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Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.

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in sustainability, appropriate technology and poverty reduction.

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Announcements — more

Sludgecontest.jpg As part of the Emergency Sanitation Project, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announce a student emergency sanitation design project. Deadline 3 March 2014
Buildlab.jpg Help develop Open-source lab scientific equipment and win cool prizes as part of the Tekla Lab's Build My Lab Contest Deadline: December 16,2013.


Sectional view of sand dam
Sand dams. Drought is the most serious natural hazard facing Eastern Africa in terms of severity and frequency of occurrence. The most seriously affected areas are Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALS) that face frequent reduction of water or moisture to significantly below the normal or expected amount Pastoralists and agro pastoralists who occupy this vast region barely meet basic water requirements. Consequently they suffer from livelihood losses, hunger, diseases, conflict and internal displacements. The worst affected are women and children who may have to walk all day long in search of water.

Due to limited and unreliable rainfall most rivers are ephemeral seasonal sandy bed streams and only experience heavy water run-off for short periods of time after rain. During such periods of high flows, large quantities of sand are transported downstream while others get trapped on the upstream sides of rocks ledges along the stream. Such sand traps form natural aquifers that are capable of providing clean adequate water if well harnessed. Using appropriate technologies this can be exploited for water storage in the form of sand dams.

Sun Frost energy efficient shower

Conventional showers minimize thermal comfort, maximize energy use and water consumption, and exacerbating moisture problems... A solution?

Cathy Leslie, Executive Director of Engineers Without Borders-USA
In order to stay competitive, tomorrow's engineer will need to become more culturally savvy, as well as adept at implementing appropriate technologies. Capacity building is not about constructing a showcase engineering project. It's about coming up with practical, sustainable solutions that fit the environment, its people and the culture as well. (ASME)

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.

edit  watch  Selected service learning Projects gallery (refresh)

ENGR 215 Introduction to Design projects – Spring 2012: Friends of the Dunes: The Spring 2012 semester of Engineering 215 worked with Friends of the Dunes to design and build projects that support the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center at 220 Stamps Lane, Manila, CA.

Spring 2012 ENGR 215 Intro to Design Projects - Humboldt Coastal Nature Center
Solar Powered Trail Lighting System
 Solar trail lighting  
Carbon Footprint Wheel
 Educational carbon footprint display  
Living Green Roof
 Green roof educational model  
Acoustic Panels
 Acoustic panels utilizing re-purposed materials  
Living Green Display
 Interactive display promoting environmental consciousness  
Rapid Composter
 Rapid composting system  
The Stretchbarrow
 Hybrid stretcher/wheelbarrow  
The Sandy Cove
 Amphitheater constructed of urbanite  
Pump Powered Dune Movement Simulator
 Interactive sand dune model  
Beachgrass Baler
 Tool to bale beach grass  

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