the technology of gaviotas

Anybody read this?

I read it a while back and glanced through it a bit more rather recently. 

While the stories in it are interesting, the technology in there is excellent!  I wish I could study the technology more. 

The solar fridge was huge.

How about the dams and pipes built with earth-cement? 

The pump?

Is there an index somewhere of all of the inventions?

I searched a few years ago to see if I could find any plans for the stuff they were working on. I was unable to find anything. I think the engineers putting all that stuff together may not have been so big on documentation. It is really tough to find any info about them period.

Dave

I've picked the book up three times and spent a few minutes trying to find the part about the refrigerator and cannot seem to find it. 

I wish there was an index.

Is "The Technology of Gaviotas" the title ?  I had never heard of the people or their ideas.

I can't find it.  All I can find is GAVIOTAS, A Village to Reinvent the World By Alan Weisman.

I did run across a website called Friends of Gaviotas at http://www.friendsofgaviotas.org/

Sue

"GAVIOTAS, A Village to Reinvent the World" is, indeed, the book.  And it is the technology that I am interested in.

The technology:

3 drawings, a seesaw water pump, a solar kitchen, a solar kettle:
http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/~winter/engineering.html


An interesting article about where Gaviotas is going now:  http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/26/technology/village_saving_planet.biz2/

Sue

That's the stuff!

Now if they just had a page about their fridge!

Well, this is hardly a gaviotas fridge, but this link points out how one of their devices likely works on a larger scale...

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/12/solar-powered-fridge-by-emily-cummins/

Wow.  That is amazingly brilliant.

Actually, after digging around, I think I found some other solar powered refrigeration devices, but I think this might need its own thread over in the alternate energy forum. I'll see if I can get my links together and post over there.

Searching the web for more info on the Gaviotas technology, I found a connection between Gaviotas and Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives (ZERI) http://www.zeri.org/.

I looked around there and couldn't find much mention of Gaviotas, so I emailed them.

My question to them:

"Hello! I have recently read Gaviotas, a Village to Reinvent the World.  Looking for more information online, I keep reading that Gaviotas hasn't copyrighted/patented their inventions so the world can use them freely.  If so, why am I having such a hard time finding plans or details about them?  I finally found the booklet on the Double-Action Sleeve Pump, but only in Spanish.  There is nothing but a few diagrams of a couple of the other useful creations. Is there some source that I could use to build my own versions of Gaviotas technology? Thank you for your time. "

The response from Gunter Pauli:

"When interested in Gaviotas technology there is a difference between no copyright and patent and then just posting everything on the web.

"The full set has been documented thanks to a major effort of a full team and these technologies are available for local and social development

"That is the wish of Paolo and his team, so it is not available for personal or commercial applications ...

"If you have interest in using the technology for regional social development then it may be best to contact in the USA Peter Dean at the Marion Institute.

"Check their website for details

"thank you"


So, I take this to mean that they don't REALLY want to forward Gaviotas technology as much as they want to personally direct its usage?  If you are working with a bunch of Native Americans on a salt-encrusted desert, you would somehow have to 'prove' to them that these people need it?

It appears that their willingness to not patent anything so the world can use is just so much claptrap.  Depressing.

I haven't yet checked out the Marion Institute that he refers to.

Sue

Well, it does always seem to be about money, doesn't it?

Sometimes more control than money, but the two certainly walk hand-in-hand.

Sue

Susan Monroe wrote: I finally found the booklet on the Double-Action Sleeve Pump, but only in Spanish.

I was listening to Paul's podcast on natural swimming pools this morning where he mentions the earthcrete material from Gaviotas. It was a surprise for me to hear him mention that name which I haven't heard for many years here in Colombia. I'm curious about why we don't hear from them more often.

Anyway, I would be happy to translate any texts from Spanish if you like (so long as it doesn't violate any rights)