about a marvellous pioneer village

in transition to eco

please open http://www.piracanga.com too and 

read about the idealistic and successful initiatives

and see pictures which show this beautiful place and 

its lovely inhabitants!

weblog under construction

written out of personal concern and worries because of an ailment which makes me a 1000 times more sensitive then most people.

an old Dutch children rhyme:

Op de Bibelebontse berg staat een Bibelebonts huis;
in dat Bibelebontse huis wonen Bibelebontse mensen;
en die Bibelebontse mensen hebben Bibelebontse kinderen;
en die Bibelebontse kinderen eten Bibelebontse pap,
met een Bibelebontse lepel uit een Bibelebontse nap.

freely translated in English:

On the Bibelebontic mountain is a Bibelebontic house;
in that Bibelebontic house live Bibelebontic people;
and those Bibelebontic people have Bibelebontic children;
and those Bibelebontic children eat Bibelebontic porridge,
with a Bibelebontic spoon from a Bibelebontic plate.

a variation on the same topic:

PIRACANGA ECO VILA

On an eco spot is an eco village.
in this eco village are eco* people;
this eco people live in eco* houses,
with eco* energy and eco* fire;
they eat eco* food out of eco* pans;
and use eco* deo and eco* soaps;
and eco* sun screen and an eco* jeep.

ECO ?

* 1: means for protection are necessary in a humid tropical climate and the for constructions and furniture used wood treated with CCA (chromium, copper and arsenic) in Brazil is, in contrast to in a lot of other countries where it is prohibited because of high toxicity, still normally available. Water tubes and shower curtains are of PVC. A plastic that Greenpeace wants to abolish totally. 

Acrylic resin varnish on the concrete for which one has to use a gas mask, eye protection and gloves to put it, cannot be called a natural material. For floor wax with synthetic agents and a fragrance which a week after putting it, still smells, it’s the same. New developments started in planting bamboo to grow to build houses from and the reuse of telephone poles and other "second hand" wood. See the links (right) for more alternatives.

* 2: energy produced by solar panels is used in every building. Maybe a good idea to install portable/drivable ones on a cart to use for construction of new premises instead of a diesel aggregate?

* 3: wood fire you may call organic.. but smoke is very hazardous to the environment and all living beings; it contains CO, carbon monoxide, polycyclic hydrocarbons among which benzo(a)pyrene and dioxins. Health damage by wood smoke causes the death of a large part (25%) of the world population which uses wood as fuel to prepare food.

* 4: there are already more than 1000 fruit trees and many fruit plants and a permaculture vegetable garden is under construction. As long as these don't produce enough, mainly regular grown food is consumed and that means in Brazil: frequently with pesticides and also for a part genetically modified.

* 5: in the restaurant are in use aluminum and steel pans. A bit of these metals transfers to the food. From alluminium is known that it can cause dementia. It's better to use unglazed earthenware or glass and according to others: iron ones.

* 6: in Brazil hardly any ecological care products are available. You can buy only bars of so called "pure" coconut soap with optical brighteners. Many new habitants and Piracanga visitors still use synthetic shampoos and even harmful deodorant, about which a research showed that substances can cause breast cancer among other. And synthetic sun protection lotions of which is known that they damage coral reefs. Some people even use synthetic fragrance (containing products) which for example can cause hormonal disruption, skin rashes, agitation and depressions. In the Piracanga shop are available natural cleaning products: see the Biowash link at the right. Coconut oil is a good alternative as a deodorant and as "aftershave" because of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti fungal and antibacterial properties and even as a sun screen (factor 4). Bathing now and then in the sea and a shower with pure good Piracanga water keeps hair very clean, the maybe to much fat secretion stops after a while because the skin doesn't get forced anymore.

* 7: In Brazil diesel to which 5% fuel of ecological origin is added, may be called "biodiesel" "Because the engines are not built for other fuel then diesel" a higher percentage is prohibited. There are rough road and that's why jeeps and a motor tractor for construction and maintenance activities are necessary. Also a wood chipper and an engine saw and thus used with ordinary diesel.

Diesel exhaust gas is very harmful and known as a cause of allergies from which many people suffer from an early age. Piracanga inhabitants are brainstorming about alternatives for transports from and to the cities: electric or blown by the wind or carried by horses over the beach during low tide!

Concerning substitutes for diesel for the tractor and aggregate: I hope that on own land properties experiments will be tolerated or even welcomed and that alternative totally organic fuels get used soon.

"canary" Mirjam Ruijter

PS: In 2009 when I wrote this above, I was almost half a year in the Piracanga centre in Brazil after having visited Vancouver island, Canada in 2004, Thailand in 2005-2006, Sri Lanka in 2007 and Mauritius in 2008 in search for a new residence with the cleanest possible air. Till now the Brazil coast proofs to be the very best in many aspects! but I got really shocked by synthetic smells where I hoped to be able to live without my heavy breath protection device. I must understand that most people don't even detect them and that synthetic chemical products are considered as "normal" to use. More consciousness is growing. In 2010 all habitants who live in Piracanga already a while are free of synthetic smells!

MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity, also called: E.I., environmental illness), is an unknown, serious disorder which in most countries not yet gets recognised and from which many people suffer; mostly with light complaints. I do my best to bring it under the attention as a warning "canary".

A canary formerly got taken in mines as an indicator for toxic gases. When the bird fell of its rod, people had to leave the contaminated place as soon as possible.

More information about MCS and much more:
http://www.het-abc-van-mcs.nl (in Dutch / English / German)


Below photographs to give an impression of the surroundings of Piracanga which word means: meeting of waters.
These are: the Atlantic ocean and the Piracanga river which color often is transparant brown.
The photo´s open more big after a click.
At least: just put they did and now only some do..