Solar Home Lighting System (Maddy Birnbaum)

SELCO-India created solar panels to provide electricity to a large part of the population. More than 1.6 billion people worldwide do not have connection to electricity. The Solar Home Lighting System allows families worldwide to have wireless solar power.

Bamboo Treadle Pump (Ayse Ozbay)

Bamboo Treadle Pump is a human-powered device that is used to obtain groundwater to use for agriculture during dry season. Pushing the treadles up and down gets the mechanism moving and draws water to the surface. The pump is made from bamboo – or other inexpensive material –  and two metal cylinders with pistons, which can be manufactured locally at metal workshops. This is an inexpensive and efficient solution to water problems that may arise in certain parts of the world during dry season. The Bamboo Treadle Pump has been immensely used in various countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia and India. It releases farmer’s dependency on rain-fed irrigation. Over 1.7 million has been sold in the world with great results. Just in Bangladesh, the pump has generated 1.4 billion dollars in farmers’ net income.

SPRING 2013 STUDENT POSTS

A solution that really stood out to me was the Q-drum. The Q-drum is a round container that is used to easily transport clean water. It is mainly used in Africa, where it is difficult to find clean water sources. To use it, one simply fills up the container and then rolls/pulls it by using the attached rope. This is a great device to use because water is extremely heavy and carrying it long distances is extremely difficult.

I really like this device because of its simplicity, yet effectiveness. Water is such an import resource but millions of people do not have access to it. It is a source that many people take for granted and don’t realize how many times they make use of it on a daily basis. The Q-drum is a good way to promote social change by giving people the necessities of survival.

Week 2: Design for the Other 90% (Charlotte MacKinnon)

The Q Drum is a brilliant yet simple design that I can easily see how it can positively change the lives of so many people.  To briefly describe it, the Q Drum is a circular shape container (almost like a giant donut) that is intended to help those living far away from water sources.  Instead of having to carry the large tubs of water, millions of people around the world, and in rural Africa in particular can roll the water from the source.  

Floating Community Lifeboats (Caely Hibbits)

I had a very hard time choosing my favorite solution of “Design for the Other 90%.”  I went through the list multiple times, and well, as I sat pondering, my classmates started choosing.  I wanted to choose something that was helping communities.  I didn’t want it to be just a temporary fix, but I also wanted it to be financially plausible.  In the end, I decided on the Community Lifeboats in Bangladesh.

Design for the other 90: Sub Irrigated Planters (Sarah Blauner)

The design for the other 90 solution I found most appealing was the Sub Irrigated Planter.  The Sub Irrigated Planter makes it easy to grow a large amount of food with just a little sunlight and maintenance. For those who have not tried to grow there own food before, finding the correct amount of sunlight and constant maintenance are two things that easily stop any growth in its tracks. However this project does more for people than simplifying how people grow food.

This solution describes itself as so simple a pre-schooler could do it and introduces the idea that it would make a great school project. It’s ability to become an in school project might seem basic but it is part of what makes the project such a good solution. When children partake in in school activities they frequently bring home the ideas learned in school to their parents, this could lead entire families and communities to partake in the Sub Irrigated Planter project. It might seem small, families growing their own vegetables but if entire communities partake it encourages people to trade vegetables  This is not only more economical it is better for the environment and peoples health. People will be encouraged to eat their own communities vegetables which would not only foster community but would lead people to eat more vegetables in general. I am sure many of you have heard of the word Locavore, it implies a diet based solely in local foods. This project would encourage more people to engage in a Locavore diet, which is not only good for individuals own health but the health of our planet. Eating foods from different regions is bad for the environment because of the amount of fuel used in transporting and cultivating foods in a manner that gets them there in time for them to still be edible. This project is also great because it might encourage people to improve their diets by eating more community based vegetables and less animal products. If you don’t know about the benefits that leading a vegetarian lifestyle produce I encourage you to look into it, but one should know that it is good for personal health and environmental health as well as economic. A very large problem that faces our planet is the unsustainable diet that many of us have become accustom to, the Sub Irrigated Planter introduces an easy way to get people to engage in a more sustainable mode of consumption. It’s simplicity makes it a great tool to help foster  positive social change.

Water plays a central role in our lives in many ways and millions of people around the world do not have a clean and accessible supply to water. For rural people in southern Africa getting water from a reliable source requires miles long to arrive at the source and then return back by carrying heavy loads in their back. The load is limited to 15 liters per container, so the families have to make more than one trip a day. Also many injuries have been caused by these heavy loads so the idea of Q drum came as response to their needs. The Q drum is a device that has a lot of positive impact in their lives since it reduces the time spent to go at the source and their physical injuries.

The Q drum is a donut shaped plastic container which when full holds 50 liters of water. When it’s filled with water it can be rolled in the ground using a rope passing in the middle of the container. Also in its outer part Q drum is very durable so there won’t be any risk of getting damaged.  This simple invention has brought a significant change in their lives, they can transport up to 50 liters.  It has helped to transport more water without spending a lot of energy which they might need it for other things.