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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Yeoman's book

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  • From: "Ben Martin Horst" <ben.martinhorst@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Yeoman's book
  • Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:30:59 -0800

It appears that no one currently contributing to this list is concerned
about the postion of Allan J. Yeoman, that the several fold increase of
background radiation from nuclear power is a good thing for humans and makes
them live longer.

This reminds me of Gaia Hypothesis originator James Lovelock's
contention that nuclear power is the only way out of the fossil
fuel/global warming crisis, and that nuclear waste is harmless. He has
repeatedly stated that he'd allow the stuff to be buried in his yard.
So yes, I think Yeoman is a bit daft on this point, but no, I'm not
particularly concerned. I think Yeoman has had a lot to contribute to
permaculture and sustainable ag, but I don't feel any obligation to
treat the entirety of his thought as Gospel. An example to illustrate
the point: I think Kennedy's decision to begin pushing Civil Rights
legislation in the US was an excellent idea -- but that doesn't compel
me to agree that his Bay of Pigs invasion was a smart move.

As to the gravity of global warming, there seem to me to be four major
responses:

a)Denial: it isn't happening, or if it is, it's caused by sunspot
cycles or something else we have no influence over

b)Nihilism: there's nothing we can do about it, so don't bother

c)Techno-optimism: the steady advance of technology will save us
(nuclear power advocates, or "nukies" fall into this camp)

d)Lifestyle change: the only way to reduce greenhouse emissions is to
change the way we live in order to produce less of them

I don't have much to say about the Deniers and Nihilists. In general,
Techno-optimists seem to me to be horribly naive. Maybe there's some
magic cold fusion or cosmic background radiation technology out there
that someone will discover in the next few years, but the chances of
it are pretty slim. And in the best case scenario, nuclear fission can
only get us by for another century or two, tops. And let's not even
get into what to do with all the nuclear waste -- just look at all the
trouble we've had in the States trying to find someplace to put all
the stuff we've created already.

New technologies will undoubtedly have their place in a future
sustainable/regenerative world, but I think it likely that most of
this will be relatively simple tech, easily replicable with renewable
materials. More important in the current crisis, however, is ending
our overconsumptive glut. I suspect I'm basically preaching to the
choir here, but I believe strongly that the only way out of this
global crisis is for small communities to very seriously practice
simple living. And we have to do it in such a way as to be an
attractive and viable alternative to mainstream consumer culture.

We're not going to win any converts from the Techno-optimist camp by
railing about them. We'll convince people -- and, with any luck, help
save the world -- by building happy, healthy, vibrant permaculture
communities that can be adapted, re-envisioned, and replicated on a
wide scale.

Just my $0.02.

Ben




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