Page 14 RAIN Oct./Nov. 1982 TRYING OUT THE FUTURE During the early seventies, when books like Small is Beautiful and magazines like RAIN were emerging to give voice to new visions of a socially just and ecologically harmonious future, activists in several parts of the world were beginning a "hands-on" search for optimal ways of integrating technology, natural systems and human Irving patterns. The Farallones Urban and Rural Centers in California; the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales; and the New Alchemy Institute branches on Cape Cod and (in the early years) Prince Edward Island were among the new combination research facilities/alternative communities whose highly-visible and seemingly-exotic experiments with windmills, sustainable agriculture, small-scale fish farming, and waste recycling systems drew attention from the media, from appropriate technology pilgrims and from curious (if not always comprehending) tourists. What have the A. T. research centers accomplished during theirfirst decade? What successes and failures have they experienced? Haw have their roles changed over the years? We asked Nigel Dudley of the Centre for Alternative Technology and Laura Goldman of the Farallones Rural Center to share their perspectives. — John Ferrell ■ 't •' i -ipi /'Alt'- W ’■ ' / By Laura Goldman Farallones Rural Center "So, what is it really like to live and work at the Rural Center?" This question is right at the top of the list as an all-time favorite of visitors, old friends, and on occasion, perplexed family members. It rates alongside "How many people actually live here?", "Who really runs this place?", and "What do you do about gophers?" It's almost an impossible task to write objectively and definitively about home, which is what the Rural Center has been for me during the past nearly three years. However, I don't think the task can't be tried. It just takes having a small banner of objectivity fluttering gently as a reminder to head and heart. First, some perspective and background on Farallones. After all this time of being involved, I am still fascinated by the kaleidoscopic concept-tumed-lifestyle evolving from a vision of what is possible when we become stewards of our planetary neighborhood. Farallones doesn't have a comer on the truth market, and is not currently involved in pretending to be perfect and lastingly appropriate. Instead, what I believe is going on is that we are heading toward some ideals, and are acting accordingly to give focus to our dreams and to manifest the resulting visions. The general theme is the rescue of the planet, a salvage operation to make it a more liveable and sustainable place to be for as long as it lasts. Basically, we are activists. We try to act on what we believe, and we encourage others to do the same. We'd like to be more self-reliant, more creative with what is available, more inventive with limited resources, more conscious of the delicate balance and interrelationship of the earth's flora and fauna, and more aware of the importance of working with one another in families, comCont. on page 16
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