permaculture

[FionaNyx <FionaNyx@aol.com>]

I agree that urban PC practices need to be elaborated a lot more for it to be
practicable by most people in most high population density areas.  & that part
of the task is getting neighbors and local officials to accomodate different
lifestyles.  I've seen little acknowledgement that  having animals is more
than a "will" and space problem. 

1) I think PCists should think & talk about the fact that in addition to
patterning the space and matter of a site, its energy flows, and the
collections and relations of species, we are patterning time & labor inputs of
the site dwellers.  For example, when you include animals, you make meeting
their requirements an ongoing duty (of course this is also true of plants &
too often neglected there).  So, will the resident be able to invest the time
& labor to adequately care for the animals that may be "optimal" in an
abstract consideration of the site?

2) Many urban dwellers are not owners of their living space and therefore are
restricted in the physical changes they can make or choices they have.  And
they often know they will have to move again not far in the future.  I think
there ARE a lot of things that can be developed for urban nomadic lifestyles,
if people start thinking WITH these facts instead of ignoring them.  For
example, instead of building a greenhouse, I use storm windows laid over
cement blocks on my blacktop driveway to start my seeds.  I don't have sunny
interior windows, I don't want to buy and electrically power a light & bottom
heat setup.  My solution is portable, inexpensive and only takes space as long
as I need to use it.  The drive collects solar energy all day & the
temperature in the soil in (recycled) plastic pots is considerably warmer than
in my beds.  I am able to take advantage of the useful features of the drive
(dark, massive & located in a great sunny area) without modifying it
permanently.  

Just some thoughts,  ~~Sherry  <<FionaNyx@aol.com>>