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Appropedia is for collaborative solutions in sustainability, appropriate technology, poverty reduction, and permaculture. You are welcome to add to and edit Appropedia - your site to find, co-create and improve the solutions we need. Our vision and mission. Contributors have made 359,768 edits and uploaded 28,590 files. Browse our categories or all 7,684 articles.

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AEF greywater. For our final project we rebuilt a greywater system at the CSA, Arcata Educational Farm. Greywater consists of all used water produced at a particular site, except for water coming from the toilet, which is known as blackwater. When building a greywater system you first separate the greywater from the blackwater and send the greywater through a separate treatment system. Ideally, after the greywater passes through the purification process it will then be able to be reused. Greywater systems are an appropriate use of technology for many reasons. Some of them being: they reduce the use of fresh water, there is less stress on existing more conventional septic tanks, it is a highly effective purification process, and there is less chemical and energy use required. In our case the majority of water used on the farm is to water vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits, and the source of greywater comes from the outdoor kitchen, used by the farmers and volunteers to cook and wash vegetables or dishes.

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A wetland waste water treatment and reclamation plant that is part of UABJO's Outreach program in Oaxaca, Mexico.

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Aug 7 Ecuador's "citizen revolution" [1]

Aug 7 California news: Check Out Toy Cycle, a New Platform for Families to Swap Toys [2]

Aug 3 Environment quality: 7 cities making polluted waterways into swimming hotspots [3]

Aug 2 Sharing news: The Embassy Network Fosters a Multifaceted Approach to Shared Living [4]

Aug 1 Egypt wheels out country's first bike-share program [5]

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• Interview with Vinay Gupta on Expanding Mind
• Interview with Lonny Grafman on Passionate Voices
• Open-Source Solar-Powered 3-D Printers
• Fair Trade Standards for an Ethical 3-D Printing Filament
• FREE Chaps of Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs
• Recycle waste plastic into valuable products at home
• Students Build a School from Waste Products in the Dominican Republic

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edit  watch   Visit the Construction and materials Portal An alternative or natural building involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of achieving sustainability through natural building focus on durability and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renewable resources, as well as those that, while recycled or salvaged, produce healthy living environments and maintain indoor air quality. Natural building tends to rely on human labor, more than technology. As Michael G. Smith observes, it depends on "local ecology, geology and climate; on the character of the particular building site, and on the needs and personalities of the builders and users." The basis of natural building is the need to lessen the environmental impact of buildings and other supporting systems, without sacrificing comfort, health or aesthetics. To be more sustainable, natural building uses primarily abundantly available, renewable, reused or recycled materials. The use of rapidly renewable materials is increasingly a focus. In addition to relying on natural building materials, the emphasis on the architectural design is heightened. The orientation of a building, the utilization of local climate and site conditions, the emphasis on natural ventilation through design, fundamentally lessen operational costs and positively impact the environmental. Building compactly and minimizing the ecological footprint is common, as are on-site handling of energy acquisition, on-site water capture, alternate sewage treatment and water reuse.

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E215 Introduction to Design projects: This gallery lists some of the projects done by Engr215 Introduction to Design taught at Humboldt State University. All semesters taught by Lonny Grafman, unless noted otherwise.

Spring 2012: Friends of the Dunes Design and build educational displays, technologies and infrastructure for the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center   Fall 2011: Flock House Design and build sustainable technologies for mobile art pods interacting throughout NYC   Spring 2011: Locally Delicious Design and build appropriate technology projects for children that promote healthy, local eating   Fall 2010: HBCSL Somoa Hostel Design and build eco-projects to support a hostel being designed at the Samoa Cookhouse   Spring 2010: RCEA Design and build energy education boxes, housed at Redwood Coast Energy Authority to build, for classrooms in Humboldt County   Spring 2010: World Shelters Design, prototype and improve structures by leveraging the resources of Haiti and World Shelters   Fall 2009: CCAT and Network for a Healthy California Design and build appropriate technology projects for CCAT and Network for a Healthy CA   Spring 2009: WaterPod Design and build sustainable technologies to educate and support artists living sustainably on a barge in NYC   Fall 2008: Full Belly Project Design and prototype adaptions to the Universal Nut Sheller   Spring 2008: Discovery Museum Design and build educational flume inserts for the Redwood Discovery Museum   Fall 2007: HBCSL Designing and prototype model hostel cottages for the proposed Humboldt Bay Eco Hostel   Spring 2007: RCEA Design and build energy efficiency displays for the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (Co-taught with Professor Eileen Cashman)   Fall 2006: CCAT Design and prototype educational, appropriate technology, infrastructure models   Fall 2005: Interactive Energy Efficiency Displays Design and build educational energy displays for the Redwood Coast Energy Authority

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