Using the Broken Umbrella (Brolly) Frame....for energy (part 3)

Could this method also be used to generate electricity for aspects of historic buildings (e.g. lighting) ?

Using the Broken Umbrella (Brolly) Frame....for energy (part 2)

Could this method also be used to generate energy for an electric car for n miles?

Using the Brolly (umbrella), Frame for energy (part 1)

So the COP21 Climate Summit has drawn to a close. Now it’s up to us all to do our bit to help keep below the necessary 2 degrees celsius.  I recently watched an interesting video, Billions in Change.  A potential use for the umbrella frame is to recycle them and perhaps use them in the production of Free Electric bikes shown in the video, that produce electricity for people, located in rural areas, in the developing parts of the world.    These bikes could also be used in times of power outage due to climate disasters.  On an even lighter note, they could possibly be used by anyone running a business and wanting to keep fit at the same time by cycling the static bike for 1 hour a day!

Solar Still brolly (part 7c)

Include edible flowers such as borage, nastertiums and mint, for aesthetics and biodiversity
just search for, edible flowers in your search engine for ideas.

Solar Still Brolly Fastest Growing Trees (part 7b)

Solar Still brolly (part 7b)

Fastest growing trees include: Hybrid poplar, Nuttall Oak, Northern Catalpa and Red Maple. 

Just search for,'fastest growing trees',  in your search engine for ideas.

Solar Still brolly (part 7a)

Fastest growing vegetables include: Radishes, Onions, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Carrots. 

Just search for,'fastest growing vegetables',  in your search engine for ideas.

Examples of Agriculture in the Desert

Some video examples of agriculture in the desert…

1. Agriculture in Israel desert example

2. Agriculture in Sahel desert example

3. Agriculture in Qatar desert example

St Andrew's Day (2015)

Solar Still brolly (part 7)

Happy Saint Andrew's day!  
Now it's the start of COP 21.  Here's one potential solution to overcoming climate change. 

Solar Still Brolly (part 6) ...including Metal Pots

Solar Still Brolly (part 6)

Perhaps use recycled metal pots / plastic containers  to catch evaporated water that could be used for domestic purposes.  Would a tetra pak lined base (shiny side up) help reflect some the heat and keep the distilled water cool?   Anybody living in a hot country trying this out, please  feel free to leave a comment.

Solar Still Brolly (Part 5)

It's the 29th October 2015 and 1 year since I started this Recycling Umbrellas blog.  So here's more food for thought -  using distilled / diluted sea or ocean water when growing yams and sweetcorn in previously drought stricken land. 

Examples of applying Sea Water

Solar Still Brolly (part 4) 

Some Youtube video examples of applying sea water / desalination for domestic use.

1. Watering your home garden with fresh ocean water

2. Farming with Salty water

3. Salt Free Farming

ebook available on Amazon

Seven (7) short fiction stories including climate change and healthy living themes, available on Amazon.

Solar Still Brolly (part 3)

Solar Still Brolly  (part 3)

So having softened the drought stricken soil, get planting crops!

Solar Still Brolly (part 2)…Eureka Moment!

First Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II for being the longest serving British monarch.

Now here’s potentially a general quick hit to both the rising sea levels and drought issue. 

Solar Still (Part 1)

Solar Still Brolly…(Part 1)

We had nearly 2 weeks worth of rain, (according to some), for the August 2015 bank holiday!  Some people around the world are experiencing drought. With rising sea levels, there must be scope to disperse excess water onto dry land then distilling it for practical use. Broken clear plastic brollies could be use as the item that the internal evaporated water drips from and into the container see Wikipedia Solar Still 

On a larger scale make wider holes in the humid soil and use bigger basins ! 

Rainy Day Game Activity

So we're having a lot of rain today, no matter, it's good for the plants.  Plenty of indoor activity to get on with too.  Now Brollie Poppit, (game character), has decided she is not going to be restricted to the main screen so that element may have to remain in the beta test.

Solar Brolly - Hottest Day 2015

Solar Brolly 1st July 2015 - hottest day so far...

Outdoor temperatures peaked at 32oC today, (according to Accuweather.com). 

The hottest point I could find in the garden read just under 40oC outside the

Solar brolly, and just over 60oC inside, next to the pot.  Also, it was cloudy most

of the time whilst carry out the test.  Perhaps if it was cloud free and up to 32oC , the pot  might get hot enough to pasteurise water?

Award 2015

Runner's up award...

Solar Brolly

Tetra pak cartons were opened out and put under the brolly frame (only partly broken). Good idea until it clouded over! Will try again on a cloud free day.

Brolly Arc

Brolly Arc

 ‘The answer my friend is blowing in the wind…’,  join lots of

Brolly fabric as possible Quick Hit to capture and reuse emissions.

Pot cover 'Mulch'

 In time of ‘drought’, the notion of covering soil with unwanted waterproof material such as umbrella fabric can act as a form of mulch which in turn helps to retain water.

Enhanced brolly label for fragrance

Enhanced Brolly (umbrella) label for fragrance 

So now I've added some detail to the brolly element of the label and I think Eau d'hyacinth sounds better for this impromptu fragrance.  Perhaps Exotic Eau d'hyacinth ...

Brolly Label for Fragrance

Brolly Label for Fragrance

One plant casualty of today's winds = the fragrance, Eau l'hyacinth!

The label includes a brolly extract (in phase 1 of design mode).

Pot covers

Jolly Brolly Pot Covers 

You can use the fabric from your broken brollies, to make pot covers.  After removing the fabric from the umbrella, wash, dry and cut into a circle approx 4cm larger than the diameter of your jar cover.

Singing in the rain

Singing in the Rain in the meantime...

For some fun, a game featuring some programmer's unique art.  When it's ready, you can help Brollie Poppit keep the umbrellas out of the landfill.

Decorative Brollyflies 

Brighten up dull areas of the garden with brollyflies which can be made from your broken umbrella fabric...add glitter to get a sparkle!

Brolly (Umbrella) Pots

You can use the fabric of your unwanted umbrellas to cover your plain plastic gardening pots. The more colourful the fabric, the better. In addition to brightening up your patio, the fabric can aid water retention in the pots during the summer.

Brolly Pieces for Text Mosaic

Here's a sample of using small pieces of brolly (umbrella) fabric or other textures such as left over dressmaking cloth or wrapping foil pieces to create text or other items of art.

Brolly Game

For some fun, a game featuring some programmer's unique art.  When it's ready, you can help Brollie Poppit keep the umbrellas out of the landfill.

Brolly (Umbrella) Survivor

Dome Brollies...better for windy days

This brolly survived the winds of 27Jan15.   If it hadn’t, it could be turned a protective plant cloche or clear pencil cases (required for exams).

Some examples of Brolly Art

The items displayed below are made from the fabric of broken umbrellas. 

I found this short clip of the Lifecycle of an Umbrella ..well illustrated.

Brolly Bunting

Brolly (Umbrella) Bunting

Another idea is to make colourful bunting from the fabric of your broken brolly!