February/March 1981 RAIN Page 13 China as a Development Model the 82 families in the project as well as a substantial amount of power for food grinding and for the pumping of irrigation water. Waste heat from the generator is diverted from the engine room to an adjacent room where it is used for drying silkworm cocoons. Sludge from the digester is added to both fish ponds and agricultural fields, increasing productivity in both instances. What we witnessed was the continuing development of local selfreliance through renewable energy technologies. The biogas digesters and their related components seemed to be well accepted and From Development Forum, a U.N. Publication nicely integrated into the lifestyles of the families using them. The project frees time formerly lost in the gathering of firewood. Lighting is gained, as well as power for irrigation, and a rich natural fertilizer. Village income has risen substantially through greater yields of crops and fish. What we learned, observed, and confirmed throughout the China trip, and particularly in this village, reminded me of what we at Farallones recently wrote out as our philosophy for appropriate technology as a development strategy: " ... that basic to the philosophy of appropriate community technology is the belief that solutions to fundamental problems must emphasize decentralization, full and active local participation, and user control. This philosophy implies an integration of cultural, social, econqmic, and environmental factors; it ~emonstrates that technologies do not naturally exist apart, but are linked to culture. "Potentially appropriate solutions must focus upon, and be responsive to community felt needs, and should provide lasting opportunities for local decision-making, community control, and personal involvement. As people exercise their right to manage the technology they use, there occurs an increase in community selfreliance, self-determination, and the ability to solve problems creatively." In a Chinese village we experienced the practical and meaningful application of that philosophy and recognized that the appropriateness of any technology is dependent on its having evolved from within the community, thus making it a vehicle for truly selfreliant de~elopment.OO Portions of this article will also appear in Communities Magazine, Box 426, Louisa, VA 23093. For information on future trips to rural China, contact Christopher Szecsey at the Farallones Rural c;enter, 15290 Coleman Valley Rd., Occidental, CA 95465. Send $1.00 to the same address for information on Farallones 1981 workshops and training programs in renewable energy technologies and environmental horticulture.
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