Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.96.971114164430.25795B-100000@acy1.digex.net> Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:43:50 -0500 From: Tu and Bob Myers <mailto:tuandbob@ACY.DIGEX.NET> Subject: Re: From Development to Education (fwd) To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
On Fri, 14 Nov 1997, Nancy West wrote:> Just wondering, how will Americans get to Africa, Australians to South
> America, Europeans to Australia---swim???
Good point! Let's see if I can get my foot out of my mouth.
Thor Hyerdahl (sp?) went from South America to Hawaii in a boat without an engine*. I'm not sure if it was made using non ferrous metal tools or not, but iron can be made without fossil fuel. The Polynesians have been navigating all over the Pacific without engines for a long time, also. Both of them did it in boats that didn't use fossil fuels in the materials or construction of the boats.
Sailing is not a lost art.
There are working sail boats in SE Asia, that make a little money from tourists, now. Some of those are made without parts made using fossil fuel also, lotsa time and skill but no money.
You could say that part of the wind they use comes from old fossils like me flapping their jaws, which would kinda make wind a fossil fuel and blow the whole idea. ;-}
Now, how practical is it? I'll grant that not many people will do it, but it is practically possible to do so without fossil fuel (oil, coal, natural gas) entering into the system. Would I want to make an intercontinental trip under those conditions? Only once!
My diatribe was more about "can't", than non fossil fuel tourism. But, you asked a (what I consider a mostly**) reasonable question, so I tried to give a reasonable (not too smart alec) answer.
Bob
* The man that helped TH make the boat is apparently still going strong making reed boats on lake Titicaca in Peru. I saw him on a Michael Palen travel program this week.
** I'll bet there was a little "Get Real!" attitude in the question, but I stuck my message out-what the hey.