Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Phil Bunch" <pbunch@cox.net>]

I think your list of questions can easily be converted into goals. They also
describe a context. Would you not agree that in the pursuit of such goals
one would want to work both efficiently and effectively? 

I think there are many things that would contribute the achievement of goals
derived from your list. I think that underlying all of them is the
implementation of a steady-state economy and population. The use of
non-renewable resources must be carefully managed and renewable resources
must not be consumed at any rate greater than our capacity to replace them. 

This kind of economy would have obvious implications for agriculture. 

Phil

-----Original Message-----
From: livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
TradingPostPaul
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 7:24 AM
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency


Ok, let's put our growing talk in the larger context. Here's some larger
related issues to be considered. 

1. What approach to growing can decrease our dependence on fossil fuels
and/or biomass fuels, and decrease pollution?
2. What can offer growers better income incentives to farm and affordable
places to live and work for millions of unemployed or underemployed?
3. What can produce enough affordable food for all and reverse the crushing
cost of degenerative diseases and health care?
4. What can reduce growers' vulnerability to a distribution system they
have no control over?
5. What can improve rather than deplete the soil for the next generation?
6. What can conserve rather than deplete freshwater or fossil aquifers for
the future?
7. What can offer more community self sufficiency and individual security
and freedom?
8. What can leave more open land and forest for wild ecosystems to return?
9. What can reverse the acidification of the oceans, depletion of fish
stocks, nitrification of "dead zones", loss of critical coral reefs, and
sequester more soil carbon? 

Stay tuned.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 12/25/2007 at 5:38 AM Phil Bunch wrote:

>It may be helpful to think in terms of effectiveness rather than
>efficiency.
>In either case the context within which one is acting, either effectively
>or
>efficiently is the key to the outcomes. I like effective because it has a
>connotation of having a goal in mind. Efficiency is driven by a short term
>objective of minimizing input and maximizing output. This over
>simplification can divert ones attention from other goals and can become a
>goal in itself.
>
>In my view efficiency has its place as long as it is an appropriate place
>given the full spectrum of needs associated with a process or project.
Like
>any other powerful tool it must be used responsibly. This implies we
>understand all the important ramifications of what we are doing
>efficiently.
>
>



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