A software tool to enable journalists, human rights and others defenders to scan their computers for known surveillance spyware has been released by Amnesty International and a coalition of human rights and technology organizations. The app was developed by German security researcher Claudio Guarnieri, and it's launched by Amnesty in Nov 2014 in partnership with civil rights and consumer protection organisations Digitale Gesellschaft from Germany, Electronic Frontier Foundation from the US and … Read more
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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
Bank for children, by children Helping impoverished children save money for crises
Sarjan Bank bank at Sankalit Nagar in the neglected western neighbourhood of Juhapura, India, is proving highly popular with local pre-teens - who are also helping to run it. Operated by a non-profit organisation, the bank has provided families that have fallen on hard financial times, a beacon to rely on. As it allows children to save money, and also has teens that help run the bank, it sparks the economic intelligence of children, while they learn how money can be used to create a better … Read more
Living plants create electricity Simple technology to generate power from living plants
Dutch company powers streetlights with living plants. In Hembrug, Netherlands more than 300 LED lights were illuminated by the Dutch company Plant-e in a new energy project called “Starry Sky.” Although the bulbs were ordinary, the electricity running through them derived from a new process that harnesses the power of living plants. Plant-e’s technology is the first to produce electricity from plants without damaging them. … Read more
Rating websites against medical corruption How technology can reduce corruption in health sector
Corruption has left many unable to trust doctors, especially in India. Several online health marketplaces launched in 2013 feature doctor ratings similar to the popular US website rateMDs.com, but are suited specifically for mobile phones so that people without computers can easily use them (see links below). Patients can compare the quality of each bidder by checking ratings and reviews. … Read more
Making roads ice-free Clearing the road with green alternatives to the salt, sand and chemicals
Cold-climate researchers at Washington State University are clearing the road with green alternatives to the salt, sand and chemicals typically used for highway snow and ice control. One of these alternatives is using leftover barley residue from vodka distilleries. … Read more
Billboards that clean air Hong Kong experiments with billboards that clean the air.
Designers in China have developed a concept for “parasitic robots” (they look like insects) which attach to city billboards to suck in carbon dioxide and purify the air. The company Fast Co Exist has developed these robots and is hoping to attach them to the neon signs in Hong Kong, where they would collect urban pollution in the daytime and use the heat from the neon lighting at night to harvest the carbon dioxide into an energy source. … Read more
Making recycling social and fun Websites turn green behaviour into a game
These websites provide schemes for individuals, communities, work teams and municipalities within which people earn credits for their green and ethical behaviour. These credits can then be used to get discounts in e-shops or for things like going to the movies. … 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
