HSU Campus Center for Appropriate Technology

A living lab survives on the campus of Humboldt State University. Nestled in the Redwoods of Northern California, the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) serves as a beacon for hands on learning. Since 1978 the Center has provided education in the area of sustainability. Offering how-to workshops in everything from the creation of thermal curtains, to the installation solar hot water systems, students as well as the greater community can learn how to better live with the natural world.

According to the Center, "Appropriate Technology (AT) describes a way of providing for human needs with the least impact on the Earth's finite resources. When determining if a technology is appropriate for a specific use, we... examine a number of issues: is the technology built locally or use local materials? Can it be built, or at least maintained, with a minimum of specialized training? Is its use sustainable over many generations? Does it cause suffering in its manufacturing or use human or otherwise, disproportionate to its benefits? Can we financially afford it? With answers to these questions, or at least predictions, we try to balance the benefits and harms of a technology to determine if it is appropriate. Appropriate technology is not a specific item- it's not solar panels, or greywater marsh, or anything. It's a way of evaluating a technology, a way of thinking about the social, economic, and environmental impacts of introducing a technology into our lives..."

At this living lab participants can learn about Green Building, composting, solar panel systems, insulation, sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, composting toilets, water catchment systems, and much more. The Center offers its vast knoledge of green education at no cost and offers volunteer opportunities.

Campus Center for Appropriate Technology
1Harpst St.
Arcata, CA 95521
http://www.humboldt.edu/ccat

ccathsu@gmail.com
707.826.3551
M-F 9am-5pm PDT