In 1970, Tajik authorities took an attempt to resettle Yaghnobi people from their native kishlaks to Golodnaya (Hungry) Steppe, a cotton growing area on the border with Uzbekistan. For these people used to fresh mountain air, clear spring water and cool temperatures, the resettlement was a real tragedy and they began to fall ill and die. Many of them returned to the mountains, to their native kishlaks. Nowadays, there are about 20 families living in 15 kishlaks.
Location: Tajikistan
via photopolygon.com
ARGH TALIBAN!!
Do they heat up kettles with that mirror disk? It seems to be improvised out of broken satellite receiver. Brilliant.
I wonder if the solar boiler works in winter, too. Guess not.
well, I meant it works. I saw similar thing in India on TV before, that was bigger then this one, but anyway the indian’s worked well.
This mirror looks pretty samll and a little bit crude but I’m sure that it is enough for a kettle.
And what is important is that this samll mirror is made of junk. They did recycling, made little(probably almost no) carbon emission while they set it up. that why I think it’s brilliant.
And what’s wrong with “carbon emission”?? You do know, that every time you breath out, you’re emitting carbon eh? So, you’re saying that you (and everybody else) simply breathing, is a bad thing?
For one, I’m sure they don’t see it as “recycling”, as much as simply using something that works. It no longer works for this, but I can make it do this.
Secondly, look at the photos again. Not much wood around there. I only see a small number of trees in two or three photos. No telling how far that guy had to go to get that back pack of wood.
So I doubt it’s a concern for “carbon emission” so much as it is getting something to work, and saving what you would normally use. Making something you do have (wood), go a lot further than it normally would because you’re not using it for something else any more (heating water).
You can’t apply your westernized ideas to people like this.
And how well that heater works, depends on a lot of factors, including the time of year, time of day, clouds, finish of the dish etc…
I tried making one for camping, it didn’t work nearly as well I thought it would.
I can see loads of trees in these pictures?
And if this mirror thing doesn’t work so well, why’d they bother making it?
Of course there is sunshine in winter from time to time. It’s summer where I am it’s very cloudy at the moment.
This is a useless argument.
You observe well, wood is a very precious commodity in their lives. I imagine finding the focal point is also difficult, but must be correct to make the dish work. Looking at the amount of wear on that dish I suspect it works just fine for them, after all if it did not why would they waste time fooling with it at all.
Most Americans have lost sight of the necessity of budgeting their time, bodily energy, and scarce resources to live. The only way to make them aware of the REAL actual cost of living is to tie it to a greater cause, such as environmentalism.
Actually I also guessed they made that mirror dish under the necessity, hardely with any intention of recycling, and agree with you all that carbon emission problem is exaggerated a lot.
I just wanted to praise them for their creativity, and to show surprise on the fact that the mountain villagers(who I guess less interested in environmental issue than townsman) have made what we call “Recycling” as a result.
Last happy people on Earth.
So far, I’ve been very nervous when I hear talks of the world ending. I decided to to purchase Survive 2012. I can finally rest easy at night!
http://doiop.com/SurviveApocalypse
Ill wait to read Survive 2013
http://www.zombo.com/?JamesDaneisadope
wonderful report. Congratulations.
I would love to live with them. been there last year, and will definately return there soon, for good.
Awesome pictures and awesome life (well for someone healthy, if they don’t need the help of modern medicine to live, otherwise.. they’d be screwed so bad). But in all other respects, amazing life. I try to camp in the mountains any chance I get.