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At 1100 PM AST…0300 UTC…the center of Tropical Storm Gaston was
located near latitude 13.4 north…longitude 37.7 west.  Gaston is
moving toward the west near 12 mph…19 km/hr…and this general
motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected over the next
couple of days.
 
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph…65 km/hr…with higher
gusts.  Some gradual strengthening is forecast during the next 48
hours.
 
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles…110 km
to the northwest of the center.
 
Estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb…29.68 inches.

US  braces for Hurricane Earl

Thousands of people evacuated North Carolina’s barrier islands on Wednesday as Hurricane Earl threatened to pound the US east coast with heavy winds and rough seas…read more 

The FWPIP Testing: ONLINE FURNITURE SCHOOL

An online Furniture Training School is under testing by the Furniture and Wooden Products Incubator Project Team. Please visit the College at then leave your comments on this blog. 

Furniture and Wooden Products Incubator Project (FWPIP) Booth:

The FWPIP booth had an estimated one thousand (1,000) visitors over the four (4) days of the JMA/JEA EXPO. Approximately 300 visitors signed the Booth’s visitors log book and made raving comments on the exhibits.

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FROM THE FWPIP ENTREPRENEURS ON DISPLAY AT THE JMA/JEA 2010 EXPO IN THE NATIONAL ARENA FROM 17 JUNE TO 20 JUNE 2010.

SEE PICTURES AND PRICES  HERE AND HERE

Mind boggling amounts of bamboo products are being churned out daily

Republic of Burundi acceeds to the INBAR treaty

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HON. MICHAEL STERN (IN PICTURE ON THE LEFT) ATTENDED INBAR’S MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP ON BAMBOO AND RATTAN SECTOR DEVELOPMENT HELD IN CHINA IN MAY 2010

During the Ministerial Workshop the Republic of Burundi became the latest addition to INBAR’s network of member countries on Thursday, 27 May 2010, bringing to 14 the number of INBAR’s Africa member nations. During the ceremony at INBAR headquarters attended by the Burundi ambassador to Beijing, H.E. Gabriel Sabushimike and Burundi’s Minister of Vocational Education and Literacy, Mrs Rose Gashiru, Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, INBAR’s Director General, Mme Jiang Zehui, Co-chair of INBAR’s Board of Trustees, and Mr Denis Uwimana of the Rwanda embassy in Beijing (acting on behalf of the Chair of the INBAR council) all welcomed Burundi to INBAR.

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT AND COMMERCE IN JAMAICA, THE HON. MICHAEL STERN VISITS A BAMBOO FLOOR AND MAT MAKING FACTORY IN BEIJING DURING THE MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP ON BAMBOO AND RATTAN SECTOR DEVELOPMENT HELD IN CHINA IN MAY 2010

Although a great deal of Burundi’s bamboo forests have been cleared, some still exist along waterways at around 1200m altitude and in the northeast of the country. Burundi is known only to have just one species of bamboo - Arundinaria alpina, sometimes referred to as Yushania alpina (Alpine bamboo), though it is likely that others have been introduced.  Alpine bamboo is traditionally harvested by the Batwa tribe in Kyanza province in the north east of the country, but bamboo is only used for home and farm use with very limited value addition. The potential is huge, and INBAR will be working with the government of Burundi to develop projects and partnerships that trial and demonstrate that potential.

Expo 2010 at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica (17 June 2010 to 20 June 2010)

Everyone should visit the Furniture and Wooden Products Incubator Project (FWPIP) booth at Expo 2010. The project was conceptualised by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and managed by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) in collaboration with the Jamaica Wood Products and Furniture Association (JaWFA). This Project which entered its implementation phase in January 2010 is aimed at resuscitating the ailing furniture industry in Jamaica.

JAM-MADE JAMAICA ROCKING CHAIR CONCEPTUALISED IN THE BSJ’S DESIGN CENTRE

Some of the Standards being used by the entrepreneurs with the guidance of the Bureau of Standards are JS 106 and JS1, Part 11. The draft Caricom standards is also being targeted as this will ensure that the Regional Market will be wowed by the incubates who operate out of clusters called Hubs and Spokes.

JAM-MADE JAMAICA COFFEE TABLE CONCEPTUALISED BY CARRINGTON (AN  ENTREPRENEUR IN THE FWPIP)

Expo 2010 is being held at the National Arena from 17 June 2010 to 20 June 2010. The FWPIP booth showcases the work of  some of the entrepreneurs who are working with the Bureau of Standard’s Design Centre to manage the entire chain of the production of Furniture and Wooden Products. This chain is being skillfully realigned from the conceptual phase through the design and marketing phase with planned training interventions and standards setting.

WOODEN PRODUCTS DESIGNED BY CHERYL’S COLLECTION (AN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE FWPIP)

SEE MORE PICTURES HERE AND HERE

The Ministerial Workshop helped us in the following ways:

1. We saw the important role that bamboo and rattan has played in poverty alleviation in member countries of Inbar including China. Membership of Inbar will prevent us from having to re-invent the wheel. The bamboo processing chain can be easily implemented here in Jamaica.

2. We now understand the role of bamboo and rattan in environmental protection (through high-level exchanges, visits and seminars) - the visits to the bamboo forest and to the pre-processing and finished product factories contributed to a solid first hand experience of this. The forestry deparment in Jamaica can benefit from the Research and Development already done within Inbar to introduce new species of bamboo that can be grown here. This will rapidly multiply the variety of products that can be delivered to the market.

3. We gained knowledge of how to implement sustainable development using the bamboo and rattan  chain

4. We experienced a deepening of the friendship and cooperation between us, china and other developing countries. (travelling together on the bus and the opportunity to interact at meals worked very well)

We were  focused on the theme of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo “Better City, Better Life” demonstrating how various countries promote sustainable development through bamboo and rattan resources.

Bamboo is a fast growing renewable resource and  has long been used as building materials for both structural and decorative use:

Bamboo - an environmental friendly material
-fast growing with short production cycle

-multiplication  easy and grows on poor soil

-energy efficient material, its processing needs 2/3 energy of that for wood, 1/9 for steel, 1/4 for aluminum and 1 /22 for
  concrete.

-good strength, flexibility and versatility

What is Rattan ?

Rattan is among the oldest natural furniture material in use today. Unlike bamboo, which is hollow, rattan is a solid timber vine that grows in the jungles of Indonesia.Wicker Furniture

What is Wicker ?

Wicker is a weaving process, not a material. One of the materials used in the weaving process is called rattan core, which comes from the rattan interior. A machine cuts the inside of the rattan pole, into pieces small enough in diameter for the weaving. Due to the nature of this product, splits and discolorations in the rattan poles are to be expected. They even enhance the beauty and uniqueness of these handcrafted products.

How is the Furniture Constructed ?

The rattan is placed in a steam box which is necessary for bending the rattan and making it more pliable. Jigs are constructed for producing specific shapes. When the rattan is…read more

INBAR’S Global Rattan Programme : Why rattan?

Light, flexible and easy to shape type of “wood”, that holds its shape.

Abundant in many tropical parts of the world (until recently).

Has been used to make furniture and baskets since before Roman times (2000+ yrs ago) in Europe and other regions.

read more

BIG OVAL RATTAN DINING TABLE IN PICTURE BELOW

First International Diploma in Bamboo in Peru

The stimulation of strategies for the improvement of sustainable development in new cities, and the improvement of these strategies, requires a re-thinking of the form that cities are constructed in. The application of new construction technologies using natural materials, such as bamboo, constitute an alternative for countries that have this resource or those whose geography is suited to the use of bamboo, such as Peru….read more