Be The Change

One To 1,000 Campaign To Help African Small Farmers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 May 2011 09:35:00 +0000

Johnson and his wife Lucy (with daughter Mariam) pick tomatoes from their farm in rural Kenya. With the help of two Kickstart irrigation pumps, Johnson is able to farm 3 acres. Once struggling to feed his own family, now Johnson can care for his family, earn an income and afford to send his children to school. Johnson now says, "I wish I had seen the pump before because I now realize how much time I wasted."

Bill Gates recently challenged readers of his blog to develop tools to increase awareness of the importance of small farmers in addressing the problem of hunger.

The Adventure Project (TAP) is responding with its One to 1000 initiative, and TPRF is one of its sponsors. This program will not only increase awareness of this important subject, but also help 1,000 small farmers in Africa through TAP's collaboration with Kickstart.

The idea is for at least 1,000 people to set up an about.me page that tells the small farmer story. Read all about it here, and then set up your own about.me profile.

Check out my about.me profile!

Trap Light Saves Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:02:00 +0000

This new pendant lamp has been designed by Gionata Gatto and Mike Thompson. It is completely cord and battery-free, being completely powered by light energy absorbed from ambient sources. This 'Trap Light' absorbs "waste energy" from surrounding light sources such as CFL and LED bulbs and at night lights up with a soft glow.

The lamp is produced using the Murano glass blowing technique, which allows easy embedding of photoluminescent pigments directly into the glass body of the lamp.

Via: Trap Light

Stop Deforestation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Rather an amusing short commercial showing a tree stump and highlighting key events that the tree lived through before being cut down.

Value Of Breath

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:50:00 +0000

Image: YPI

© The Prem Rawat Foundation

Water Your Plants With Wet Umbrellas!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Wet umbrellas are a nuisance, aren't they! Well, Merve Sarisin has designed this Cavity Flowerpot, where you can put the dripping water to good use. The flowerpot is designed to hold wet umbrellas, collect the excess water and use it to water the plants. There are four receptacles that hold wet umbrellas, while a dish collects the water that drains off the umbrellas, which is then absorbed by the plant roots. Simple!

Via: Yanko Design

Haiti - 1 Year On

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:18:00 +0000

It has been one year since the horrific earthquake in Haiti. The World Food Programme (WFP) now feeds almost a million Haitian children a day with its school meals programme - thus giving them the strength and incentive to keep coming to school.

Solar City That Produces 4 Times The Energy It Consumes.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Image:Rolf Disch

I think this is one of the most interesting eco-design stories from 2010. Rolf Disch designed the Sonnenschiff solar city in Freiburg, Germany, which not only doesn't use more energy than it produces but actually makes 4 times the amount of energy that it consumes!

It does this through smart solar design and lots and lots of photovoltaic panels pointed in the right direction. The Sonnenschiff (Solar Ship) and Solarsiedlung (Solar Village) emphasize power production from the start by incorporating a series of large rooftop solar arrays that double as sun shades.

The medium-density project balances size, accessibility, green space, and solar exposure. In all, 52 homes make up a neighborhood anchored to Sonnenschiff, a mixed-use residential and commercial building that emphasizes livability with a minimal footprint. Advanced technologies like phase-change materials and vacuum insulation significantly boost the thermal performance of the building’s wall system.

Each Breath Is A Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Image: YPI

© The Prem Rawat Foundation

TPRF Assists Thai Farmers In Wake Of Massive Flooding

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:47:00 +0000

Photo: Betterment of Life Foundation

The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) is providing nutritious food and clean drinking water to an estimated 1,500 people in 300 households impacted by flooding in 16 villages around Amphoe Pho Thong in the Ang Thong Province of central Thailand.

A grant of US$15,000 to Thailand’s Betterment of Life Foundation (BoLF) is assisting families dependent on produce from small farms in Bang Chao Cha and Ongkharak districts, where rice fields and orchards could not be harvested after they were inundated by heavy rains in the worst flooding in the region’s recent history.

“TPRF is particularly interested in helping people in need who are not receiving aid from other organizations,” said Linda Pascotto, TPRF president. "The Foundation is pleased to be able to partner with BoLF in assisting these flood victims who have lost their crops.”

Sang Arum Limwongtaworn, coordinator in Amphoe Pho Thong for BoLF, said the floods ruined village farmlands but not their places of residence. “As a result,” she said,” these 300 households did not receive any government help in the way of food or drinking water. At present, their farmlands are still mostly flooded, as water levels have been dropping slowly.”

TPRF responded to BoLF’s plea for help shortly after the torrents began. In addition to drinking water, a two-week supply of rice, noodles and cans of fish, peas and other vegetables is being distributed to about 150 residences through the program within each district.

Photos: Betterment of Life Foundation

Converting Plastic Into Sustainable Bricks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Inventor Peter Lewis has developed a machine called Byfusion, which can turn anything from drink bottles to meat packaging into blocks. Waste plastic is transformed into bricks that can potentially be used for building garden retaining walls, landscaping walls and shelters for hurricane and tsunami struck areas in the Pacific Islands.

His 8-year-old prototype at the Green Island landfill requires 10kg of plastic to form a one brick. The production version of the Byfusion machine will be capable of producing 250 blocks daily and has already generated interest from prospective national and international buyers.

Via: Otago Daily Time

Eco-Friendly Advent Lights For Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:16:00 +0000

Wilma and Friends have created beautiful eco-friendly advent lights using recycled candle cups. The creative candlestick is called “Fine” and each piece features stylishly designed heads and lights up to give eye-catching shadows of a Christmas tree, reindeer etc.

In addition, Fine advent light comes flat packed, thus saving space during transportation making it a perfect gift for Christmas and any other occasion to friends and family members.

Via: igreenspot

LiveStream: An Ambassador of Peace - Prem Rawat Honored in Potenza, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:30:00 +0000

In the Basilicata region of Italy, President Emilio Colombo, President Vito de Filippo of Basilicata, and several other dignitaries declared Prem Rawat to be the region's Ambassador of Peace during a special event to promote peace, held on July 3, 2009.

Greeting Prem Rawat to the stage, Governor de Filippo spoke of the need for political institutions to actively address the individuals' quest for peace. “It is known that treaties alone are insufficient in establishing lasting peace, and I believe deeply that embedded in our souls is the most solid foundation for bringing peace. Tonight an important seed will be planted that we will nurture and grow. For this is a land of peace,” he stated.

You can watch the LiveStream webcast of this event at any time over the next 5 days by following this link.

“Our differences of opinion should be our strength, not our weakness. We have to learn to come together, and that can only happen when we see the necessity.”

Prem Rawat

WaterAid - Elizabeth's Story

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:53:00 +0000

Elizabeth is a 67-year-old grandmother from Zambia. Four years ago, through supporters' donations, WaterAid came to help her village. Watch the video below where she tells her story - it may inspire you to give another family the greatest Christmas gifts of all - clean water and a toilet.

Micro Movie House Powered By Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:11:00 +0000

The Sol Cinema is the world's first “smallest solar-powered movie house.” It is powered by four large lithium-ion batteries that are charged by two 120W solar panels. A non-profit project from the award-winning charity, Undercurrents , this unique entertainment house is made using a two-berth caravan from the 1960s.

Comfortably accommodationg 8 adults or 12 young people, it features a full library of comedy, quirky, music videos and short films with inspiring environment themes to offer a unique cinematic experience.

Via: CleanTechnica

Lift House - Sustainable Housing For Flood-Prone Areas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:02:00 +0000

Prithula Prosun has designed and constructed a house in Dhaka, Bangladesh called the "Lift House", which is short for low income flood-proof technology. This eco-friendly house has been designed to provide sustainable housing for low-income communities in flood-prone areas. It floats upwards with rising water levels due to floods and water logging, and returns to ground level as the water recedes. It has been successfully tested and already houses two families.
The project is designed to be completely self sustaining. The rainwater is collected and filtered using a service spine, after which it is recycled through bio-sand filtration, so that it can be used throughout the year. There is also an underground pipe system for urine to go into the garden as a source of nutrients, while the shared composting toilet allows the residents to create compost from human waste that can be sold or applied to the vegetable garden after 10 years of use.

Via: OpenArchitectureNetwork

Life Is A Beautiful Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:29:00 +0000

Image: YPI

© The Prem Rawat Foundation

World Food Programme To Launch WeFeedback Site

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 10:11:00 +0000

The UN World Food Programme is ready to launch a new social networking site called WeFeedback "that empowers people to raise awareness of world hunger through food, fun and community."

You can sign up here to be notified when the site goes live and to receive other important updates.

Red Cross Water Unit For Safe Drinking Water

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:03:00 +0000

Swiss designer Damien Ummel of Atelier Peekaboo has designed the Drinkbak Red Cross water unit, which promises safe and clean drinking water for the needy, especially in place struck by natural disaster.

A graduate of Ecal University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland, Ummel designed the Drinkbak with a funnel and filter. The easy to install unit purifies the water using a filter that pours the water into the funnel.

The design has won a prize at the “YoungDesignersFair” interieur 2010 in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Via: Designboom

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, Money - And Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:09:00 +0000

Jessica Jackley is the co-founder of Kiva.org, an online community that helps individuals loan small amounts of money, called microloans, to entrepreneurs throughout the world. I came across this talk which she gave earlier this year for TED.

She asks us what we think of people in poverty - probably what she once did: "they" need "our" help, in the form of a few coins in a jar. In this talk she explains how her attitude changed - and how her work with microloans has brought new power to people who live on a few dollars a day.

Well worth listening to!

TPRF To Open 3rd Food For People Facility In Ghana

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:42:00 +0000

Image: TPRF

Thanks to generous contributions from Friends of TPRF across the globe it has become possible for TPRF to initiate a third Food for People (FFP) facility. The first two are located in India and Nepal. After much research, it was decided to locate the new facility in Ghana, in the village of Otinibi on the outskirts of the capital city, Accra.

After many consultations with village leaders, including Chief Nii Kweidza Mansa III, Headmistress Grace Ninsaw, and village elders, a plan is underway to build a Food for People facility on land adjacent to the school. The project was introduced at a village-wide Durbar, or ceremonial meeting, where Chief Mansa, the headmistress, and representatives of TPRF and the local sponsoring charity formally presented the project and responded to questions. The facility will open in 2011.

First established in 1840, Otinibi is a village of about 1500 people. Most residents farm to raise food for their families, but because of poor soil and undependable weather patterns, they are barely able to grow enough food to eat. Those who are strong enough, leave early in the morning and walk 5 kilometers to break up rocks for road building.

Children who are enrolled in school often arrive without breakfast. Others are kept out of school to work.

With the announcement of the upcoming Food for People facility, school enrollment is already on the increase, to the surprise and delight of school officials.

Via: TPRF

Solar And Wind Powered Design Could Allow Plants To Survive In Desert

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:31:00 +0000

Korean designers Sang-Wook Park, Lee Sin-Jeong, Lee Ho-Young and Jo Hyeon-Ju have designed the “Water Vapor”, a solar and wind-powered design which converts air in to vapour by causing temperature differences through a vortex tube. In the designers' own words, 'the purpose is to create an environment where plants can live with soil moisture and water provided.'

The vapours produced by Water Vapor provide sufficient water for the plants to survive, along with moisture from the soil. Out of more than 4000 participants in the ‘iida awards 2010′ competition (Incheon International Design Awards), the Water Vapor is one of the shortlisted entries.

Via: Designboom

French Student Accommodation Made From Shipping Containers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 09:10:00 +0000

100 dorm rooms have been built from old shipping containers for some students in Le Havre, France. It is called Cité a Docks and was designed by Cattani Architects.

Each unit is about 24 square meters and has a large glass wall which lets in a lot of natural light and has a bathroom and a kitchen. The first floor is raised off the ground, allowing students to store their bikes, and the inside of each room is a welcoming white with warm wooden furniture.

Instead of just stacking the boxes right on top of one another, they have been staggered and alternating areas between containers have been left empty to act as walkways and balconies. Container walls that face the exterior of the building or sit between other units are insulated using concrete fire walls and rubber.

Via: Freshome

Derelict Petrol Station Turned In to Pop-up Cinema

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:55:00 +0000

There are around 4,000 derelict petrol stations in and around London, and a collective of young artists, designers and architects called Cineroleum transformed one of them - on Clerkenwell Road - into a traditionally designed, temporary pop-up cinema. It is constructed from donated and found materials, and will show films from sundown onwards four nights a week.

As part of the green makeover there are paper tickets - 5 Euros each - and signage, flip-down seats and an ornate curtain strung from the forecourt roof has been supplied. You can see more images of the street-side cinema here.

Via: The Pop-up City

TPRF Videos For International Peace Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:33:00 +0000

Following my previous post, below you can see the two new videos from TPRF, which were streamed to a global audience on International Peace Day, earlier this week.

The first, Flame of Hope, chronicles the results of the first four years of the Food for People program, with facilities in India and Nepal.

The second, A Message of Peace, features Prem Rawat introducing his message that the way to lasting Peace in the world begins when we first find peace within ourselves.

Spray-On Solar Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:45:00 +0000

A new spray-on solar film has been developed by EnSol AS, a Norwegian Company. The spray allows windows to generate solar power without clouding the view. Consisting of metal nanoparticles embedded in a transparent composite matrix, it can be easily sprayed on - and not just on glass - they can also be used on the rest of the house.

“The coating would be built into the windows or other materials as part of the manufacturing process."`Lead researcher Christopher Binns of the University of Leicester said, "It could even be used on the roofs of cars to charge up batteries — although powering the vehicles themselves would probably be pushing it.”

The cells achieve efficiencies of 20 percent (which is average) and the company claims they will be commercially available at a reasonable price by 2016.

Via:Daily Mail