So you hear that there's going to be a solar storm coming soon, now what?

When this solar storm hits, there will be panic and chaos, we already established that. But, now what? Well, there'll obviously be a strong sense of wanting to survive kick in; so how do we survive?

First, evaluate where you're living. Are you living in an urban area, where skyscrapers and telephone wires are everywhere? Or do you live in a rural area, where the nearest skyscraper would be 1 hour away?
   Be warned people of the city! If you live in an urban area, chances are the electricity, that you're depending on, won't last once the storm hits. Even water and food sold in supermarkets will become scarce. So, my suggestion would be to stock up on food and water as much as you can because once the storm hits, you can definitely bet on it that those necessities to live will go out very quickly.

Example : Remember Hurricane Sandy?

You may also want to consider having a bag with essentials such as toiletries, matches, blankets, extra clothes, medical supplies, etc.

To read in-depth about things you may need, click here!
Good luck.

Helping Slums in Africa have Better Lifestyles!

     In America, where freedom and an opportunity to live a better life is guaranteed, many American lives may take for granted what we are accustomed to having: electricity. In Sub-Saharan African urban areas, 589 million people are living without access to a public electric facility as well as dwelling in slums. That's where the iShack comes in!

This is the iShack, which was developed by the University of Stellenbosch, where they were able to fund this experimental project using a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was developed to shelter families from the extreme temperatures in Africa as well as provide them with reliable power to sustain their lifestyles.

       This particular iShack is currently occupied by Plaatje, a domestic worker employed only once a week, and her three children. It is completely equipped with a photovoltaic panel, providing them with enough electricity to power three lights, a mobile phone charger and an outdoor motion spotlight. 

The structure of the iShack was carefully designed in that windows were placed strategically to provide them with better air circulation and sunlight heating as the roof was sloped to harvest rainwater during winter months. 

Upon living in the iShack, Plaatje and her three children claims that her lifestyle has improved drastically from where she used to dwell in, which was a cold, damp shack with a leaky roof and no electricity. Not bad of a transition for a family struggling as well as many others in Africa.