MOTHER’s Newsworthies: Dr. John Todd and Buster Lloyd-Jones

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Dr. John Todd is co-founder and director of The New Alchemy Institute in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The philosophy of the institute, John says, is
Dr. John Todd is co-founder and director of The New Alchemy Institute in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The philosophy of the institute, John says, is "to find more kindly ways of working with the planet."
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Buster Lloyd-Jones grew up loving animals, and despite having polio, became a vet who cured animals using natural remedies.
Buster Lloyd-Jones grew up loving animals, and despite having polio, became a vet who cured animals using natural remedies.

Brief: Dr. John Todd

To catch up on the latest doings of John Todd is to be given an overview of some of the most exciting goings-on in the whole field of alternative technology.

John, if you don’t already know, is co-founder and director of The New Alchemy Institute in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Established in 1969, N.A.I. also has centers in Costa Rica and Canada. The common philosophy of the three, John says, is “to find more kindly ways of working with the planet,” and at each one the kind of work that goes on is dictated by the local environment (“although there’s a lot of cross-pollination.”)

The “Alkies” ( “right now we’re a group of some 20-odd”) are made up of architects, horticulturists, solar energy specialists, fish culturists, systems people, and windmill developers. And, “In terms of the range of things we’re all doing,” John says, “I can hardly begin to describe it.”

John’s current projects, besides his administrative work, include N.A.I.’s two major bio-shelters, or microfarms: the Cape Cod ark and the even more impressive Canadian ark on Prince Edward Island. Each is “a kind of terrestrial capsule”, solar-heated and wind-powered … “a contained entity to produce year-round foods in northern climates.” The Canadian ark has within it a barn with space for food preservation, a human habitation with a composting toilet, a research lab, a family greenhouse, an aquaculture system, ongoing hydroponic experiments, commercial crops, integrated pest controls, and a propagating bench for the rooting of tree cuttings.

  • Published on Jul 1, 1977
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