Background research South Africa is currently faced with a major energy crisis, whereby there have been power cuts throughout the country. People that stay in shacks are then faced with the challenge of keeping warm throughout winter. They are then forced to use paraffin lamps, gas heaters and candles. The use of these to keep shacks warm is often dangerous as they can result in terrible tragedies like a family losing their home. During these fires a bigger tragedy is that other shacks closely surrounded catch fire. But there is a way to change all of this. Insulating shacks could save residents money and reduce the risks of a family getting their home burnt down. Turning normal recyclable materials such as cloth, sponge, plastic, paper and cardboard into a good insulator could help solve the problem that shack owners have to face every winter. But what is an insulator? An insulator according to vocabulary.com is any material that keeps energy such as electricity, heat or cold from easily transferring …show more content…
A sponge is very absorbent and is able to fill the holes better due to the fact that it can adapt easily to unfamiliar situations. What I mean by this is that sponge is able expand and contract so it will not allow for any cold air to come in. With sponge being able to do this it will be able trap in heat. Moreover sponge is eco friendly insulation and it does not release any pollutants. It is safe for living spaces. Shacks are made out of zinc, which are good conductors of electricity. Sponge on the other hand is not a conductor of electricity which will help when there is lightening in the areas. This will be keeping families safe during storms. A sponge can be found in an old mattress, shoe (maybe) and or a cleaning