Luis Lopezllera Mendes Presente!

photo of Luis Lopezllera Mendes

My dear friend and mentor Luis Lopezllera passed from this life the end of  October. Luis was the kindest, gentlest, most positive person I believe I have ever met. We met in Mexico City in 1986 in the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake through the Partners of the Americas when San Francisco was ‘partnered’ with Mexico City. On that first trip to Mexico, Luis introduced me to the urban slums where masses of poor people were living in makeshift housing on dirt floors. We then worked together on and off over the next few years focusing on my bringing microcomputers and internet access to the NGO community in Mexico and throughout the region.

Luis was a great man, a true realist, a stellar human being. There are very few people you meet in life who are truly humble, largely behind the scenes, doing transformative work. Luis was one of them.  Luis had a vision of a better world and he worked tirelessly to achieve it. Through his organization, Promocion del Desarrollo Popular, he had great effect upon many people and movements.  If you search on his name, you will get an idea of the scope and reach of his life and work. Example.

Luis you are already now and for a long time to come will be sorely missed. You are present in our hearts and minds.

Building Energy Performance Simulation Modeling Training

I helped train 10 professional architects here in Pretoria in building energy performance simulation modeling using DesignBuilder software. Thank yous to the University of Pretoria Department of Architecture for use of their classroom facilities, to the Pretoria Institute for Architecture for arranging attendees, and to the Fulbright Specialist Program for bringing me to South Africa to share my knowledge and experience.

Localization for Climate Chaos Adaptation in Bolivia

I just completed a series of four investigative reports for the UNDP Bolivia where I explored how Buen Vivir can be manifested in the face of accelerating climate chaos impacts. The investigation included reviews of official government planning documents and the work of the UNDP itself. The focus was on building disaster readiness by making communities self-reliant and self-sufficient in essentials like food, water, energy, etc. so that when supply chains fail, they'll be prepared. The series wrapped up with a list of suggested pilot projects for the UNDP. I'm certainly looking forward to see which project(s) the UNDP chooses!UNDP logo

Capitalism Defiles the Truth

removed linkedin post about Ivermectin

Social media companies bow to capitalist demands, filtering content which clashes with their profiteering. This even if it flies in the face of the truth.  I posted an article on LinkedIn published on the National Institute of Health’s website on the use of Ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in poor countries, and it was removed. LinkedIn no doubt removed the post as it clashed with their corporate customer’s carefully orchestrated campaign against Ivermectin  in order to further boost their obscene and unconscionable profits from their exclusive intellectual property vaccines which they refuse to share with the world.

We now live in a world of advanced capitalism which increasingly defiles the truth. Whenever mis and dis-information occurs, the old adage ‘follow the money’ will set you free to discover the truth.