I went out for lunch with my wife today to a little restaurant on a wharf. We got to talking and I had to explain Permaculture again to someone who has never heard of it. I also need to be careful up here because a lot of business depends on forestry which is in very sad shape even though some of these companies own land from where I live to Eureka, CA, some 200+ miles away. So, in 1 sentence describe what Permaculture is to someone who has never even heard the term before to make them interested in learning more.
It's a design system that aims to produce the greatest yield for the smallest amount of resources. It's not EVERYTHING that permaculture is, but it gets someone's attention long enough to explain more.
Its a system that recognises that every piece of land is individual, with its own needs and provides ideas of how to get the best from it without wrecking it.
The intentional planning, design and development of resilient, sustainable and integrated human settlements that mimic naturally-occuring ecosystems and processes.
Sounds like what was happening in the Amazon prior to 1492 Mark you would enjoy Mann's book titled "1491"
A set of design principles, based on natural systems, to create sustainable homes, communities and food production?
"An Earth Science rich in Theory and Application - subjugated, compromised, a remnant keeping pace with environmental collapse"
if permaculture was a hamburger.. "if permaculture was a hamburger, it would be a fkn big mac, the amway of environmentalism,the ikea of green activism and permaculture gardens - the melamine"
Permaculture is an extended organic garden design methodology originally devised in the 1970’s early 1980’s, but seemingly having its origins in the International Biological Program of the 1960’s/1970’s; unfortunately handicapped by its retrospective and backward looking perspectives concerning the superiority of perceived pre-existing ecosystems and the cultures of ancient peoples, it lacks scientific foundation, is largely marginalised within contemporary thinking in all related areas, but is great fun for those who like to get their hands dirty, don’t ask too many questions but yearn for how things used to be even if they never were.
If permaculture were a burger, it would be a gourmet burger*, compiled with careful thought for the interaction of ingredients (flavour, texture, smell), where they have come from, how they will assist the person eating it in terms of health and satiation and pleasure, as well as the person making it (providing satisfying ways of making a living and contributing to the community), and being made from local, sustainably grown plants and animals suited to the climate and landscape. ;-p *or what we think of as such but really should be our daily fare.
Permaculture is a culture of enlightened beings who strive to do no harm whilst sustaining their environment.
Michael, thanks for the pointer. I'll certainly put it on my reading list, along with his latest publication titled '1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created'.
nothing, but if you are among scientists designing life saving systems ' for great and glorious objective of better world now'....no one is going to dig your dirt on the table. one of us is in the metaphorical wrong place.... it is save planet stuff - or - it is some enviro pulp the nursery industry promotes with commercial intent. the former is moral high ground - the later is a form of consumption with a glaring pecuniary interest, that in more discerning environments would result in 'disqualification'. i don't see a comfy intersect here.
Who said it had to be comfortable? Isn't this just the same as organics? By the time the mainstream got round to stealing organics we'd already moved well on to other things. Having said that, I'd be interested in some concrete examples of permaculture's commercial corruption. I'd like to better understand where you are coming from, and how far down that path we are (like I said, it's not as prevalent here). btw, I saw a quote of Mollison's in something I was reading yesterday, and he used the phrase 'change the world' not 'save the world'. A world of difference. ".no one is going to dig your dirt on the table" The Lawton's seem to be taken very seriously. Geoff, the man who said all the world's problems can be solved in a garden.
when you invoke Lawton you raise my position to 'no contest kim won' and i feel unworthy (as yet) a few back arrows to something called the International Permaculture Research Institute - Lawton's baby?, of which this forum is just a subset of...... are you really telling me ....THAT IT IS A GARDEN????....it is evidently systems design.....there is for example no plants......it is info tech and not a mandala garden. Lawton (Salute) changes the world with systems design Pebs, i am going to recommend you for a promotion