Providing an Alternative to Slash and Burn Agriculture
The village of Gaviotas, situated in the llanos region of Colombia, is cited as one of the premier examples of the development and implementation of place-based, appropriate technology.
appropriate technology
Back to basics: direct hydropower
One hydropower configuration that deserves considerable attention is a water turbine directly powering machinery, without the intermediate step of generating electricity. The implementation of this form of direct hydropower doubles the effectiveness of a small scale electric hydropower installation. This advantage can be used to increase the energy production of an existing water power site. It also means that more potential water power sites become available, and that relatively small streams and rivers can be shared by several hydropower units. Because of its higher efficiency a direct hydropower system is also cheaper.
Food ENERGY: Processing
It is difficult to say whether our eating habits are driven by changes in the food system or vice versa.
Permaculture Possibilities
In Extraenvironmentalist #58 our correspondent Kevin joins us to cover permaculture approaches to our global challenges.