Dr. Barbara Brodman, a professor of Latin American studies, hit on a word to describe a community that goes beyond "thinking globally, acting locally." The typical environmentally sensitive project is called "eco-community" to indicate ecological concerns.
"I call my development in the rainforest of Belize a 'geo-community' because it includes the culture of the local people and the people who move to live in Belize."
To address concerns of air, water and ground pollution, the community stores rainwater, develops much of its electricity from renewable resources and has a process for obtaining transportation fuel from non-fossil sources.
"But the local people need to be involved in the transformation that takes place when portions of a rainforest are developed," explained Brodman, who maintains a web site at www.gaiglobal.org to address the issues of a "geo-community." "Too often gringos bring in their own experts and don't train the locals. Our project of ten homes will teach local workers to use special tools so that they can start their own businesses. Ecology is one-sided if the local people don't participate in the economy."
Brodman's vision for her community combines buildings that are environmentally sensitive and culturally responsible.
The word appears to be a "neologism," a newly created word -- with 116,000 exceptions. A search on Google for the word without a hyphen, "geocommunity," reveals that number of occurrences on the web from one source: a creator of a search engine that looks for data for the Geographic Information System or GIS community. Hence, "geocommunity."
Brodman describes her Iguana Creek development as an experiment in "responsible living." It is located in the Maya Mountains of western Belize.
The project is on 54 acres of a protected ecological preserve and "combines self-sufficient living with responsibility for the community and eco-system that supports it." That's where the Geo-Community comes to include training for local residents. Eco-tourists might consider visiting southwestern Belize to see the similarities between the dairy land of this area of the Mayan peninsula and the rolling hills of Vermont.
So, if you searched on the Internet in March 2007 for "what is a geo-community" with a hyphen, you would find a single instance, related to a real estate listing that Brodman arranged to publicize the project. Anyone wondering what the next new word is will quickly conclude that geo-hyphen-community is a rare new addition to the lexicon.
For more information about the project, please click on the links below related to travel to Belize. If you don't speak English well, consider the free tutoring that is available online.
JK McCrea
Founder of these sites
www.RoadLovers.com
JKMcCrea.com
www.freeenglishlessons.com
www.gaiglobal.org
www.geocities.com/bb_tropicalparadise
www.geocities.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=hDqvPAi_Rac selling a home in Fort Lauderdale
Make A New Word
But the play, the price and the sunset are real. They're something you've experienced and thus have to be believable. Not to worry. I've invented a word for these kinds of situations.
The word is "hardtobelievable". There is a thin line between unbelievable and hardtobelievable, but it's there.
When someone says just a second, that's unbelievable and just a minute usually is too. However, when someone says I'll call you tomorrow or the check's in the mail or when a politician says anything - these are examples of hardtobelievable. They could happen, but you're not going to hold your breath waiting.
Looking through your high school yearbook, seeing how much your nieces and nephews have grown since last Thanksgiving, seeing yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning all qualify as hardtobelievable. Being able to read a doctor's handwriting also qualifies.
A magic shows is another example of hardtobelievable. Through slight of hand and distracting our attention, magicians seem to perform magic. But if the magic were unbelievable, the woman really would have been cut in two.
In spite of indisputable proof such as Tang, Teflon and Velcro, some people still think the landing on the moon was unbelievable. It was hardtobelievable.
Losing money in Las Vegas is believable. Been there. Done that. What's hardtobelievable is that people overpay for souvenirs to remind themselves of the experience.
Ninety-one degrees in Southern California in February is hardtobelievable, but people taking out their t-shirts and shorts is...shortsighted.
It's hardtobelievable when a presidential speech starts on time or ends fast enough. It's hardtobelievable Donald Trump thinks his hairstyle looks good and that you can lose weight on a cookie diet.
When you see a parking ticket under your windshield wiper, you tell yourself the meter's timer must be broken. It couldn't have taken twenty minutes to pick up the prescription.
Okay, you did happen to see a friend; but you really didn't talk. It was more like a quick hi. It couldn't have taken more than a couple of minutes. But it did.
Although hardtobelievable, the ticket is real. Yes, the ticket is real. Put it back under the windshield wiper, track down your friend and have a cup of coffee. The parking is free. That's really hardtobelievable!
Both Jake Solochek & Knight Pierce Hirst are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jake Solochek has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Desktop, Humanities and Web Development. www.RoadLovers.comJKMcCrea.comwww.freeenglishlessons.comwww.gaiglobal.org?v=hDqvPAi_Rac. Jake Solochek's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Knight Pierce Hirst has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Humour and Internet Marketing. KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life. at. Knight Pierce Hirst's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
