Haiti Earthquake January 2010

Mike Lucey

Thanks Ward.

Mike Lucey

Just notices that its possible to make a donation via iTunes

American Red Cross on iTunes.jpg

solo

I'd also plea that if anyone is planning to make any donation to stick with the Red Cross,there are too many scammers that have surfaced over the last two days, this way you know that your donation is going to help the people of Haiti and not some bastards pocket.

dale

For Canadians, any donation made to the Red Cross will be matched by the federal Government.

david_h

YOu can also donate thru LDS Humanitarian Services. 100% of your donation will go to Haiti Relief. the LDS Church sent 2 huge Planes full of relief supplies yesterday to Haiti and more are on the way.

Place your Donation Here:
LDS Humanitarian Services

Thank you.

David

KXI System

ahh, I wish I could help but my wallet is empty
I wish I had a cellphone so I could text to help... then comes the bills...
AHHH! I feel so useless!

Alan Fraser

My Rotary club has already sent a couple of shelter boxes. They're already packed and ready to go for this specific kind of emergency. You can donate here.
http://shelterbox.org/

Each box contains a tent and essential supplies for up to 10 people.

watkins

You can also donate through the Disasters Emergency Committee

http://www.dec.org.uk/

For those who do not know about the DEC, it is an umbrella organisation for 13 humanitarian aid agencies, including Oxfam, the British Red Cross, and Save the Children.

Regards,
Bob

EscapeArtist

Done. Donation made.

KXI System

But still, if I can't donate any money I feel so useless!

d12dozr

@kxi system said:

But still, if I can't donate any money I feel so useless!

So why do you need to tell the entire world that?? If you really care, go wash your ma's dishes and ask her for $10...or shovel the neighbor's sidewalk...or just zip your lip. Jeez.

KXI System

@d12dozr said:

@kxi system said:

But still, if I can't donate any money I feel so useless!

So why do you need to tell the entire world that?? If you really care, go wash your ma's dishes and ask her for $10...or shovel the neighbor's sidewalk...or just zip your lip. Jeez.

I'm starting to find some money, but the least you can be is a bit more supportive then harsh!

I end this here.

Mike Lucey

KXI,

Every bit helps no matter how small. Or you could club together with some of your buddies or nag some rich folks to contribute some cash. As long as the people of Haiti get some badly needed aid quickly, that is the important thing.

Mike

KXI System

@mike lucey said:

KXI,

Every bit helps no matter how small. Or you could club together with some of your buddies or nag some rich folks to contribute some cash. As long as the people of Haiti get some badly needed aid quickly, that is the important thing.

Mike

Thanks Mike, already got enough and will be ready to donate soon.

Just don't ask where I got it from though...
I didn't do anything bad or anything! Just don't ask...

Mike Lucey

Okay, I won't ask

This is a link to an interesting project that will hopefully help with rehousing the people in Haiti,

The SEED Project - from unused shipping container to sustainable emergency housing

http://www.gizmag.com/seed-project-shipping-container-sustainable-emergency-housing/13902/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c997281004-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

'30 million shipping containers the world over currently lying dormant, a team of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina are working to help solve the issue of accommodation in disaster affected areas by developing a method to convert the unused containers into sustainable emergency housing.'

http://www.cusa-dds.net/seed/

I'm always fascinated at what can be achieved with simple 40' shipping containers. It just goes to prove that we really don't need massive houses to get by.

SEED Project.jpg

solo

I like the idea of using old containers for low income housing, however I wonder how a metal container will hold up in a country that has very high heat and humidity and where airconditioning is not an option due to costs and power grid capacity, not to forget rusting.

Mike Lucey

Good points Pete. SEED would appear to be addressing these requirements in their research. I imagine high quality insulation will be required to keep some heat in at night. As for cooling / ventilation, you can see that they are proposing large opening sections. I imagine these openings would have to face the prevailing wind. The containers are also raised off the ground and this would also help to generate natural air flows.

Mike Lucey

On the subject of basic requirements. I came across a very interesting invention by a young Irish lad, Richard O'Shea. Richard has won the BT Young Scientist competition with his BIO MASS Stove. I see that he will be donating his @5,000 prize to charity and he has already got Trocaire http://www.trocaire.org/ interested in distributing a construction manual for the bio mass stove in Africa. BTW, I emailed his school and offered to make some 3D SU models of the stove if they would be of any use. Probably will need some rendering help!

Here is a link, http://www.youtube.com/btyoungscientists#p/u/4/Bmi-I6B2tC0 I'm attaching a pic of Richard working in his shed!

Mike

Bio Stove.jpg

tfdesign

@mike lucey said:

I'm always fascinated at what can be achieved with simple 40' shipping containers. It just goes to prove that we really don't need massive houses to get by.

Unfortunately, I can also see these shipping containers lasting an awful long time, and then becoming a slum burden to the Haitian people (not to mention the searing heat within that steel container!). Haiti really needs proper investment. It's long overdue. We're already hearing awful stories about the place becoming an anarchy hell hole on the tv and radio. This shouldn't be happening, we shouldn't in the rich west, have this kind of vision of such a poor part of the world. I reckon that the quake's after effects would have been far less severe if Haiti wasn't already a third-world country. I mean California managed to get back on its feet pretty quickly after the last major earthquake, but then California is a rich part of the USA.

I also agree, we don't need massive houses. I tend to go on holiday these days in a mobile home. These are great fun, and as long as there is space around you to grow, it's a nice way to live. But give me a decent and separate garden shed any day!

PS, I've already donated.

solo

I just hope that once this story gets superceded by some drunken/drugged celebrity acting badly in the media, that the aid keeps going and that the world (especially USA) keep focused on the real issues.