Bottle-brick building, upcycling a surplus of plastic bottles to construct buildings:
Steven Shoppman, Plastic Bottles: 20 Times stronger than Bricks
if you don’t have what you need make do with what you already have. A surplus of empty plastic bottles is something that not only affects Africa, but the entire planet.
In a small village in Nigeria, a solution has been applied to not only provide shelter in a poverty stricken country, but find a use for refuse. Packing sand into plastic bottles is a technique that started nine years ago in India, South and Central America. Named “bottle brick” technology, the compacted sand inside the bottles is almost 20 times stronger than bricks. The best part is that in a region that does not have much money to spend on building materials, the houses are estimated to cost 1/3 of a house made of concrete and bricks.
Adding to the appeal of the simple technology, the houses are ideal for the hot Nigerian climate because the bottle bricks buffer the house from the intense heat. Also, in a place known for violence, the houses are completely bullet proof. Bottles are mostly sourced from hotels, restaurants, homes and foreign embassies, so the 500 million bottles that are discarded each year in Nigeria alone are literally finding new homes instead of landfills or the ocean. The circular houses look cool too with the exposed round bottles producing a unique design.
Could be a great use in the US too.
Hi, I'm Mark
(Source: sleeping-giant, via john)
(Source: fencehopping, via takethecityandrun)
PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet (by Fight for the Future)
My Letter to the Penn State Daily Collegian
Dear Editor:
Last month, I gave a donation to Penn State for the first time since graduating in 1999. I was proud of myself for finally digging into my wallet as a token of my appreciation for a college experience I counted as bar-none. It meant something for me to give beyond just my loan pay back. It felt like growing up.
Today, I am ashamed to be a Penn Stater. Ashamed of the way the the school gravely mishandled this disgusting situation for over a decade. Ashamed of the way they would hide and protect such a monster in their own closet. Ashamed of the short-sighted reaction some students gave to the news of an overly-mythical coach being deservedly fired in utter disgrace. Ashamed that anyone in Happy Valley would be coming to the defense of people who actively buried seriously heinous crimes against children. Ashamed that I was once proud of being a fan of the football squad. And I’m still ashamed and appalled of the priorities behind the 2001 $84 million dollar stadium expansion that bolstered an entertainment venue over academic facilities and tuition support.
These events have driven a stake into my heart for the school. I don’t believe it possible to clean house thoroughly enough. The stench of this crime, the deadly mold that has grown inside it’s puffed-up, egotistical head, has permanently scarred me and many other fellow alumni I’ve been talking to. It won’t be bleached away. Good riddance, all of them.
The only shred of good I feel now is checking back on the Daily Collegian and seeing what a great job the staff is doing covering this painful, personal story under a national spotlight. Having written for the independent paper myself (don’t underestimate how powerful that 125 years of independence is!) for several years during my college tenure, it feels great to know that they’re still my first source for news at PSU.
Penn State is not a religion, despite the way the faithful treat the blue and white brand. But if it were, consider me an atheist from here on out.
Sincerely,
Mark Schoneveld
History ‘99
(Source: residuetrail)
Afghanistan - A Film By Augustin Pictures
Shot by Lukas and Salome Augustin, this clip shows you another side of Afghanistan, one not filled with terrorists and anarchy. This clip shows the raw beauty and brilliance of the country and its people. It’s a view that more Americans should see.
(Source: rogerrogue, via lookbothways)
