The opportunities

While I have been travelling I have had lots of time to read and think and putter around online. I have been feeling especially inspired recently by some alternative technologies I have been reading about, seeing, and taking part in. I would like to share some of the sources that I have found inspiring.

1. the book: Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World

This book is about a village in Colombia, South America, that is a model for sustainable living. They have built a ground up community that supplies it's energy from the sun, it's income from the rainforest while growing more trees at the same time. They are true pioneers, really forward thinking people. The book is great, a pleasure and inspiration to read.

2. Natural building:

Get on board, there are so many natural techniques that have been used forever such as adobe and cob building. An earthen home is cheap to build, doesn't require too much expertise, is beautiful, healthy and comfortable to live in and doesn't use nearly as many resources, unless you count dirt, which is an unlimited resource. Look into it, start with a homemade pizza oven: http://blog.sustainablog.org/how-to-build-your-own-cheap-outdoor-pizza-oven/ 

Here are some sites to get you excited:

3. Solar Cooling:

A college student figured out how to make a fridge that uses some very simple materials. The idea is so painfully simple it shouldn't work and yet it does.

Also, there are people designs for solar air conditioners that turn into solar heaters in winter.

The same principle has been used to make low tech solar freezers that can produce large quantities of ice. Check out this article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=solar-refrigeration

4. EM

It stands for Effective Microorganisms and is apparently the savior of our planet. A combination of a few different types of microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria, yeast, photosynthetic bacteria) can be cultivated to make this miracle substance. EM supposedly can be used diluted in water to help plants grow faster and stronger. It can keep compost piles, sewage systems, fish tanks , well basically anything from getting stinky and gross. It can be fed to animals to improve their health and yield (milk for example). It has been used to clean up after natural disasters such as Katrina. There are even EM recipes that people drink to improve their own health. EM is commerically available, it's quite expensive, but a little goes a long way, as you can dilute it quite heavily. There are also some recipes floating around online, but I can't vouch for any of them yet. 

How can you not get excited when you think about these things. I am starting to realize that despite the immense complexity of life, it is all so simple. The sun and dirt can take care of most of our needs. Let me know if you're inspired by something.
love to all,
Robo