Friday, May 11, 2012

Wheeling in green change by: BHARAT DOGRA


Rural scientist Mangal Singh has devised a turbine that runs on low-flowing water heads, thus saving farmers from spending money on diesel and electricity to lift water for irrigation
Many farmers spend a substantial amount of money for diesel or electricity to lift water flowing in small streams and rivulets to irrigate their fields. However, the innovation of a rural scientist from Bundelkhand region could help save millions of litres of diesel per year (or equivalent electricity).

Innovation:The Mangal Turbine that can help farmers.
Innovation:The Mangal Turbine that can help farmers.


Innovator Mangal Singh has devised and patented a low-cost and efficient fuel-less turbine, named Mangal Singh Water Wheel Turbine Pump-cum-PTP machine that can harness the energy of flowing water to lift water for irrigation and also operate cottage industries.

Popularly called Mangal Turbine, it requires low water heads up to one metre, which can be achieved by creating low-cost check dams, or existing check dams can be used.

As Mr. Singh explains, this turbine functions on the basis of a specially designed water wheel which can rotate even on a low water head of one metre, stepping up the rotation through a suitable gearbox in the range of 1500-1800 RPM (rotations per minute) and using the available mechanical power by connecting one end of the output shaft with centrifugal irrigation pump and the other with a suitable pulley to operate other machines and also an alternator to generate electricity.
Several experts who have made on-the-site inspections of the working of this device have recommended it strongly. Dr. T.P. Ojha, former Deputy Director General (Engineering) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has written: “Mangal Singh's device offers great promise and possibility of lifting river water for irrigation, fisheries, forestry and drinking purposes. The water head created by putting a check dam across the river or perennial water course generates enough force to rotate the water wheels to operate one or two centrifugal pumps in a series.”

B.K. Saha, former Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said, “The system is extremely cost-effective, even after taking into consideration the cost of the stop dam. Where the stop dam is already available, the system is even more cost-effective. Installation of this device is strongly recommended wherever there is flowing water in small streams by constructing a stop dam and installing one or two water wheels as designed and developed by Mr. Singh. It saves on energy like electricity or diesel and is ecologically completely benign.”

Despite the official recognition of the great utility and potential of this work, Mr. Singh had to struggle against bureaucratic apathy and hostility.

He is also a crusader against corruption and continues using the Right to Information weapon to expose corruption. He feels that this probably angered certain influential powerful persons and he was victimised time and again.

Despite all these odds, his work has been successfully demonstrated in Bundelkhand and Uttarakhand. Working in the middle of financial and other constraints, Mr. Singh keeps travelling to various parts of the country to demonstrate his work.

As the need for reducing greenhouse gas emission increases, the importance of such environment-friendly works will continue to grow. For farmers facing economic crisis and struggling against shortages as well as increasing prices of diesel and electricity, Mangal Turbine, when properly installed and harnessed, can provide significant relief.

Grant Opportunties


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Thursday, May 10, 2012

For love of Mothers. MADRE: Mothers's Day Emergency Fund.


             Banner Image    
Dear Friend,

When I go to sleep at night, I’m grateful that my two boys are well fed, warm and safe from the dangers of war. They go to school each day. When they’re sick, I take them to the doctor.

And then I think of all the mothers I know in other countries, just as dedicated to their kids as I am, but not able to protect them. In ways large and small, you and I have worked together to make their burdens lighter.

Your Mother's Day gift to MADRE shows that you stand with them.

I think of the mother in a tent in Haiti who holds the whistle we gave her, as she watches her daughter sleep and listens for attackers. She knows that the other moms will come when she sounds the alarm, now that her whistle gives her the power to call for help.

Or the mom in Kenya who risks all to secret her daughter to one of our shelter schools to protect her from being forced into marriage.

Or the soon-to-be mother in Palestine who waits nervously for the midwife. Military roadblocks kept her from receiving prenatal care at the hospital. But the midwife—equipped with a birthing kit from MADRE—will safely deliver her new baby.

This is what we do—not just on Mother’s Day, but every day. We stand up for mothers, fierce defenders of their loved ones. Will you stand with them?

We’ve launched our Mother’s Day Emergency Fund.

All year long, unexpected crises befall women in our sister organizations—disasters that can’t be anticipated. Yet, we know we must always be ready when a mother calls for help.

MADRE’s Mother’s Day Emergency Fund makes sure we can respond. Just this week, I took an urgent call from our partner in Iraq. She told me about an activist facing death threats. We’re helping her find a means of escape for herself and her children.

Then, I spoke to our partner in Nicaragua. We made plans to replant the crops that her family depends on, after their bean harvest was swept away by recent floods.

We’ve committed to raise $15,000 for the Fund by May 31, to meet these needs and to answer other urgent calls for help. Will you help us?

Join me in supporting these mothers now. Make a gift in honor of a mom, stepmom, aunt who’s like a mom, or maybe just for any mom, now.

With gratitude,
Yifat Susskind
Executive Director

P.S. Any donation , of any size, helps us reach our goal of giving mothers the strength and resources to protect their kids. Please stand with us .




The Mothers of MADRE
“Here in the camp, we’re exposed to so many threats. My daughter’s safety means everything to me, so I work hard to protect her. Thank you for helping me.” – Martine, a mother in Haiti

“I wish I had education. But as a girl, I was given in marriage. But I managed to take my girls to school. So I have done something important in my life.” – Kinangare, a mother in Kenya

Your support of MADRE helps mothers worldwide. This Mother’s Day, let’s honor them together.



 Click here to review our Charity Navigator four star rating.

 

Educational Entrepreneurship - THE FUTURE: Offer Free Online Classes. Then......


Harvard and MIT launch edX to offer free online classes

 @CNNMoneyTech May 2, 2012: 3:48 PM ET
    NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Always wanted to take a Harvard class? Soon you'll be able to do so from the comfort of your own home.
    Harvard and MIT announced a partnership Wednesday to offer free online courses to students around the world. The initiative, known as edX, will be run by a non-profit organization controlled by the two schools. Each has committed $30 million to the effort.
    The first official courses will be announced this summer and are set to begin in the fall.
    EdX students won't receive university credit for the classes, which will span a variety of disciplines. There's no admissions process, but there are exams and other assessments, with certificates available "for a modest fee" to students who demonstrate mastery of the material.
    The project builds on an online education program that MIT announced last year. A prototype course on circuits and electronics began in March and attracted more than 120,000 students, though only about 10,000 stayed with the course through the mid-term exam, an MIT spokeswoman said.
    Harvard and MIT announced a partnership Wednesday to offer free online courses available to students around the world.
    The first official set of edX courses will be announced this summer, and will begin in the fall.
    The Harvard-MIT project faces some competition in the push to make high-quality educational courses available online.
    Last month, Princeton, Stanford, Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania announced that they would offer free Web-based courses through a for-profit company called Coursera that was founded by two Stanford computer science professors. One of those professors, Andrew Ng, taught a free online course in machine learning this past fall with an enrollment of more than 100,000 students.
    There's also Udacity, co-founded by a former Stanford professor, andKhan Academy, which boasts 3,100 free educational videos across a variety of subjects.
    MIT and Harvard said that they hope to eventually partner with other universities to expand the offerings on the edX platform.
    "Harvard and MIT will use these new technologies and the research they will make possible to lead the direction of online learning in a way that benefits our students, our peers, and people across the nation and the globe," Harvard president Drew Faust said. To top of page




    Wednesday, May 9, 2012

    New Email address for BEMA

    Don't forget to update you records with our new email address:    BEMA@BlackEmergManagersAssociation.org

    Get youths in your community involved. Youth Preparedness in your Community or Organization.


     Empowering Our Youth in Ohio! 

    Do you live in or around the Columbus, Ohio area? Are you interested in learning more about youth preparedness in your community or organization? 

    On Friday, May 11, FEMA Region V and Citizen Corps will join the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and South-Western City Schools in Columbus, Ohio for a day-long workshop on implementing youth preparedness in community-based organizations.

    The workshop will provide participants with valuable information to start integrating youth preparedness into their organization’s existing youth offerings and the steps to launch a new youth preparedness program.

    As a workshop attendee, you will receive live instruction and a “how-to” guide on key topics, including:
    • Engaging Partners
    • Identifying Curriculum
    • Implementation
    • Promotion
    • Evaluation
    •  Sustainability
    Date:   Friday, May 11, 2012

    Time:   Registration begins at 8:30 AM; workshop runs from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT

    Location: The Ohio Rehabilitation Service Commission (400 E. Campus View Blvd. Columbus, OH 43235)

    RSVP: Click here to create a profile on the Ohio EMA training Website and then register for the FEMA Youth Preparedness Workshop

    If you encounter difficulties, please contact Todd Barstow (TMBarstow@dps.state.oh.us)  

    Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience. Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on May 15


    Don’t Miss the Chance to Nominate a Leader from Your Community!

    The Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience is the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) first national resilience award for superior leadership and innovation by a non-governmental individual (or organization) who exemplifies the qualities and achievements of Rick Rescorla, who exhibited leadership during 9/11 in effective preparation, response, and recovery

    The deadline to nominate someone from your community for the first-ever Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience is quickly approaching. Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. on May 15 in order to be eligible! 

    Submit a nomination application to rescorlaaward@hq.dhs.gov and learn more about Rick’s extraordinary courage.   

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