water

Treadle pumps move water sustainably

Treadle pumps move water sustainably

[Image from Howtopedia] The Treadle Pump design is very simple and effective at helping people to bring water to their crops. Treadle Pump is a foot operated water lifting device that can irrigate small plots of land of small holders in regions that have higher water table (not deeper than 25 feet) A low cost […]

One Earth Designs

One Earth Designs

Photo from Scot Frank on Flickr A few weeks ago I met up with Scot Frank at an event held by Amy Smith‘s D-Lab group at MIT. Scot told me of his project One Earth Designs, and their work to help create effective engineering solutions for people in the developing world. Via email, Scot shared […]

Greener toilets, healthier lives

Greener toilets, healthier lives

Worldchanging covered an important conference on an often-neglected concept: An international conference on Ecological Safety, held earlier this month in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, called attention to a dangerous sanitation issue by offering an inspiring and feasible solution. The problem: international donors are still promoting pit latrines… but most families can’t afford to pay for safe emptying […]

Crazy horse lock mechanism

Crazy horse lock mechanism

DC Dorkbot Co-Overlord Alberto Gaitán points us to this crazed proposal for a public art project on the Forth & Clyde Canal, near Falkirk, in central Scotland. Artist Andy Scott wants to create these giant sea horse heads that will raise and lower in the canal to displace the water in the locks. No word […]

Mini-me Nautilus

Mini-me Nautilus

This delightfully crazy bugger built a mini-sub 1/10th replica of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus from Disney’s film version of Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, along with replicas of diving suits and undersea rifles from the film. Disney Nautilus homebuilt submarine [via Boing Boing]

On Human Manure

On Human Manure

The above graphic is from a book that does not stink: The Humanure Handbook. Here’s a pdf version of this potential soution to water overuse. As author Joseph Jenkins notes, “a single person using a Clivus (pronounced Clee-vus) Multrum [specific type of composting toilet] will produce 40 kg (88 lbs) of compost per year while […]