permaculture

[swrpi@igc.apc.org]

Dan H. wrote 10/25/97 and Scott P. replies 

>a small fraction of the permaculture movement now knows what has been decided
>for them.  

Once again Dan I must insist that nothing has been decided for anyone who
doesn't want to participate.  Anarchism doesn't proscribe action by the
individual nor does it prohibit others joining in on a good idea.


>to avoid any further contact with Bill and his appointees.

I really think that this is a cheap shot.  I have known Bill for some eleven
years now, teaching with him, on the road with him, and consider him a good
friend as well as mentor.  I have never known Bill to appoint anyone for
anything.  Bill chooses, just as we all do, to associate with those with
whom he shares a common interest and finds pleasant to be with.  Bill
doesn't appoint anyone his associates are mutually selected! Bill more than
anyone I know has fought for the past 6 years, (three international
permaculture conferences) against the idea that we needed a permaculture
standards board to pass on the merits of teachers, and design practitioners.
Sort of an AMA of permaculture. 

I agree with his sentiment but am also concerned with the paucity of ethics
in some of the graduates who are now teaching and designing.  I don't have a
solution but I am alarmed at the lack of depth of understanding of natural
principals exhibited by some teachers.  I think that now that permaculture
is a known word and has some commercial value that the predators and bottom
feeders are moving in and we have no strategy to protect the integrity of
the permaculture movement. It was only yesterday, it seems, that I was
spending most of my time defining permaculture to a bemused listener.  Now
it is fairly common knowledge.  This is something that all of us have to
work on and think about before permaculture becomes another commodity.

   
Scott Pittman <swrpi@igc.apc.org>
Ingenio Patet Campus