permaculture

[warning@norex.com.au (David de Vries)]

Anger - Ecofascism

Mollison's angry branding of different green groups as ecofascists had
(until this weekend) looked to me to be inflammatory and
counter-productive.  I asked myself "How can he lash out at those who
should be Pc allies?"  I had the attitude critiqued by Lee Flier:

"
>From some comments I've seen on this list and others in the PC
Activist, it appears there are a lot of people who seem to sum up the
Grumpy pattern by saying (I'm paraphrasing):  "Well, Bill Mollison
obviously has a lot of great ideas, but he's just a quaint little old man
from a different era whose social skills need refining, and WE can do
better in that arena."  It's a way of derailing what is actually a very
important part of Mollison's (and others') philosophy and is responsible
for much of his effectiveness: his anger.
"

This weekend I attended a regional "Landcare Forum".  Landcare is an
extensive, national, grassroots, volunteer organisation that does fantastic
work restoring degraded landscapes planting local trees.  To my surprise, I
discovered they can also accurately be described as ecofascists.
Q.  How can a group of green, ecologically aware, educated and motivated
people also be fascists?
A.  By being preoccupied with destruction.  Through their love for nature,
these people have developed a cult of weed hatred.  At any cost
(labour-herbicide) the weed/enemy has to destroyed.

The War on Weeds had been declared and, like other war efforts e.g. WoIraq,
WoDrugs, dissenters have to be denounced, ridiculed or ignored.

Some permaculturists would respond to this situation by saying.
"These people are on the path, they will get there eventually, you cannot
push them"

If Bill was there, I am sure he would have ignored his own advice on not
wasting your efforts with people who don't want to hear the message and
given a biting and angry critique.

Another (repressed?) option that I and a few other permies employed was to
get angry internally and snipe from the sidelines indicating there were
some unbelievers.

How dangerous are ecofascists?  Very.  "Earthcarers" are a large and
influential group.  They look set to link with herbicide companies and Govt
Ag Depts to come up with a formula for future farming:-  farms + some
native trees = ecologically sustainable farming.  Affluent countries have
set in place policies that they will be green/sustainable.  Within the next
few years these policies WILL be achieved.  Governments cannot function
without their policies in place.  A best case scenario is that the policies
will result in a dull lime-green brand of sustainability.  The worst case
scenario is that efforts in the name of sustainability will push us in the
wrong direction.

Well-meaning, concerned citizens are joining green groups whose narrow
focus may make them irrational.  In this, I would even include anti-genetic
engineering, anti-biocide, .pro-wilderness etc.  groups.  Then there are
the green grass roots groups sponsored by multinationals...  Successes by
narrow green lobbies may produce a patchwork of green and pseudo-green
policy/practise such that it will be less workable that the current
mish-mash.

Permaculture needs to loudly proclaim its identity and follow Bill's lead
to challenge
stupidity.  This will often appear angry and often get an angry response.

War on Dogma?

David