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            <title>Green Life Innovators - &quot;Green Tech the open source way&quot;</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-index.php</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Feed provided by Green Life Innovators - "Green Tech the open source way". Click to visit.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title>Two parabolic troughs simulate a paraboloid</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=23&amp;comments_parentId=471</link>
            <description><![CDATA[It is possible to use two parabolic troughs, held with their axes perpendicular but not co-planar, to bring sunlight to a point focus as does a paraboloidal reflector. The incoming light strikes one of the troughs, which sends it toward a line focus. The second trough intercepts the converging light and focuses it to a point. A diagram that shows the principle is at: 

http://kmr.nada.kth.se/files/pointfocus/PointFocus/PointFocus-cyl-1+2-rays.jpg 

Compared with a single paraboloid, using two partial troughs has important advantages. The troughs are "single curves", which can be made by bending a sheet of metal without any need for cutting, crumpling, or stretching. Also, the light that reaches the target - e.g the cooking pot - is directed approximately downward, which reduces the danger of damage to the eyes of anyone nearby. On the other hand, there are disadvantages. More mirror material is needed, increasing the cost, and the light is reflected by two surfaces instead of one, which inevitably increases the amount that is lost. 

Experimental arrangements of this kind have been made, and have worked well. The two troughs have been held in a fixed orientation relative to each other by being both fixed to a wooden frame, The whole assembly of frame and troughs has to be moved to track the sun as it moves in the sky. 

http://kmr.nada.kth.se/files/pointfocus/pics/Mirror-cradle.jpg 

However, this idea does not yet seem to have been tried in a practical cooker.]]></description>
            <author>David Williams</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:04:43 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Biomimicry, learning design from nature</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=4&amp;comments_parentId=469</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Today a person named Julia contacted me via the chat button on the front page of this site. She wanted to call my attention to something called biomimicry, and wrote that the future of engineering lies in copying the adaptation we see in the biological world. She also gave me a link to this video, which I would now like to share with you all: 

{FLASH(movie=http://youtube.com/v/n77BfxnVlyc,width=>425,height=>350,quality=>high)}{FLASH}

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:09:55 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>New project: Linux 4 the Philippines</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=4&amp;comments_parentId=467</link>
            <description><![CDATA[As our regular readers are aware of both our deputy chairman and I, divide our time between Norway and the Philippines. We believe that raising the level of knowledge in the world is an important part of working for a greener future. To face the challenges ahead the world need more people everywhere who are able to make informed and competent decisions. And giving the next generation access to the Internet is an important and efficient way of doing so. There is a German initiative called Linux 4 Africa. You find them here: http://www.linux4afrika.de/index.php?id=60&L=0

We find inspiration in their work and would like to do the same thing between Norway (and later other countries) and the Philippines. We hope to get the Norwegian and Filipino Linux communities to work with us on this one.  

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:57:33 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Stephen Hawking's Warning: Abandon Earth—Or Face Extinction </title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=4&amp;comments_parentId=466</link>
            <description><![CDATA["I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space," Hawking tells Big Think. "It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million. The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until we have spread the load." 

Read the entire article here: http://bigthink.com/ideas/21570

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:45:13 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The world's best chess player will play against the world</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=4&amp;comments_parentId=465</link>
            <description><![CDATA[On September 10th a chess match which should be interesting to more than just chess fans will take place. Because it will also be an interesting demonstration of the force of online communities. 

The scene is as follows. Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen, [http://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=169|ranked as number one in the world], while still being a teenager, will take on three other grandmasters. They will suggest alternatives for each next move and then the online followers will vote over which move to make. You can read more about it here: http://chesscentral.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/magnus-carlsen-against-the-world/

Or, to use programming lingo, the three grandmasters playing against Carlsen will have a lot of real time debuggers available to evaluate their moves. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus%27_Law|Linus' law] named after the creator of Linux states that: "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow"

So, the outcome of this match should be interesting to everyone who uses the net and social media to reach their goal also, because we will see who is the strongest (in this match at least) the lone genius against the power of collective action. And that is the reason why I mention this to our readers. 

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:25:01 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Distribution of wealth</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=12&amp;comments_parentId=455</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many people seem to believe that if we took the wealth in this world and distributed it more evenly, then we would all be rich. My question is, would we really?

I assume that the distribution of the wealth of the world can be described via statistics. So it should be possible to find an average.

So, what would happen if we one day took all the wealth in this world and gave everyone exactly the same share? Would we all be well off, or would we all, in fact, be poor?

Frank]]></description>
            <author>Frank Müller</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:18:37 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Energy from Tides</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=32&amp;comments_parentId=453</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Tidal power attempts to make use of the natural energy potential of tidal activity in the oceans and seas. In simple terms, the high tide is captured and fed through a turbine to generate electricity. Tidal power is a reliable and predictable source of energy. Tides occur periodically and regularly, which can be deduced many years in advance. 

There are two ways of creating tidal power: tidal dams and ocean currents. Dams are based on using a barrage at a bay or estuary with a large tidal range. Power is generated primarily at ebb tides as the barrage creates a significant head of water. Waves caused by wind blowing over the surface of the ocean also carry tremendous energy. The total power of waves breaking around the world's coastlines is estimated at 2-3 million megawatts. Ocean wave energy is captured directly from surface waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface using point absorbers. 

Many scientists and engineers across the world are learning to harness the indefinite power of the ocean waves, and to convert it into electricity with minimal environmental effects. The energy from ocean is environment friendly nature and does not lead to the green house effect. The Tidal Wave Energy is pollution-free and helps in conserving the earth.]]></description>
            <author>PEREZ11</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:34:26 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Are we heading towards a crisis due to phosphorus depletion?</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=35&amp;comments_parentId=434</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Today I was contacted by someone who claimed that the world is heading towards a crisis due to the depletion of phosphorus. (I guess you could say that an element is depleted in a sense, if it is not sufficiently available to us in useful state.) 

I have to admit that this is the very first time I have heard this claim, so I am not sure what to make of it at all. A search on google for the term "phosphorus crisis" gives some hits. Here is an example from of the claim being made: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=phosphorus-a-looming-crisis

Comments anyone??

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:24:25 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>CAD-software and geodesic domes</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=19&amp;comments_parentId=415</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Please see the discussion we have on geodesic domes under another forum:

http://www.green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?topics_offset=1&forumId=39&comments_parentId=392

Do any of our readers have any experience using CAD-software for geodesic dome construction, especially using free open source CAD, that does not cost the same as a car to buy? I believe it should be possible with the aid of the proper software to lay out the exact shape and position of each element. Ideally a program could act as a "wizard" leading you step by step through the entire cutting and assembly process via on screen animations. 

Does anyone know if software with such features do exist?

I have no experience using CAD for mechanical design myself. The things I have made on CAD are mainly printed circuit boards plus a couple of blueprints for integrated circuits. 

Vidar]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:19:54 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Water harwesting with swales</title>
            <link>http://green-life-innovators.org/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=39&amp;comments_parentId=403</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Here is a video explaining the concept of water harvesting with swales. It should be suitable solution for the irrigation system in an ecovillage wherever the landscape is not flat, so that you can construct the swale in a downhill slope like the video shows.

{FLASH(movie=http://youtube.com/v/kPrfNVzDNME,width=>425,height=>350,quality=>high)}{FLASH}

Unfortunately many places where it will be need for building a village in the Philippines the landscape is rather flat. Now, then question that arises is whether it makes more sense digging wells that reshaping the landscape for water harvesting purposes. 

I do however see that reshaping the landscape might come with an added benefit, namely that you can use properly designed landscaping to break up the strong winds of a typhoon for instance.

Vidar.]]></description>
            <author>Vidar Kristiansen</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:55:14 +0100</pubDate>
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