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by: Alan Weisman  List Price: $16.95 Amazon.com's Price: $11.53 You Save: $5.42 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 508 EAN: 9781890132286 ISBN: 1890132284 Label: Chelsea Green Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 240 Publication Date: December 01, 1999 Publisher: Chelsea Green Studio: Chelsea Green Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: The eastern savannas of war-ravaged Colombia, known as the llanos, are among the most brutal environments on Earth, an unlikely setting for one of the most hopeful environmental stories ever told. Here, more than twenty-five years ago, an intrepid visionary named Paolo Lugari set out to create a village that could sustain itself agriculturally, economically, and artistically. He reasoned that if a community could survive in the Colombian llanos, it would be possible to live anywhere. The new village was named after the graceful river terns common in the area, los gaviotas. The early inhabitants of Gaviotas soon realized that if they wanted even basic necessities, they would need to be very resourceful. So they invented wind turbines that convert mild breezes into energy, super-efficient pumps that tap previously inaccessible sources of water, and solar kettles that sterilize drinking water using the furious heat of the tropical sun. They even invented a rain forest! Two million pine trees planted as a renewable crop have unexpectedly allowed the rain forest to re-establish itself. Paolo Lugari and the Gaviotans, in their quest to create a model human habitat, serendipitously renewed an entire ecosystem. This is why Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez has called Lugari as The Inventor of the World." Average Rating:
 Rating:  - I love this bookThis is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to anyone who will listen. I just love it. I've read it twice and I'll probably read it again sometime. I want to live in Gaviotas! Rating: - Gaviotas - inspiringWonderful book, highly recommended, inspiring. A real look at sustainable development in a highly unlikely place in the world. MUST READ!! Rating: - Must ReadThis is an amazing story about an amazing REAL place... It is an obligated reading for all of those who care about sustainability and renewable energy and wonder whether there is an alternative for our society. Read this and you will be full of hope and energy for action. Rating: - Engaging StyleThis book shows people solving ecological problems as a community. Weisman engages the reader by showing the people involved, not only the ones with training in certain disciplines, but also natives with practical solutions for living in a Columbian village. Even the children got involved in problem solving in Gaviotos. They have learned to live in a place where there are many dangers due to drug wars, yet their survival skills are exceptional. I highly recommend this ... Read More Rating:  - Not DIYThe vision described in the book is inspiring and very hopeful. The idea is to use our ingenuity in ways directly adapted to our environment so that small towns can be self-sufficient. Along the way, very clever uses of wind and water are discovered and described. If the reader is looking for great general ideas or approaches, this book would be hard to beat. On the other hand, if you are a garage-tinkerer and would delight in building the clever devices described, this book is close but no cigar. ... Read More 
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