Natural Innovation - Latest Articles
Amrut Dhara - clean water without plastic PDF Print E-mail

I've been an advisor to Amrutdhara since they started work on their alternative to plastic bottles as a solution to clean water. If you've spent any time in India you'll know how much of a problem both access to clean water, AND the pervasive litter from plastic water bottles is.

The basic idea is simple - a water ATM, supplying clean drinking water after depositing a couple of coins, its the social engineering that will make this work - a supply chain to bring bulk water to public spaces and small stores instead of bottles.

Now they've got their indiegogo campaign up and running, a small amount goes a long way in India so if you can help then please do.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/amrutdhara-clean-water-refill-stations-in-india

Last Updated on Monday, 02 February 2015 15:59
 
Engineering collaborators PDF Print E-mail

I was at the IEEE "Global Humanitarian Conference" in October, to broaden collaboration with engineering organisations. The conference showed the broad interest among some skilled engineers, but it also showed both the lack of grounding in the realities of developing world, not only among the audience, but also many of the speakers. Matching skilled engineers with projects is particularly relevant for the highly skilled, but often busy, engineers who cannot take a year to participate in a capacity building placement with a developing country organisation. At the conference we spent time with Engineering For Change, and have also attended the BERC conference, and spoken to EWB Australia.

At the moment we are looking for engineering volunteers to work with Mike on the MinVayu project, we need people with structural; mechanical; electo-mechanical; power electronics skills.

 
Newsletter delayed by Cyclone Thane PDF Print E-mail

cyclone weather mapI'm a bit delayed sending off this newsletter, I'm sitting in Auroville in Southern India recovering from Cyclone Thane - it took out thousands of trees - 70% of the forest here, there was one across the road every ten meters or so, and of course that took out power, and phone lines, no electricity means no water since the pumps won't run, and of course no internet. Its day 4 now, mobile phones are back on and most places have water, roads are open to motorbikes, and some to cars, and one or two places with generators, solar or wind, have power &/or internet. I'm here to work with MinVayu (see below), a tree took out their workshop which will be a bit of a set-back, but they will recover, and we'll do our best to help.

 
Two entries in this years's Buckminster Fuller Ideas Index PDF Print E-mail

Two of the projects we've been working with are now listed in this year's Buckminster Fuller ideas index.

MinVayu - low cost wind for the underserved

Is training village mechanics to assemble and install wind turbines, while designing a low cost turbine optimised for places with low wind.

Listing on Idea index Minvayu.org

UV Aquastar - affordable drinking water

Have a low-cost drinking water device using ultraviolet.

Listing on Idea Index.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 February 2012 17:22
 
UV Aquastar - affordable water treatment PDF Print E-mail

UV Aquastar has designed simple, affordable devices that treat water with ultra-violet light, killing pathogens and enabling people to take control of supplying their own safe drinking water. A mobile (bottle or stirrer) and a spigot integrated into water dispensers can be powered by battery, solar panel or grid.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 00:30
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MinVayu - small wind for the underserved PDF Print E-mail

MinVayu turbineThe MinVayu project announced in the last newsletter, is moving along well, although its been set back by losing its workshop in Cyclone Thane, and Mitra will be with them in India until the end of January to help move it along. They've added new people to the team in India, and training of local mechanics is continuing.

Last Updated on Friday, 24 February 2012 10:56
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