EcoVentures International

COMPREHENSIVE APPROPRIATE AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES DATABASES

British architect interested in human settlements and development, John F. C. Turner (co-author and editor of the book Freedom To Build and author of the book Housing By People), has said that truly appropriate technology is technology that ordinary people can use for their own benefit and the benefit of their community, that doesn't make them dependent on systems over which they have no control.

This definition focuses on the idea that technology typically creates dependencies and thus to truly be appropriate, technology should enhance the local or regional capacity to meet local needs, rather than creating or amplifying dependencies on systems beyond local control

In recent times, the work of Johan Van Lengen in Brazil is becoming an extraordinary paradigm of applied appropriate technologies. He is the founder of the Bio-Architecture and Intuitive Technology School (TIBA) in the Mata Atlantica (coastal jungle) of Brazil, where he holds intense programs and workshops in housing, sanitation, communications and education. His latest publication is titled THE BAREFOOT ARCHITECT: a handbook for green building.[9]

Programmes and projects to improve household wood and charcoal stove efficiencies have been launched throughout the developing world over the past 20 years. The main driver for promoting these stoves has been to reduce environmental degradation resulting from the removal of trees for charcoal and fuel wood production.

Unfortunately many programmes have failed to establish sustainable improved stove production, primarily through lack of sufficient attention to consumer tastes and market dynamics.

The objective of this project, funded by the UK government (under the DFID Knowledge and Research scheme), was to identify the key success factors for sustainable stove production and supply.

This study uses a survey of 244 households in six Tanzanian cities to determine whether current consumption levels, charcoal production techniques and forest management practices are sufficient to meet present and future charcoal demand.

UNDERSTANDING WOOD WASTES AS FUEL

UNDERSTANDING BRIQUETTING

Founded in 1993, Chefs Collaborative is the leading culinary organization that provides its members with tools for running economically healthy, sustainable food service businesses. The non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization has more than 1,000 active and passionate food community professionals as members, 70% of whom are chefs. This impressive nationwide network represents independent and corporate establishments. Other members represent a broad range of food-related professions, from culinary school instructors and managers of large food service operations to distributors, owners of specialty stores, and farmers, fishermen, and ranchers.

Roots of Change (ROC) is a collaboration of community, nonprofit, philanthropic, government, and business organizations. ROC provides resources to a diverse alliance of leaders and their institutions that are unified by strategy and collaborate in pursuit of a sustainable food system in California by 2030

Resources Online Direct Marketing Resource Guidesearch/browse the Guide For farmers Selling Directly to Restaurants and Retailers For educators, extension and community development specialists Organizing a Successful Agricultural Direct Marketing Workshop

On July 25, 2007 at the Bon Appetit Cafe of Holy Names University in Oakland, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP), and The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) co-hosted a special event entitled Farm to Institution Connection. The goal was to share information about successful initiatives related to providing local and sustainable food to institutional buyers such as hospitals, corporate and school cafeterias. Anya Fernald the CAFF Program Director asked Michael Dimock to provide opening comments for the day's activity. Here are his extended comments, which when delivered were foreshortened to meet the morning's time requirements. Michael's comments focus on the role of values in the development of a new mainstream in the food and farming system.

Welcome to the Moringa Wiki, a growing collection of articles on everything related to Moringa. Anyone can create or edit any article, so we can all work together to build a store of knowledge.

The team from the General Hospital is getting creative with their production of paper and sawdust fuel briquettes. It first came with the 3×1 (getting 3 briquettes out of one cylinder). Now they have started pressing double the size of a regular briquette, and claim that jumbo briquettes are better for cooking because they last longer and it is simpler because there is no need for adding extra ones in larger meals.

Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting soil resources, empowering communities and transforming wastes into resources in Haiti. We believe that the path to sustainability is through transformation, of both disempowered people and discarded materials, turning apathy and pollution into valuable resources

International Katoomba Group gatherings have become key events for sharing information, ideas and developing the implementation of PES. As a combination of networking, information sharing, advocacy and outreach, many participants feel that the convenings -starting in 1999- were exactly what was needed given the state of development of payments for ecosystem services in the early years of the Katoomba Group. At a 2003 meeting in Switzerland, the Katoomba Group agreed to address both the lack of easy access to information as well as specific regional issues emerging around the evolution of these markets. These two decisions led to the development of the Ecosystem Marketplace, as well as the beginning of work within Tropical America and East and Southern Africa. In 2006, the Katoomba Group began to address the challenge of building capacity for institutionalizing PES in these critical regions by focusing its meetings and strategic planning regionally. Work in China and in North America is launching in 2008.

“We continue to be astounded by the way Grameen Shakti links renewable energy technologies with income generating activities, and provides efficient services at the local level through renewable energy entrepreneurs. We hope that the Outstanding Achievement Award supports Grameen Shakti in the ambitious goal of installing one million solar home systems and 10 million improved cooking stoves by 2015.”