20100818
Eric Hunting wrote the following article on the Open Structures Project to which I have added my comment:
Eric, I appreciate your update on the Open Structure development. I would like to update you about Sola Roof, which is still progressing - but slowly - as an Open Source technology under our Creative Commons Public License. Our approach is to identify activity such as: DIY, education, research and humanitarian use of Sola Roof to be non-commercial use, which is accorded FREE access and use under conditions of Attribution and Share-Alike. The commercial use of our technology additionally calls for a Pay It Forward commitment for support of humanitarian projects. Our reserve on commercial use rights is intended to generate support from the commercial sector, especially those in the industrialized world, that will assist the projects initiated by our DIY community in poor communities and "emerging economies" where Sola Roof can strengthen the capacity for sustainable living.
The Pay It Forward commitment has also been called an Honor Payment, since it is an ethical obligation rather than a legal obligation for the commercial users. Non-commercial users are also encouraged to cooperate to establish Pay It Forward projects. My new initiative to mobilize the power of global collaboration and cooperation is called DIY Food. I am launching the DIY Food Campaign on 10/10/10, which is a day for Work Parties to present grassroots solutions for Global Warming that has been organized by 350.ORG. I anticipate that we will showcase several DIY Food projects on the launch date and the campaign is to mobilize commitments to establish 350 DIY Food projects (by DI Yers) before this year-end.
Sola Roof structural systems for DIY are very accessible and low-tech, but do encourage use of advanced materials technology. Sola Roof DIY uses commodity materials that can be used "off-the-shelf" or fabricated with hand or small power tools. The base structure system for backyard solar greenhouse construction in America or Europe is light aluminum angle and flat bar. The covering material is polyfilm or polyfabric. Mechanical systems use components from other consumer market sectors - the swimming pool and heat pump components or if DC power is preferred then from automotive and boating parts supply.
The key idea that makes Sola Roof a viral factor that will be big with DIY is that our methods for solar energy capture and use are incredibly low cost and simple and now Sola Roof will establish with DIY Food a more accessible and documented package of knowhow that will enable a wide spread use of specific successful patterns of construction (modularity) so that we will see rapid replication and diffusion of DIY Food methods (tunnel greenhouses) everywhere. I am looking for maximum impact and global PR for DIY Food on the launch date of 10/10/10 and ask you and anyone who is excited about DIY hacks for the big items - shelter, controlled environment, food, water, energy - that will make a difference if they go viral to get involved.
From this date to our 11/11/11 date - the Eleventh Hour campaign - we would like to see DIY Food go viral and build up a huge community of global collaboration and cooperative enterprise network.