Nur Ahmad Furlong

Category: Sustainability

Anything to do with environmentally friendly practices, design or other sustainable development which improves the way we do and make things to make our planet a friendlier place.

2 eco-friendly bikes from different sides of the tech divide
The one is a slick, high tech hydrogen cell powered beauty which I would love to get my hands on and the other, a humble, down-to-earth bamboo construction which I wouldn’t mind trying out either.
Both aim to approach 21st Century transportation in an innovative yet clean way, but don’t expect these to meet each other on the same street.
bamboobike meets env bike.

The 2 solutions are suited for the worlds they have been designed for, but both have a similar purpose, provide transport in an environmentally friendly manner.
Bamboo has a lighter footprint
Of course the bamboo bike wins the carbon footprint game hands down as it’s a completely sustainable product manufactured from around 70% biodegradable materials available in the locality it will be used in. It’s low-cost, fuel efficient, healthy, and doesn’t need huge production factories and machinery powered by huge energy resources to put together.
Slick, powerful, clean and extendable
On the other hand, the env is made for the modern city dweller who wouldn’t be caught dead on a bamboo frame with wheels. It’s slick design is only the beginning.
The fuel cell is an electrochemical device which produces electricity, water and heat directly from hydrogen and oxygen. The water by-product can be evaporated, drained or even drunk.
It’s hydrogen powered fuel cell(the core as it is referred to) is at the centre of this sophisticated design. The idea is that the core, as the detachable heart of the env can be used to power just about anything anywhere.
Back to the Bamboo Bike and it’s many advantages in a not so teched up environment. I can see the Bamboo bike having a much greater impact not only on the environment but on the lives of thousands of people living in sub-economic locations.
In Africa, very few people can own cars or even motorcycles and people without bicycles have to rely on inadequate and relatively expensive buses. Bicycles are creatively modified to become boda boda taxis.
Transportation issues on different sides of the economic/tech divide couldn’t be further apart, but it’s good to see that on both sides, practical attempts are being made to find sustainable & efficient solutions.
I’ve thought of getting myself a bicycle and electro scooter many times and hope I might get a chance in the near future to play my own part in conserving and lightening my footprint in this regard.
March 31, 2008
AfriGadget » Dr. Ngalande’s Sugar & Yeast Generator
Dr. Ngalandeâ€™s Sugar and Yeast Power Generator
Just off chatting with White Africa, A.K.A. Hash, blog master of AfriGadget.com who lives in the US. I thought I’d take another look at AfriGadget and see if I can find anything which sparks my interest.
Step onto the scene a Sugar & Yeast Powered Generator
This invention(by Dr. Cedrick Ngalandeâ€™s) has massive implications for South Africa, not only directly related to the problem of charging of mobile phones in rural settings but in general, for the energy crisis we are experiencing locally.
This shows that Africans are very much innovating and working towards solutions to some of the most crucial problems mankind will be facing in the very near future.
â€œThe rotor moves slowly most of the times but does pick up at certain intervals. This process continues for many hours. Since the rotor is quite heavy (and hence more inertia) a small geared DC motor can be connected to the rotor to generate power for cell phones, $100 laptops, and other things in Africa. People can leave this thing to charge their phones/$100 laptops overnight.â€
The blog post where I found this little invention has a hot commenting debate about the actual viability of the invention, but like “Hash” the blog author responded, we need to be talking about what people are doing and maybe by spreading the word others can contribute and help build on these ideas.
Anyone out there know of any other cool low tech energy solutions? All I can say is Go Africa, Go!!
March 12, 2008
My ethically focused agency idea gathers momentum
found on http://www.theethicalagency.co.uk
No this is not my business, of course not, not yet that is. I’ve come across quite a few UK based agencies of this nature in the last few years and it’s been my mission for a while to start one here in South Africa.
TEA – The Ethical Agency, is a UK based ethically motivated advertising company which promotes ethical business and lifestyles and does so in a really thought provoking manner.
Visiting their site has pricked my imagination somewhat and helped further crystallise the idea which has been brewing in my head for way too long.
So who out there has any ideas regarding ethical business?
Does this interest you, do you see a need for it?
Anyone passionate enough to take it a step further and do something?
We are all agents of change in our own right and have the responsibility to create a better space for all of us to live in.
I found these inspiring quotes on TEA’s website:
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, for as long as you can. -John Wesley
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. -Greek proverb
March 8, 2008
Ad Designed with no electricity, Ogilvy tackles Power Crisis
I found this interesting story on biz-community.com
Ogilvy Cape Town’s art director Jennifer Macfarlane and copy writer Cuan Cronwright are the winners of The Times Young Creatives Competition, held 23 â€“ 26 February 2008 at this year’s Design Indaba Expo.

A PR stunt no doubt saw creatives pitting their skills against each other in a fishbowl style space with Public onlookers. Pity the procedings had to be screened on Plasma screens which would have used a fair amount of power themselves. Kind of defeats the purpose a little but I suppose it was about driving a message home and this little stunt certainly did that.
The winning agency was rewarded with a full page ad they can use for any pro bono client of their choice worth about R50000. Check out the article with all the details.
February 29, 2008
Simple resources to combat Global Warming
Working on the SA Climate Crisis logo design for Andre Bothma, lead me to finding some interesting resources online. There’s a ton of stuff out there to help us focus on cutting down our carbon footprints and live a life which is less taxing on the environment. One site in particular, live-the-solution.com, has a collection of resources which though very simplistic in nature does an excellent job in conveying the appropriate information without all the jargon and confusing bar charts.
The following mind map is an excellent example and is available for free to download, spread and share with everyone. It gives simple practical solutions we can all identify with and can definitely start working on right now.
A Few other mindmaps found on the same site explain the impact and science of Global Warming in a plain and simple manner. These can all be found on a mind maps page which conveys a straightforward yet highly effective message in a visual language we can all understand.
Why use Mindmaps?
Mind maps are an excellent tool for conveying a mixture of elements & ideas especially when these ideas are linked together. A mind map can condense a whole body of knowledge into a single diagram thereby shorting the time it takes to explain something complex in a dragged out step by step manner.
The mind-maps have been collated and expanded upon in the e-book developed by Jane Genovese, public speaker, university graduate of Law and Arts and passionate global warming advocate.
The drawings and mind maps developed to convey her message connect with the viewer even though they have been roughly sketched with simple ink pens found in any child’s stationery kit.
It shows the author’s deep understanding of the subject and appreciation for human interaction and communication.
The structure of this beautifully put together little e-book is another point to note. It takes the reader through a necessary cycle from the point of apathy, to the wake up call, why there is a need to change, what to change and how to change it. The author’s understanding of psychology helps her get inside the mind of the person on the street and understand the thought processes and emotions involved in this issue.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Why We Need Change
Chapter 1: Waking Up
Chapter 2: Understanding Global Warming
Chapter 3: The Big Polluters
Chapter 4: Too Close for Comfort: Overpopulation
What to Change
Chapter 5: You Have the Power!
Chapter 6: What about the Government?
How to Change
Chapter 7: Itâ€™s Time for Change
Chapter 8: Goal Setting for a Liveable Planet
Chapter 9: Connecting with Nature
Who Has Changed
Chapter 10: Itâ€™s OK, Youâ€™re Not Alone!
It goes to show that big budgets are not necessarily a major requirement to producing and spreading ideas which can change the world.
Spread the word
I recommend taking a look at live-the-solution.com, viewing the mind maps page , downloading the e-book and maybe sharing it with your friends, family, colleagues, whoever. Blog about it, print the mind maps and stick them up somewhere where they could make a difference.
A huge thanks to Jane Genovese for the excellent work put into producing such engaging content for such an important issue.
February 5, 2008
Eco-friendly organisation – why kill trees to keep yourself organized?
I’m always excited when I see new products attempting to make life easier, simpler and more eco-friendly. The more beneficial a product is to the user and to the environment the higher it ranks in my book. Having hunted around for quite a while for the perfect organisational tools, this latest find seems really promising and very nicely designed for modern living as well.
Introducing the Jot-it Eco friendly desktop write board designed by cocoa living:
Basically it’s a plastic base, with another plastic sheet on top which allows you to insert a template between the 2 layers. A note taking template, calendar (perpetual template maybe), a task organising template, or you could customize your own template. The beauty is that you can quickly jot ideas, rough ones without wasting paper and without cluttering up your desktop with scraps of paper you’ve jotted all kinds of random stuff on.
It’s not perfectly designed. You aren’t able to use multiple templates simultaneously, it seems a little clunky to carry around, though it has been designed specifically for your desk and not your pocket. According to the review on Yanko Design the plastic makes a squeaky noise when you write on it so there’s a few bugs which need to be ironed out. The basic idea though is what makes this a good find and I can see this being modified and upgraded to be an extremely useful device. I’ve started thinking about how I can modify my hipster PDA to make use of this white board style note taking, not paper wasting and easy to delete entries.
The flexibility of of this tool is easy to spot. Using it in the classroom situation, in a design agency, in & around the office, next to the phone at home, just about anywhere where you need a quick & easy way to jot down notes.
So head on over to www.cocoaliving.com and see if they have a product to suite your specific needs, or you could devlop your own eco-friendly write board system like I hope to do using a few low cast elements from your local stationery store. If you do please tell me about so I can give it a try.
November 10, 2007