This website was set up by a group of friends to share information about technology.
By technology we do not mean the complex, resource intensive and often extremely expensive developments that are promoted in the 'tech' pages of mainstream media outlets such as the BBC and such as MIT's Technology Review site.
We are interested in simple technologies that are accessible and empowering, affordable and fixable, and of use to people worldwide. In other words this is a website about appropriate technology. Specifically, we are interested in solutions that meet the following four criteria, set out by John Michael Greer. Ecotechnologies must be:
Based on these ideal, this website is built in a way that is simple, scalable, modular and open source. Without going into the details of it, all the code underlying this site is available online. Please fork the project, or, even better, request to join the ecotechnologies team on GitHub if you are interested in getting involved.
Knives are one of the most basic tools, and possibly the first tool deliberately manufactured by humans. They have proven useful for a vast array of practical purposes over the centuries. Even today most people use a knives on a daily basis, for food preparation.
Abundance is an idea that solves two problems at once: the poor quality of many people's diets, especially the disadvantaged in society, and the common sight of good fruit going to waste, left to rot in busy urban areas. Abundance is also the nickname given to a trailer built for the Abundance project for transporting fruit, and used for inspiration by Engineers Without Borders Sheffield. This short aricle shows the Abundance trailer in action, provides some information on its design and build, and links to additional resources, including a CAD file of the finished product.
Rwanda:
Tools are a means to an end. The elaboration of tool varieties, as noted by eminent thinkers such as Karl Marx demonstrates they have value beyond their narrowly defined use. Elaborate designs, decoration and valuable materials are invested in the creation of these objects. This miniture article is a homage to tools worldwide.