Message-ID: <199605141900.OAA19608@zeus.anet-chi.com> Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 14:28:21 -0600 From: William Paris <mailto:cpc@ANET-CHI.COM> Subject: (Fwd) Renewable energy applications in sustainable agriculture To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Anyone interested? reply to agAccess.
------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 09:50:00 -0700 To: mailto:SARD-NEWS@nygate.undp.org From: mailto:agAccess@davis.com Subject: Renewable energy applications in sustainable agriculture
May 12, 1996
Dear Friends,
Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) is seeking expert advice about renewable energy/energy efficiency applications in sustainable agriculture. More specifically, VITA is exploring the feasibility of creating an electronic knowledge network for the benefit of NGOs in developing countries. As a pilot project, they hope to create a network for South Africa and the Philippines to link NGOs to the Internet (VITA already has a satellite gateway to Internet in these two countries).
Your input and responses to the following questionnaire is critically important to the potential success of this pilot project. All of your ideas are welcome!
I will gladly send you a summary of our findings following the completion of this survey in about 6 weeks. For more information about VITA, please see VITA BACKGROUND INFORMATION at the end of this message or visit their web site at http://www.vita.org.
Thank you for your time and effort! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Nathan Boone mailto:agAccess@davis.com
VITA QUESTIONNAIRE ********************************************************** * Please return at your earliest convenience to: * * Nathan Boone Email: mailto:agAccess@davis.com * * Tel: 916-756-7177 Fax: 916-756-7188 * **********************************************************
1. Does it make sense to develop a special catagory of information that focuses only on the use of renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies in agriculture for developing countries? We don't need yet another data base, archive or list, or do we?
2. Where are such databases, archives or lists? Who manages them?
3. What's missing in the available information--where are the gaps?
4. Is there sufficient need to warrant such a specialized database, archive or list? (Always keeping in mind that we don't want to aggregate data or create a new "repository," we just want to people to be able to access information via internet so that users can choose from a special menu.)
5. Is the information high quality, or just information that someone offers? How is high quality assured?
6. Is the information in a useful format for use by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others in developing countries?
7. Is the information used? (Not just "viewed" or even "downloaded?" Is it redistributed and applied? Is there anyway to get this kind of feedback?
8. Is someone already working on this?
9. How do people access this information now? Who accesses it (is there a profile anywhere)? How extensively is Internet used to obtain this type of information?
10. How do people in developing countries access this information?
11. Who can answer these questions?
Thank you for your feedback! Please return to: mailto:agAccess@davis.com
***************************************************************************
VITA BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) has been providing technical information and technical assistance to developing countries since 1959.
Since 1984, VITA has been promoting the use of digital radio technologies to improve communications for development. These technologies include VITAsat, a low earth orbiting satellite. In mid-1996, VITA will launch a new satellite from Russia, whose network will include special gateways to the Internet in Norway, South Africa, Chile, and Australia. This will make e-mail through internet possible on a global basis - and make it possible for NGOs in developing countries to access the information they need to improve their lives.
For more information about VITA, visit our web site at http://www.vita.org
********************************************************************** SARD-NEWS ********************************************************************** SARD-NEWS* _ Socioeconomic Biophysical _ SARD-FORUM INFORMATION Nation | NATION-SOC | NATION-BIO |"*" indicates source list Community | COMMUNITY-SOC | COMMUNITY-BIO | Please respond to: Farm |_ FARM-SOC | FARM-BIO _| mailto:sard-news@undp.org **********************************************************************
William Paris,Jr//Current Pana mailto:Corp//CPC@ANET-CHI.COM 117 W.Harrison Bldg,Ste C-637;Chicago,IL 60605-1709 Voice:312-667-9257//Fax:312-667-9093