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Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor
BBC News Magazine, BBC World Service, Uberaba, Brazil ^ | 12 August 2013 | By Gibby Zobel

Posted on 09/05/2013 9:11:08 AM PDT by PrayAndVoteConservesInLibsOut

Alfredo Moser's invention is lighting up the world. In 2002, the Brazilian mechanic had a light-bulb moment and came up with a way of illuminating his house during the day without electricity - using nothing more than plastic bottles filled with water and a tiny bit of bleach.

In the last two years his innovation has spread throughout the world. It is expected to be in one million homes by early next year.

So how does it work? Simple refraction of sunlight, explains Moser, as he fills an empty two-litre plastic bottle.

"Add two capfuls of bleach to protect the water so it doesn't turn green [with algae]. The cleaner the bottle, the better," he adds.

Wrapping his face in a cloth he makes a hole in a roof tile with a drill. Then, from the bottom upwards, he pushes the bottle into the newly-made hole.

"You fix the bottle in with polyester resin. Even when it rains, the roof never leaks - not one drop."

The lamps work best with a black cap - a film case can also be used "An engineer came and measured the light," he says. "It depends on how strong the sun is but it's more or less 40 to 60 watts," he says.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Local News; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: invention
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To: Tenacious 1

Yeah - sorry about that! I keep reminding myself to read the entire thread before I post, but never do.

It is easy to forget how poor these folks are. A long time ago there was a thread on a smoker device that enabled the rat catchers in India to catch more rats. They smoke them out of their holes, and get to keep the rats for food, as well as any rice they find in the holes. AND they get a 25 cent bounty for each rat.

One guy said he catches twice as many rats, his wife cooks and sells the ones they don’t eat, and he will be able to afford to send his kids to school so they won’t have to be rat catchers!


61 posted on 09/05/2013 10:36:39 AM PDT by 21twelve ("We've got the guns, and we got the numbers" adapted and revised from Jim M.)
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To: Tenacious 1
From the book---Diary of an Early American Boy 1805
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
62 posted on 09/05/2013 10:37:13 AM PDT by ansel12 ( Libertarians, the left's social agenda with conservatism's economics, which is impossible of course)
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To: sheana

“My brother bought a condo that has 2 solartubes installed.... It is amazing how much light they put out. We haven’t checked how but they also put out light at night, like a very bright nightlight.They actually are super cool but I checked and they are kind of expensive.”

That’s interesting that they put off a little light at night too.

Those who installed the Moser lamps would most assuredly rather have a solartube if they could afford it.

It was interesing to me how many people have installed these Moser lamps. The article says, “In the Philippines, where a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, and electricity is unusually expensive, the idea has really taken off, with Moser lamps now fitted in 140,000 homes. The idea has also caught on in about 15 other countries, from India and Bangladesh, to Tanzania, Argentina and Fiji.”


63 posted on 09/05/2013 10:38:10 AM PDT by PrayAndVoteConservesInLibsOut (PRAYING FOR AMERICA EVERY DAY!)
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To: PrayAndVoteConservesInLibsOut

Decent idea. Useless at night, but I give the guy credit.


64 posted on 09/05/2013 10:39:46 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Early 2009 to 7/21/2013 - RIP my little girl Cathy. You were the best cat ever. You will be missed.)
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To: Lazamataz

It isn’t useless at night, put it in a windowless shed, and on most nights you will see enough light to get around.

Nighttime bedrooms are rarely pitch dark.


65 posted on 09/05/2013 10:48:35 AM PDT by ansel12 ( Libertarians, the left's social agenda with conservatism's economics, which is impossible of course)
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To: bgill
You obviously didn’t read the article

I read it. I just think some of the posters here are going goofy over this like they did over Christie and a bunch of other non-events.

These put out as much light as a 40+ watt bulb

Wrong. They don't put out any light. They simply allow light to pass through - same as a hole

These people can’t afford electricity much less window glass.

But apparently they can afford soda.

negative

Try realistic. Use your ability to reason and examine these in the "light" of reason. They're holes in the roof with a bottle in them. They cannot let in any more light than the hole (first law) and they have to let in LESS light than a simple hole (second law). The only advantage the confer is that they keep out the rain and the diffuse the light. A bigger hole with a piece of glass (which you claim they can't aford) would let in more light. A bigger hole with a flap to cover it in the rain would let in more light.

66 posted on 09/05/2013 10:55:58 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: Tenacious 1

All is okay now FRiend!


67 posted on 09/05/2013 10:58:09 AM PDT by rawhide
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To: Kartographer

Lighting idea for shtf.

Also - http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/14/this-guy-used-only-a-plastic-bottle-and-water-to-create-light-like-that-of-a-60-watt-bulb/


68 posted on 09/05/2013 11:02:19 AM PDT by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: Hot Tabasco
the light doesn't penetrate the attic floor.....

But you never need to worry about whether you turned the light off before you left the attic...

69 posted on 09/05/2013 11:24:53 AM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: bgill

My reply was to the statement in the article “they don’t leak, not even when it is raining”

They will leak, guaranteed


70 posted on 09/05/2013 11:26:08 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: PrayAndVoteConservesInLibsOut

Ok but plastic becomes brittle in sunlight over time. So they do have to be replaced periodically and one hopes they are replaced before they drain onto the floor......


71 posted on 09/05/2013 11:28:06 AM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote
before they drain onto the floor......

The houses using this type of light likely have dirt floors anyway..........

72 posted on 09/05/2013 11:33:31 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (')
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To: Tenacious 1
is this the cue for the horse whipping of Tenacious1 for being a loser and whiner?

I thought they were legit concerns personally

73 posted on 09/05/2013 11:49:27 AM PDT by Revelation 911 (if "meat is murder" what is abortion?)
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To: null and void

I still would love to have these, but I do have an attic that would preclude this.


74 posted on 09/05/2013 11:56:44 AM PDT by Shimmer1 (Arnold, Arnold, Arnold Rimmer, without him life would be much grimmer.....)
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To: Revelation 911

LOL.

Pilloried, whipped, flogged, scourged, drawn & quartered, crucified, hanged, shot, beheaded and burned.

I’ll live.


75 posted on 09/05/2013 11:58:18 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (Waiting for next tagline.)
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To: null and void

That’s a clever idea with materials at hand.


76 posted on 09/05/2013 2:43:52 PM PDT by OldNewYork (Biden '13. Impeach now.)
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To: Tenacious 1
you forgot impaled on a punjab stick smeared with cow dung

just sayin ;)

the crap people get upset about here amazes me sometimes

77 posted on 09/09/2013 5:03:51 AM PDT by Revelation 911 (if "meat is murder" what is abortion?)
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