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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Appropedia - Appropriate Technology - Appropedia is for collaborative solutions in sustainability, appropriate technology, poverty reduction, and permaculture.
  • Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2017 11:46:15 -0400

Appropedia
http://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia

*Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.**Appropedia* is for
collaborative solutions in sustainability
<http://www.appropedia.org/Sustainability>, appropriate technology
<http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology>, poverty
<http://www.appropedia.org/Poverty> reduction, and permaculture
<http://www.appropedia.org/Permaculture>.

*Appropriate technology (AT)* is technology that is designed with special
consideration to the context of its use - including environmental, ethical,
cultural, social, political, and economical aspects of the community it is
intended for. With these goals in mind, AT proponents claim their methods
require fewer resources, are easier to maintain, and have less of an impact
on the environment compared to techniques from mainstream technology, which
they contend is wasteful and environmentally polluting.

The term is usually used to describe simple technologies proponents
consider suitable for use in developing nations or less developed rural
areas of industrialized nations. This form of "appropriate technology"
usually prefers labor-intensive solutions over capital-intensive ones,
although labor-saving devices are also used where this does not mean high
capital or maintenance cost. In practice, appropriate technology is often
something described as using the simplest level of technology that can
effectively achieve the intended purpose in a particular location. In
industrialized nations, the term *appropriate technology* takes a different
meaning, often referring to engineering that takes special consideration of
its social and environmental ramifications.

Appropriate Technology

http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology

*Appropriate technology (AT)* is technology
<http://www.appropedia.org/Technology> that is designed to be "appropriate"
to the context of its use. The most appropriate technologies are:

- *Sustainable <http://www.appropedia.org/Sustainable>* - requiring
fewer natural resources

<http://www.appropedia.org/index.php?title=Natural_resources&action=edit&redlink=1>
and producing less pollution <http://www.appropedia.org/Pollution> than
techniques from mainstream technology, which are often wasteful and
environmentally polluting.[1]
<http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology#cite_note-village-1>
- *Small
<http://www.appropedia.org/index.php?title=Small&action=edit&redlink=1>*
where possible (as in *Small is Beautiful
<http://www.appropedia.org/Small_is_Beautiful>*). This places more power
at the grassroots, in the hands of the users. However, there are also times
when the most appropriate technologies are large-scale.
- *Appropriate <http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate>* to the context,
including the environmental, ethical, cultural
<http://www.appropedia.org/Culture>, social, political, and economical
<http://www.appropedia.org/Economics> context. The appropriate
technology for one context may not be appropriate for another.

To be effective in practice, an appropriate technology should be easy to
maintain. To be effective for many people and have a wide impact, an
appropriate technology must be affordable.

The term is usually used to describe simple technologies which are suitable
for use:

- In developing nations <http://www.appropedia.org/Developing_nations>
or less developed rural <http://www.appropedia.org/Rural> areas of
industrialized nations,[1]
<http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology#cite_note-village-1>
- In an off-the-grid <http://www.appropedia.org/Off-the-grid> setting,
- Wherever individuals or small communities wish to lower their
environmental impact and increase their resilience
<http://www.appropedia.org/Resilience>.

This form of "appropriate technology" usually prefers labor-intensive
<http://www.appropedia.org/index.php?title=Labor-intensive&action=edit&redlink=1>
solutions over capital-intensive ones, although labor-saving devices are
also valuable, provided this does not mean high capital, maintenance cost
or environmental impact.

Where the target is the poor, the greatest impact comes where massive
scale-up occurs through an appealing, cost-effective product. The "bottom
of the pyramid
<http://www.appropedia.org/index.php?title=Bottom_of_the_pyramid&action=edit&redlink=1>"
can pay for technology if the price is right, and this allows for much
greater scale than subsidized <http://www.appropedia.org/Subsidized>
programs, and is likely to be more appealing than DIY
<http://www.appropedia.org/DIY> approaches that require a particular
skill-set.
Appropriate technology can be described as the simplest level of technology
that can effectively achieve the intended purpose in a given location.
In developed
countries <http://www.appropedia.org/Developed_countries>, the term
*appropriate
technology* takes a different meaning, often referring to engineering that
takes special consideration of its social and environmental ramifications.
[2] <http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology#cite_note-nytimes08-2>



  • [permaculture] Appropedia - Appropriate Technology - Appropedia is for collaborative solutions in sustainability, appropriate technology, poverty reduction, and permaculture., Lawrence London, 06/12/2017

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