One-liners[edit | edit source]

Appropedia is an open site for stakeholders to come together to find, create and improve scalable and adaptable solutions.

Our vision is that all of humanity is able to work together developing and realizing rich, sustainable lives.

Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.

We believe in a sustainable and abundant future, beyond the tradeoffs of growth and environment, or wealth and justice.


Introductions[edit | edit source]

Appropedia is a community with a vision, a shared belief that grassroots action can change the world - maybe even save the world.

Action at the global level is important, but difficult. Only by showing what is possible at the local level can global action be made feasible.


Sustainable choices[edit | edit source]

The challenges involved in the transition to a low carbon economy are vast, and the required choices can be overwhelming, leading to paralysis and delay. Having a comprehensive database of technologies and solutions, with reliable and relevant data, would greatly assist decision-making for individuals, businesses, communities, and governments at all levels.

The aim of this project is to document such technologies and methods, and provide methods for assessing alternatives as objectively as possible, by harnessing the knowledge of experts as well as the wisdom of the crowd. The main engines that drive and expand the growth of the database are:

  • Wikipedia-style crowdsourcing
  • Appropedia-style programs for service learning in sustainability, in the form of course programs and internships, as already piloted on Appropedia together with university classes in North American universities.

To harness and direct the power of these content-creation engines, we require facilitation and strategic sub-projects carried out by a small professional team, and a straightforward user interface for users to quickly find what they need.

The primary focus of this project is (climate change), but the same principles apply to other areas of sustainability and human development, from water and sanitation to urban design. The initial work with semantic functionality on Appropedia was carried out for the purpose of documenting appropriate medical devices for developing countries.

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