Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World

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Must Read.......2007-03-15

This 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.

Engaging Style.......2006-04-04

This 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 eye-opening book

Barbara Spring

Not DIY.......2005-03-14

The 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. The drawings offered in the book purposely omit the most important details required to fabricate the devices in a proper working form. If you are a tinkerer and want to build these "goodies," you have three options. In the U.S., you can e-mail with the "Sustainable Village" web site and get the plans (eventually---they are not quick in responding). You can contact the Gaviotas offices in Bogota, Colombia. You can, of course, also take the basic idea and think through the details for yourself. That could take longer and be a little more expensive---perhaps. If you primarily want the ideas and the inspiration, then buy the book, by all means. If you primarily want to tinker and build, go straight for the plans.

interesting.......2004-12-17

In 1998, journalist Alan Weisman collected and presented information about a little known, yet quite monumental, village known as Gaviotas. To get there, one must travel 16 hours by car from the nearest major Columbian city, Bogotá. Even then the path there is not a smooth one; rough, muddy roads and severe political unrest serve as some major barriers in getting to Gaviotas. So why then is such an arduous trip worth it; in essence, Gaviotas is yet another tiny village located in a generally uninhabitable region and possesses none of the modern modes of transportation or communication that we are accustomed to. While in a sense these aspects may be true of Gaviotas, it is also undeniable that this community holds as one of the most efficient, supportive, and thoughtful communities on the planet.
Started in 1971 by a group of Bogotá scientists, Gaviotas originally was created as a sort of scientific experiment, a reaction to the way things were - which clearly wasn't working. A Gaviotas saying goes "the real maturity in life is to realize your dreams" and the founders of Gaviotas did just that when they decided to create their own society. The harsh life and extreme poverty that had been rampant in developing urban areas paired with the blatant depletion of natural resources was enough to spark the idea that maybe there should be a change. Yet instead of trying to make changes in the system already in place, this group of determined individuals took on the radical notion of creating an entirely new, segregated, yet completely self-sufficient, place to live. And that is just what happened.

Wonderful, Inspiring, Hopeful!.......2003-05-06

It was one of the best books I've ever read.
Go get it right now!

Avian Incubation: Behaviour, Environment, and Evolution (Oxford Ornithology Series, 13)

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Avian Incubation: Behaviour, Environment, and Evolution (Oxford Ornithology Series, 13)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Avian Growth and Development: Evolution within the Altricial-Precocial Spectrum (Oxford Ornithology Series)

ASIN: 0198508107

Book Description

This is the first scientific review of all factors affecting incubation in avian nests. These range from nest construction, egg characteristics and patterns of embryonic development. There is an extensive section describing incubation behaviour of parents and embryos, and there are chapters reviewing brood patch physiology and the various factors determining the incubation environment, including nest microbiology. Another section provides chapters giving detailed descriptions of examples of unusual aspects of avian incubation, whilst the final section provides consideration of the ecological, energetic and fitness cost of incubation. Written by authorities in their respective fields from around the world, this provides a comprehensive review of this critical aspect of avian reproduction. Much of the data included has not been previously published, and so Avian Incubation is not only an extensive reference text but is also a valuable contribution to our basic understanding of incubation.

Plant Growth and Development: Hormones and Environment

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Plant Growth and Development: Hormones and Environment
Lalit M. Srivastava
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 012660570X

Book Description

This book provides current information on synthesis of plant hormones, how their concentrations are regulated, and how they modulate various plant processes. It details how plants sense and tolerate such factors as drought, salinity, and cold temperature, factors that limit plant productivity on earth. It also explains how plants sense two other environmental signals, light and gravity, and modify their developmental patterns in response to those signals. This book takes the reader from basic concepts to the most up-to-date thinking on these topics.

* Provides clear synthesis and review of hormonal and environmental regulation of plant growth and development
* Contains more than 600 illustrations
supplementary information on techniques and/or related topics of interest
* Single-authored text provides uniformity of presentation and integration of the subject matter
* References listed alphabetically in each section

Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest: How Conservation Strategies Are Failing in West Africa

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A very important conservation book
The real truth about the harsh realities of saving wildlife.

Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest: How Conservation Strategies Are Failing in West Africa
John F. Oates
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520222520

Book Description

John Oates tackles one of the most serious challenges facing the world's conservation leaders today: How can the needs of wildlands and wildlife be reconciled with the needs of people? Current conservation theory holds that wildlife can best be protected through the promotion of human economic development. Oates disagrees. Drawing on his extensive experience as a primate ecologist who has worked on rainforest conservation projects in Africa and India, he argues that the linking of conservation to economic development has had disastrous consequences for many wildlife populations, especially in West Africa. He maintains that in those parts of the world where people are very poor, human well-being is more likely to be promoted by large-scale political, social, and economic reforms than by community development schemes associated with conservation projects.

Customer Reviews:

A very important conservation book.......2001-08-11

If you are at all interested in conservation, then you have to read this book. John Oates shows how the modern concept of community based conservation that looks so good on paper, in reality has been a dismal failure in West Africa. He provieds several examples from his 30 year long career in West Africa. He shows that you have to be realistic when designing conservation programs, and that many people making conservation decisions are more interested in prestige and money than they are in preserving natural ecosystems. It is sad when you read that the World Wildlife Fund conservation planners are not interested to even go see the areas that they are supposed to protect. The intrinsic value of nature is a hard sell, but finally the utilitarian view of nature seems to always lead to exploitation, and increased pressure on the areas that are supposed to be protected. He also very clearly demonstrates that the idea of using zoos for conservation is a bad one. Zoos are probabally the best way to educate the public about conservation, but are very poor ways to protect species, in fact zoos can even do more harm that good. This book really open your eyes, the situation isn't hopeless, but if conservation projects in Africa are going to work, then it has to be done with a realistic approach and the intrinsic value of nature needs to be on the fore front of the effort.

The real truth about the harsh realities of saving wildlife........1999-12-04

This is a must read for environmentalist, conservationists and everyone who donates money to the cause of saving endangered species. From Oates own experiences in Africa and Asia, Oates tells us how the myth of sustainable development is failing to protect species and parks. He informs us about that what is needed is a return to protecting nature for its own sake. It is a well written book that weaves personal history with the history of the conservation organizations that are telling us they are "saving life on earth." The reality is they are failing and they must change tactics and soon.

Island Colonization: The Origin and Development of Island Communities (Ecological Reviews)

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Island Colonization: The Origin and Development of Island Communities (Ecological Reviews)
Ian Thornton
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521854849

Book Description

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.

Losing Paradise: The Growing Threat to Our Animals, Our Environment, and Ourselves

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Losing Paradise: The Growing Threat to Animals Our Environme

Losing Paradise: The Growing Threat to Our Animals, Our Environment, and Ourselves
Paul G. Irwin
Manufacturer: Square One Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0757000037

Customer Reviews:

Losing Paradise: The Growing Threat to Animals Our Environme.......2001-01-26

This is a recent publication by Paul Erwin, President and CEO of the Nation's largest animal protection organization, the Humane Society of the United States, with seven million members. Mr. Irwin has written a landmark book for the layman and clearly presents irrefutable evidence that humankind is on a reckless collision course with the Earth. He presents an alarming and compelling look at how critical the situation is today for our resources, our endangered wildlife, and for human life itself. Never in the history of our planet is it more important for the information in this book to reach millions of readers. It would behoove all of humanity, from housewives to board members of mega international corporations, to heed these warnings.

In Losing Paradise the author paints a shocking picture of the degree to which greed and recklessness have already devastated this planet. My feeling while reading this book was that it is becoming not so much a struggle to save paradise, but to salvage the wasteland we have created of that paradise. As a single example, the clearcutting of ancient forests all over the world is threatening to wipe out future medicines before scientists are given the opportunity to harvest the plant specimens. These magnificent rainforests are being destroyed with total abandon along with possible cures for cancer or other incurable diseases of mankind.

However, the author also offers the hope of solutions and simple and effective steps that can and must be taken if life as we know it can continue on this planet.

Book Description

This book is about preserving and improving the livelihood of pastoral communities in northern and north western China. The focus is on sheep and wool; on people who raise the sheep, especially minority nationalities; and on degradation of the rangelands on which the animals and ultimately the herdsmen and their families depend. Since the book is based on extensive fieldwork spanning four and a half years, it is unique in that it presents a comprehensive picture of a remote but fascinating and increasingly important part of the world.

The Development of Expressive Behavior: Biology-Environment Interactions (Communication and Behavior : An Interdisciplinary Series)

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The Development of Expressive Behavior: Biology-Environment Interactions (Communication and Behavior : An Interdisciplinary Series)

Manufacturer: Academic Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Environment and Animal Development (Seb Seminar Series)

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Environment and Animal Development (Seb Seminar Series)
D. Atkinson
Manufacturer: Garland Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1859961843

Book Description

Environment and Animal Development is the first book to focus specifically on the interactions between the environment and developmental mechanisms with particular emphasis given to the consequences for animal populations. The underlying premise of the book is that the study of physiological mechanisms alongside the analysis of adaptive values will enable rapid advancements in our knowledge of this important field. With contributions from well-known experts, the book will be invaluable for all graduate students and researchers in this area.

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