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Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.

Appropedia is for collaborative solutions
in sustainability, appropriate technology, poverty reduction, and permaculture.

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Aprologo-old.png As we approach our ten-year anniversary, we are looking at how best to support Appropedia in the next ten years. Please share your thoughts with us on the idea of appointing an Executive Director.


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DC circuit analogy: 1 Tank 2 Parallel Blenders

Electricity basics. Some basic definitions, equations and analogies of electricity.
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Photovoltaic vaccine refrigeration at Centro De Salud

Building a solar powered (photovoltaic) vaccine refrigerator with a community hospital in Northern Mexico. Now the sun helps keep the vaccines consistently cold.

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Community action news

AlleeImFruehling.jpg
Dec 20 Communities online: Introducing the 'Teaching Community Technology Handbook' [1]

Dec 19 Sustainable livelihood news: WorkerTech: fighting for better work through technology [2]

Dec 19 California: These Workers are Celebrating 20 Years of Shared Bread and Shared Ownership [3]

Dec 17 Free Cash in Finland. Must Be Jobless. [4]

Dec 17 Solar Power Helps Raise Income Levels In Kenya [5]

Read More...


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John F. Kennedy
Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.

John F. KennedyW
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Hot topics / In the news

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Blog

A windmill is used to power a water pump which fills a swimming pool.
Appropriate technology (AT) is technology that is designed with special consideration to the context of its use - including environmental, ethical, cultural, social, political, and economical aspects of the community it is intended for. With these goals in mind, AT proponents claim their methods require fewer resources, are easier to maintain, and have less of an impact on the environment compared to techniques from mainstream technology, which they contend is wasteful and environmentally polluting.

The term is usually used to describe simple technologies proponents consider suitable for use in developing nations or less developed rural areas of industrialized nations. This form of "appropriate technology" usually prefers labor-intensive solutions over capital-intensive ones, although labor-saving devices are also used where this does not mean high capital or maintenance cost. In practice, appropriate technology is often something described as using the simplest level of technology that can effectively achieve the intended purpose in a particular location. In industrialized nations, the term appropriate technology takes a different meaning, often referring to engineering that takes special consideration of its social and environmental ramifications.

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Engr305 Appropriate Technology Projects: Below are selected service learning projects from Engr305 Appropriate Technology, which is a course on appropriate technology at Humboldt State University taught by instructor Lonny Grafman.

AEF food dehydrator

A solar dehydrator to help preserve surplus crops  
AEF greywater

Greywater system at the CSA, Arcata Educational Farm  
AEF informational kiosk

An earthen informational kiosk  
AEF photovoltaic system

Modified off-grid photovoltaic system  
AEF solar water heater

Improved solar water heating system  
AEF spiral herb garden

Restored the existing herb spiral  
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Energy

Solar
Water
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  7. HSU mason jar comparisons
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  9. Viability of Distributed Manufacturing of Bicycle Components with 3-D Printing: CEN Standardized Polylactic Acid Pedal Testing
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