Category Archives: Engineers Without Borders

Water Treatment: Forward Osmosis

Osmosis is the transport of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water chemical potential to a region of lower water chemical potential.  And Forward Osmosis (FO), according to Wikipedia is:    . . . an … Continue reading

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Water Conservation: Toilet-to-Tap Taboo

On a recent Saturday Night Live skit (23 Sep 2011), Steve Martin interrupted an Alec Baldwin monologue to tell him he needed a steroid test before he could host the program.  Alec goes behind a screen and comes back with … Continue reading

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Rainwater Harvesting near Masaka, Uganda

At a large Catholic primary school located in a rural area outside of Masaka, Uganda, there is a large rainwater harvesting system which was constructed by a Danish group. The system includes fifteen 10,000 liter (2,500 gallon) tanks. The tanks are … Continue reading

Posted in "Green" Homes, Drinking Water, Engineers Without Borders | 2 Comments

God Save Uganda’s Children

On July 3, 2011, while travelling in Uganda, I had several very eye-opening experiences.  Our group was travelling in the north (an area recently torn apart by a senseless war) and headed to small village to provide health seminars, and … Continue reading

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Enjoying the Good Life in Uganda

I’m currently travelling in Uganda.  I’ve been here for almost two weeks.  Our group generally stays in dumps and eats on the cheap.  We do this to minimize expenses.  But last week, I hit the wall. We had just entered Murchison … Continue reading

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Navajo “First Laugh” Ceremony

The third weekend in May, a small group of volunteers from Engineers Without Borders worked in a remote canyon northeast of Page AZ.  The Navajos living in the canyon are some of the most remote members of their tribe.  Access is … Continue reading

Posted in Engineers Without Borders, Navajoland, Religion | 1 Comment

Upheaval in Uganda

According to Time magazine (20 May 2011): Arab Spring Goes South (Uganda):  Following the upheaval in the Maghreb, the first glimmers of Arab Spring-style protests stirred in sub-Saharan Africa.  More than three weeks of demonstrations against the government of Yoweri … Continue reading

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Clean Cookstoves

The following interview with Hillary Clinton and Julia Roberts appeared in Time magazine (16 May 2011): Time:  A Secretary of State and a superstar are kind of an unlikely couple.  What brought you together? HC:  . . . I was … Continue reading

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Plastic Bottle Homes

Waste plastic bottles can be used for home construction.  A sand- or mud-filled bottle is as strong as a brick.  And a home that can be built with a brick, can be built with a bottle.  Plus there are a lot of advantages … Continue reading

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Earthbag Homes: A Sustainable Building Strategy?

According to an article by Amanda Wheat for MediaGlobal.com (accessed 6 Apr 2011): . . . (A) new form of building, known as earthbag construction, is proving to be durable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. . . The science behind this … Continue reading

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