Member of Kibbutz Lotan, Israel
Director of Research and Development, Center for Creative Ecology, Kibbutz Lotan, Israel
Primary interests: Social; Culture; Integral Design; Ecology; Economy
Site content by Alex Cicelsky
Solution Library
Low cost public composting toilets Completely contained composting toilet and leachate processing system
The four Center for Creative Ecology at Kibbutz Lotan composting toilets has provided a no-water sanitary solution for human excreta for upwards of tens of thousands of visitors since 2008. Excreta, poo, urine and toilet paper, drop into off-the-shelf and augmented municipal 120 liter waste bins. Users add a cup of dry organic material (chopped straw, leaves). The toilet seat is a 40 cm diameter plastic culvert pipe which extends below the floor. The bottom of the pipe connects to a flexible … Read more
Arid lands brackish water farming Utilizing non potable brackish water for organic farming in desert and drylands climates with no soil
The Southern Arava desert, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea gulf port cities of Aqaba, Jordan and Eilat, Israel, has on average 15 mm of rain per year. Well water has salt (Sodium) concentration of 600 to 2000 mg/L (WHO/EU drinking water upper limit of Na+ 200 mg/L). Land is either hard packed, rocky alluvium or pure sand. Industrial monoculture growing of a limited variety of vegetables in the region uses drip irrigation and high inputs of liquid industrial fertilizers. The Center for … Read more
Strawbale Building Earthquake resistant interior frame for hand constructed energy efficient housing using straw bales as insulation
Straw bale construction began, following the invention of the modern straw baler, in 1896. Construction began in Nebraska, USA and spread across North America through the 1930's. A worldwide resurgence of straw bale construction began in the 1990's. Well designed and built straw bale houses are energy efficient, long lasting and environmentally sound. The EcoCampus Straw Bale Domes at Kibbutz Lotan's Center for Creative Ecology are a site specific solution. The domes' internal structure is a … Read more
