Our Initiatives
Sustainability Center at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
The first location where Green New World is establishing a Sustainability Center is at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Overall it is best to start with a location that will minimize the effort for implementation before establishing other communities in more demanding climate zones as climatic conditions and local resources determine to a great extent which procedures and technologies are the most efficient and cost effective including the type of utilized energy source, thermal demands of homes, land size, food variety, agricultural procedures, water source and waste treatment. Implementation of self-sufficiency is more easily established in temperate or sub-tropical climates than arctic or arid climates. After establishing the first Sustainability Center named Project Alpha under ideal climatic conditions, Green New World will create sustainable communities in various parts of the world to create models for various climate zones and socioeconomic demands. Aditionally there is an urgent environmental need for intervention that suits the profile of the Clean Waters initiative. Lake Atitlan in several regards is ideal for Project Alpha, Green New World's first Sustainable Living initiative:
Environment There is a great need in the lake Atitlan region for environmental incentives as
Lake Atitlan has been named Threatened Lake of 2009 by the Global Nature Fund. The use of phosphate and nitrate containing sewage, soaps, detergents and fertilizers has lead to eutrophication of Lake Atitlan resulting in extensive algae and bacterial growth (read more). Considering it has been nominated a natural wonder of the world, immediate intervention is required and hence it lends itself for Green New World’s Project Clean Waters. To read more about Green New World's ecological projects please click here.
Climate The mild climate is ideal for the first sustainable community project as our focus does not have to be extensively directed to thermoregulation of homes. In addition 260 sunny days and the latitude of 15 degrees will reduce the cost of solar systems. Additionally, the fertile volcanic soil will make it easier to implement horticultural aspects of the project. Furthermore another benefit of this location is the annual average rain fall of more than 1000mm (40 inches) which will facilitate rain capture. Hence overall this location is an ideal location for our first sustainable community project.
Cost The cost of establishing such a project will be substantially lower. Lands, permits, labor, and material costs only a fraction of what it would in the USA or other industrialized countries. Not to say it will not be done in the future. But as a first step of our organization it is best to demonstrate the feasibility in an environment without stringent codes and regulations that slow down and unnecessarily consume a large fraction of the budget.