The village that could save the planet is in Colombia

Simon says on Sep 28, 2007, 14:00:

That is a wonderful article! It makes me feel proud to be Colombian!

"Tu vas a ver, llegaras a mi edad y veras que Colombia seguira igual"-----Simon Sr.

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poco says on Sep 28, 2007, 14:43:

I read this in the first paragraph and decided it was time to hit the back button.

Text Quote: M-4 machine guns dangling from their shoulders and automatic pistols strapped above their right knees.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

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Robert Jorge says on Sep 28, 2007, 14:48:

Yep, pretty good article Lily03.
Poco, what made you hit the back button? (M4 machine guns aren't actually "machine guns", but current US Special Forces issue battle rifles.) I own one myself, and it isn't considered a machine gun. Is this what turned you off Poco? Serious question, just curious.

BEWARE of gold diggers.

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Monpirri says on Sep 28, 2007, 16:06:

Lily03, thank you for shaing with us that great news!

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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capitan_centella says on Sep 28, 2007, 16:50:

Good news. . . the one who made me proud of living here.

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

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Lily03 says on Sep 28, 2007, 18:26:

Poco- don't get me wrong..I was a bit thrown off when I read that line..but didn't want to judge too quickly the article.

I thought that the article was breath taking...and very inspiring...

{"At Gaviotas," he says, "creativity is at a peak because people live and think together all the time, just like the ancients in the small towns in Greece." }

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capitan_centella says on Sep 28, 2007, 19:35:

Hum. . . too hasty poco. I don´t like the "tone" of the article too (trying to be a novel, like capote´s masterwork "in cold blood") and besides that kind of writing is heavely dangerous for us colombians, becouse it shows something unreal, and thereby untrue.

But if you cut the unnecesary parts (mostly deficient descriptions from our military uniforms, and the "my own point of view" stuff, becouse I´d never seen that kind of forest, ect, ect) you´ll see that colombians researchers are really DOING SOMETHING GOOD to improve our quality time here in this rock that we wrongly call earth.

And that´s pretty much the point of the article, isn´t it?. . .

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

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christobeldawg says on Sep 28, 2007, 19:39:

I thought that the article was breath taking...and very inspiring...

{"At Gaviotas," he says, "creativity is at a peak because people live and think together all the time, just like the ancients in the small towns in Greece." }

very inspiring indeed Lili. Thanks for the heads up on that article.

admittedly, arriving can feel great too

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billyb says on Sep 28, 2007, 20:58:

Very cool article Lily, thanks.

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capitan_centella says on Sep 28, 2007, 21:06:

Im agree with billyb. It´s amazing what a colombian can do, only with "ganas". . . jajaajajajaj

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

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billyb says on Sep 28, 2007, 21:22:

Thanks for agreeing with me Capitan, although I wasn't aware I had said that. I will take credit for it nevertheless :)

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capitan_centella says on Sep 28, 2007, 22:12:

jajajajaj billy.

Ok. . . I´ll give you credit for that.

;-)

jajajaajajajajaja

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

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gold digger says on Sep 28, 2007, 22:24:

Cassini. That biodiesel article is worded strange. It is comparing burning biodiesel to the deforestation of carbon absorbing peat bogs, which is wrong. It is surely written by a "save the peat bog" group. I'm not saying that it's right to destroy the land but the people need jobs, etc.
Biodiesel is much better for the environment than diesel. Most is made from soy beans which is perfectly renewable and has no sulfur and offers better lubrication. Not to mention keeping money in the country and not giving it to people who want to kill us.

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poco says on Sep 29, 2007, 18:56:

Quote: Serious question, just curious.

RJ, The weapons description was accurate (except the 7.72 should be 7.62) and wasn't the problem. The captain posted part of the reason. Over-hyped, not necessary and served no (useful) purpose.

Many articles, not just this one, contain new spins on old stories to serve an agenda and this writer appears to have taken notes and proceeded to write a story.

Your comment made me read the story, several times. I wasn’t disappointed. This item (among others) caught my attention:
--------------------
Water Wheel:

this tiny hydroelectric turbine is one of four technologies that keeps Gaviotas off the national grid. It generates 30 kilowatts off a 1-meter drop in a low-fall dam.

The article contained this text:
Its products include a hydroelectric microturbine that generates 30 kilowatts and thousands of RPMs from a mere 1-meter drop in a low-fall dam;
---------------
I doubt 99.99 percent of readers haven’t a clue, even those highly educated, why would they?

At worst this is utter nonsense and at the best the photographer didn’t understand what he was told and/or was seeing. Thousands of RPM’s was the worst,, kind of like mentioning the 7.72 machine gun.

30 kilowatts is 30,000 watts. One Horsepower = 746 watts so this “Turbine Wheel" needs to generate about 40 horsepower. The picture indicates the turbine to be about 24 inches (61cm) dia. I think it might be smaller.

28 inches of water column exerts about 1 pound of pressure per square inch. A one meter drop of water equals 40 inches or about 1.5 PSI. This might spin the propeller and maybe some power will be generated but not 30KW and surely not enough to power more than a few lights.

Turbine meters are not suitable for low water column pressure applications requiring 30,000 watts.

This is an European 20KW unit, Undershot design.

Link: http://www.qub.ac.uk/civeng/research/hy/researchpages/subpages/waterwh...

A commercial Diesel 30KW unit on ebay.


http://cgi.ebay.com/30KW-DIESEL-GENERATOR-SET-120-240-VOLT-SILENT-POWE...

The accomplishment of one man in a desolate area of Colombia where land was given away FREE over 30 years ago does not need -PUMPING UP- by someone who’s only knowledge of pumping is how to get sunshine into dark places. Frankly, it removes credibility.

PS: Gaviotas biggest contribution has been reforestation but even then I’ve seen estimates from 1.5 to 10 million trees.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

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gold digger says on Oct 1, 2007, 22:06:

I'd like to visit him and check things out myself but I kind of like being alive.

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christobeldawg says on Oct 1, 2007, 22:12:

jajaja, I was thinkin the same thing gd

admittedly, arriving can feel great too

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