for desert revegetation. It is claimed that these technologies together will create a sustainable and profitable source of energy, food, … Read more
Waterboxx Helps Green the Deserts A Simple Device to Support Growing in Desert Environments
The Groasis Waterboxx is an instrument that supports plants and trees to survive in difficult circumstances without using groundwater or electricity. It collects water by catching rainwater, and also by producing and catching water from condensation. It subsequently distributes the collected water over an extended period, to the tree growing in the center of the Waterboxx. Furthermore, it stimulates the capillary formation of the soil; prevents the evaporation of groundwater; steadies the … Read more
Solar water filter Solarizer used in ecovillage Aldea Feliz
To clean the water sufficiently for drinking ecovillage Aldea Feliz uses a UV filter system. Water is taken from the spring, which is the most clean, or from rain or tap. To filter out any residues like algae, leaves or insects it is first passed through a cotton filter. It is then passed into 4 liter jars and placed on the solarizer panel. The jars are not filled completely to the top, to prevent the lid from rusting. The water is filtered by UV from sunlight, and needs a certain amount of … Read more
Rope Pump Low cost and simple technology
Low cost modern materials as plastic pipe and rope are used in a rotating hand pump system. The rope pump works on the principle of the chain pump with the chain replaced by rope and the rotating chain drum by a specially constructed rubber disk wheel. Such a rubber wheel can be made from used car tires. Other needed materials can be found at little or no cost. … Read more
Composting difficult-to-compost waste Rapid composting in limited space with Bokashi
Alys Fowler reports her test of the system:- ' The bokashi bin is a Japanese system that pickles your waste (bokashi means fermentation) and is perfectly suited to small spaces. You need two bins (they can be kept indoors) and special bran inoculated with good bacteria. In goes all your cooked and uncooked kitchen waste and a sprinkle of the magic bran. I tested the system indoors by loading it up with the most revolting mix – fish skin, pork bones, soured milk, old meat, cheese plus all the … Read more
Seawater Greenhouses Sourcing Water and Growing in Arid/Semi-Arid Regions
A fine spray of sea water is used to humidify and cool air entering a poly tunnel beyond which a filter excludes salt from the growing beds. The air is drawn through the tunnel by fans cooling the environment around the crops and when it strikes tubes filled with cold sea water condensation forms and pure fresh water that is fed back to the plants. … Read more
Graphene Miracle material?
Graphene are extremely thin sheets of pure carbon first produced in 2004. It is the strongest known material with the highest electrical conductivity and has numerous other qualities, some of which promise significant advances in sustainable technologies and ecological restoration. Far smaller lighter batteries will benefit renewable energy systems, nano-porous sheets of Graphene can be produced to filter and desalinate water, it can extract radio-active elements from waste water and there are a … Read more
Urine and Composting Make Better Compost and Save Water
90% of nutrients in human waste are found in urine and diverting urine to the compost heap will really help make better compost adding valuable nitrogen that reacts with decaying carbon plant matter. Pee directly onto your compost heap or dilute with 10 parts water and apply directly to the garden. Urine from healthy people is sterile and safe to use although undiluted it will burn plants. … Read more
Benefits of a Vegetarian / Vegan diet A life style choice with big benefits
Many animals are raised in cruel and inhumane conditions and live brutally short lives to meet the human demand for meat. However, people can live healthier and with a significantly lower environmental impact by reducing meat consumption. It has been estimated by the UN that 18% of Climate Change can be attributed to animals raised for meat and some research has even suggested figures as high as 51%. Excessive numbers of farm animals also require too much land and contribute to deforestation, … Read more
