Appropriate Technology
Submitted by evets on Mon, 2005/03/28 - 20:33.
Gateway to solar, wind, nuclear and other catastrophic ways of keeping the light on.
Phil started this section and said :-
'From http://www.dcat.net I have borrowed this definition:
To be appropriate, technology must be connected to the place, resources, economics, culture and impacts of its use.
It makes sense, is concise and fits what this book is about. On the other end of the spectrum, Amory Lovins said something close to:
Heating your house with nuclear power is like cutting butter with a chainsaw.
That isn't what this book is about.'
Phil wanted this book to be Nicaraguan in context.
I find this difficult in that my vision, such as it is, is to take the best recent technology has to offer and adapt the implementation to the relatively limited fabrication capabilities of what is, essentially, any third world country.
I am also an advocate of nuclear power which I see as the only way of preventing the probable extinction of Man.
Renewable energy is possible at the level of an individual house and, without doubt, brings home the need for frugality or the lights go out but when one considers the US consumes 10 trillion kilowatt hours per year there is nothing in the short term but the brute force of nuclear fission that can supplant burning fossil fuels.
I would happily buy a 1M cube mini-reactor giving 10 Kw 24/7 for 100 years and stop worrying about windmills and solar cells but I can't find one on EBay.
In the meanwhile I"ll try to pass on practical or semi-practical info via the 'Appropriate High Tech' and 'Energy' sections and their sub-sections. Any help would be much appreciated.
Steve.
Phil also says 'if you see a section missing, add a comment to this page. For new links in the other pages, add a comment with the info. The link will be added and the comment deleted.'
Appropriate Technology
We have run articles on Appropriate Technology in the first editions of El Puente (the bi-lingual community resource magazine currently covering the SW region of Nicaragua). I'd be willing to post those articles here if that would be "appropriate"...plus open the invitation to others with similar simple technological solutions to pervasive public health issues to share them- I'd be happy to include them in future editions of El Puente.
Some focus areas of El Puente are: Leadership, International Perspectives, Local Initiatives, Appropriate Technology, and Intercultural Collaborations.
That would be great
I am all for it. We are here to get information about Nicaragua distributed. Personally, I am very interested in AT so that puts it high on my list. Also, tell us where/how to find El Puente.
El Puente Says:
"Some focus areas of El Puente are: Leadership, International Perspectives, Local Initiatives, Appropriate Technology, and Intercultural Collaborations." ____________________________________________________________________
JT -- In all seriousness, we need to do at least a few of these things on the beautiful "Atlantic Coast of Ncaragua".
Corn Island had a bilingual newspaper of about 4-6 pages with advertising that was published about every 4-6 months in the 1990s. The problem was that not news; but, only heavily opinionated statements about events were reported. ___________________________________________________________________
Not necessarily a newspaper
To answer Phil's question, I'd suggest sending me your address and I'll send you a copy of the pilot edition of El Puente. I look back at it now and see it as a top shelf newsletter, but not nearly what we're capable of. The next edition will be released in early August (36 full color pages) and I will make sure we get some copies up to Esteli and the Atlantic Coast (both places I would love to visit by the way). We'll be developing a national distribution strategy as we ramp up our capacity to produce on a bi-monthly frequency....but like I was telling Alan in another related email...I need some folks that can provide insightful, culturally sensitive, and timely correspondence from community-based initiatives all over Nicaragua so that readers from around the country (not just San Juan del Sur and Rivas) can relate and find value in the content. This site has given me hope that those kinds of people exist and might be willing to contribute if given the right opportunity. El Puente is not necessarily a newspaper in that we don't cover current events, but rather provide access to community-based initiatives, local leaders, and innovative colaborations that would otherwise go unnoticed by the larger community. I'd like to include coverage of current events, but since I've been in the states (with 3 trips to Nicaragua this year), it has been difficult to stay up on everything that is going on. Once I move down there in a few weeks, I'll be better situated to incorporate current events. We're also developing strategies for asset-building initiatives, leadership development programs, and community organizing workshops. These endeavors can definitely be translated to other communities and regions of Nicaragua. Regarding appropriate technology (for example), there are models for bio-sand filters, eco-stoves, and composting latrines that we'd be happy to share with other communities.
We'll grow to a national platform quickly and I would like to brainstorm with those interested about how op-ed pieces from this site could be included in upcoming editions. We have an open invitation for folks in the community to write about things they feel strongly about. Whether it be tourism, foreign investment, community development, education, public health, etc. I want to provide an incentive for young and old to share their ideas and discuss how they see the world, so that at the end of the day, we can all have a better understanding and appreciation for the community (some more diverse than others) in which we live. Especially for the region around San Juan del Sur, the potential for another gringo-land to pop up is great, and without a vehicle for community level conversation- it could become a very sour place to live. We'll see. There is a lot of support around what we are doing right now and I'd like to collaborate with you all in the near future.
In the meantime, I'd definitely like to send an announcement via Nicaliving.com once we launch the next edition and provide ongoing updates regarding community events/forums/workshops El Puente will sponsor going forward. Maybe we could post some select articles as well? If you can accept large attachments via email, I'll send you an electronic version of the pilot edition for you to check out.
I really appreciate your interest, input, and willingness to collaborate.
As we say in Atlanta: "Holler back", JT