Permaculture and You

One of the many reasons I was attracted to permaculture was that it seemed to encompass so many different aspects of living sustainably. Gardening, farming, silvaculture, aquaculture, mixed systems with animals, water catchment, earth works, flow and natural mimicry to name but a few. Bill Mollison and David Holgrem really seemed to know their stuff. It wasn't just "put a compost in the back and ride your bike to work" kind of thing. Not that their is anything wrong with that. But the problems we face today are going to demand a much more systemic change. I liked how they stressed relative location and local adaptation. Trial and error. Don't just stand there, get your OWN hands dirty. It is not lost on me that it took me eight years to walk my talk. But here I am, if somewhat sheepishly.

I read a few other blogs. And on one of them, Sharon Astyk's, they were discussing the political and cultural biases that sometimes go along with permaculture courses taught in the States. Namely, she was afraid that much of Middle America would be turned off by some of the more "hippie" aspects of permaculture. I think this is only true in the USA and Britain. I think the permaculture taught in Australian and the rest of the world is more hands on and direct. And many of the commenters on her blog noted that since permaculture has linked with the transition movement of Rob Hopkins, this aspect has only gotten more pronounced. I can't say if this is true or not. But these are things that concern me.

We need to remember some people may not want to get in a circle and share. They may just want the simple basics of permaculture with a limited amount of personal interaction. They may want to know exactly how it can help them and their family. And it behooves us to show them just that. When you read Permaculture: A Designer's Manual, you definitely appreciate that the author cares about the earth and cares about people. But you also get the feeling that he might offend sensitive and more pc souls. What I got out of the book and others by Mollison was that things change fundamentally when people see a better way. Doing is more effective than legislating. And while this probably doesn't apply to the banning of chemicals that poison us all, it does apply to much else.

I thought a great tag line for permaculture in my own area might be: "Permaculture: Use What Ya Got, Make it Better All the Time." I live in an area of California which is very conservative both politically and culturally, yes it does exist! So if I want to share my knowledge and try to change the way people manage their land out here, I have to be more aware of where they are coming from.

The things we need to stay away from when sharing permaculture are 1. Criticizing religions. 2. Making generalizations based on one's political party. 3. Creating an "us vs them" mentality in other ways. You can debate until the cows come home but it won't change the fact that we are all in this together. And we may not agree on religion but can we at least come to some kind of agreement on how best to take care of land, people and animals? Well, if we try and spread the word about permaculture design ideas through actually implementing them and showcasing them in our city, town, or neighborhood, we may have a chance. Demonstrating is way more effective than proselytizing. I am certainly not saying I know the only right way - heaven forbid!! I am just showing my own meandering way.

One final note. If you come across people who believe that after death they are going to a much better place and so they don't care what happens to future generations or the earth they are leaving behind, well then there is not much we can say to change their mind. I have met people who feel this way. I find this position doesn't leave much room for compassion or for connection in the here and now. Sometimes I get so down with all the terrible difficulties we are facing in our world. But I find permaculture allows me to feel that in my own way, I am making a difference. It might not be enough but from a moral stand point I have to try.