On The DL

Innovation and Sustainable Design

by Holly Otterbein

Thu., May 1, 6-8 p.m., $10-$25, School of the Future, 4021 Parkside Ave., friendsofgaviotas.org

If the U.S.'s recent fad-like interest in environmentalism feels a little like a slacker's attempt to make up for lost time, then Paolo Lugari (pictured) is a longtime, hardworking scholar with foresight. In 1971, he recruited a small group of scientists, artists and engineers to build a self-sufficient Colombian village, Gaviotas, reasoning that overpopulation will force humans to limit their consumption in the future.

During a lecture at the School of the Future, Lugari will speak about the logistics of creating Gaviotas, including inventing sustainable technology, seeking out local solutions to local problems and recruiting enough people to fill a village. Gaviotas is located in the Llanos Orientales region of Colombia, a cloudy, war-torn area with the most acidic soil in the nation. During the past 37 years, the residents have rendered it livable: They built a solar- and wind-powered hospital; developed hydraulic pumps that are powered by children's seesaws; and, perhaps most significantly, discovered that the Caribbean pine tree's resin can be used to make turpentine, an organic substitute to petroleum, without cutting down the trees.

In addition to the lecture, Lugari will also host three workshops, May 2-4, addressing the future of biofuels, rainforest restoration and the social aspects of sustainable living. The events are presented by Green Village Philadelphia, a group of business owners and local activists who are working to create their own self-sufficient urban neighborhood in Philly.

So what can a village in Colombia teach aspiring villagers in this city? According to Terrie Lewine, a member of Green Village Philadelphia, plenty. "I asked him what his greatest challenge was, and he told me that it was finding people with enthusiasm," she says. "That's something we all can relate to."