This video shows some early research that's very promising as a way to improve the human-computer interface. Why should we be limited to mice and keyboards for the next thousand years? As computation power and graphics capabilities increase, why shouldn't the computer interface improve?
A few years ago I had some ideas bubble in my head that would be well served by the following:
I think I'll dust off my notes and write them up.
Site with descriptions of several projects you can (surprisingly) build by yourself. Like, a turboprop engine, or a CNC Mill.
Site with descriptions of several projects you can (surprisingly) build by yourself. Like, a turboprop engine, or a CNC Mill.
Scottish Renewables is Scotland’s Forum for the Renewable Energy Industry, supporting the development and provision of a sustainable energy future for Scotland.
Scottish Renewables supports the development and provision of a sustainable energy future for Scotland. Sustainable energy comes from sources that are safe, clean and renewable, and which should also be secure, diverse and competitive. Scottish Renewables therefore promotes the effective use of Scotland’s abundant biomass, geothermal, hydro, landfill gas, tidal, wave and wind resources to generate social, economic and environmental benefits for all.
A subscription-based online resource for environmentally sensitive design and construction. BuildingGreen Suite offers you a wide range of information - from articles and product listings to project case studies - to help you build a greener world.
They are an independent company committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help building-industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance, and reduce the adverse impacts, of buildings.
They offer both print and electronic resources to help you design and build construction projects from a whole-systems perspective and take an integrated design approach that minimizes ecological impact and maximizes economic performance.
On the Roof of Peru, Omens in the Ice: The article concerns itself with Andean glaciers in Peru. They're retreating, like other glaciers around the world. It's a sign of a warming climate. I want to write about this because of a trip I took to the Andes 11 years ago.
In 1995 I was able to take a trip to witness an ancient Quechua ceremony that is performed every year at their Winter Solstice (what is, to us, the summer solstice). The Qu'oyllu'riti festival draws 50,000 or more natives of the Andes, and the year I attended there were only 100 or so foreigners. The festival site is very remote, far up in a valley where there is a glacier at the head of the valley. The story they told me is they're commemorating the site where, shortly after the Spaniards arrived in the 1500's, a small child was seen whom they took as Jesus. There's a story that was told, but later reading about this festival tells me the ceremony has been performed for thousands of years, and this is another instance of Christianity overlaying itself over a native ancient custom.
It is a three day festival where the participants are representatives sent from villiages in the Andes, from Bolivia, and I think even from the Amazon rain forest. Each villiage has performers who perform their version of a common song, each band of performers has their own costuming, and the music they play all follows the same tune but with small differences unique to each group. There are other aspects to the festival, such as fireworks, including a loud cannon that shoots off every minute or so, and a group of people who dress like a certain bear known in the Andes and are charged with keeping peace, order, and the spiritual nature of the event. There is a rather large church of a Catholic style.
But, what is the point of all this, and what about the glaciers? The point of this festival is the glaciers. They see the glaciers as containing the purest of water. The spiritual leaders of this festival go onto the glaciers and do special ceremonies, and this festival is a major initiation time for the Quechua shamanic practitioners. There is special care taken to collect the ice from the glacier, and bring it back to each individuals home villiage for special ceremonies for those who could not leave.
It was clear to me the ecology of that area relied on the glaciers for water throughout the year. They seemed to not get much rain during the summer, and instead had collection of snow and ice on the glaciers that fed the rivers that provided the water they need to live. Oh, and not only is it the water the Andeans need to live, but that same water feeds a large portion of the Amazon basin below them.
The article linked above tells this story with scientific facts. It tells of scientists observating the glaciers retreat, how the nature of the glaciers have changed over the years, and how the local farmers are worried about their future. The article describes how one farmer has shifted his work to growing flowers, and how he is able to earn money that way, but if the water stops running how can he live? He can't drink money.
The Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR) is a small organization with a remarkable track record for breaking new ground in promoting sustainable communities. In 1978 RAIN magazine described ILSR as an organization that "puts hard numbers on soft dreams". In 1993 United States Senator Paul Wellstone called ILSR "one of this country's leading practical thinkers in the area of sustainable economic development".
Every year since its founding ILSR has researched the feasibility of communities generating a significant amount of wealth from local resources and has worked with the increasing numbers of communities interested in moving in that direction. In our initial years we focused on our surrounding Washington, D.C. neighborhood, Adams Morgan. Our urban townhouse became a working model of our ideas, with rooftop hydroponic gardens and solar collectors and a commercial basement sprout operation and composting toilet. We researched the income flows and ownership patterns of the neighborhood and helped to build cooperative businesses.
