permaculture

[Elfpermacl@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/2/98 7:48:07 PM, you wrote:

<<      Permaculture is not, to me, about solving problems.  It is about
observing, understanding, working with and designing systems, which
cannot be done by "problem-solving." >>

Then you miss the point of permaculture, John.  We live in a dismantles world
and permaculture is about helping Nature put herself back together while we
take care of our own needs with Nature's help.  If you observe and don't see
problems, please let us know what planet you are on and how you got there!
Designing systems is problem solving.  The problem is that the original design
has been destroyed.  B y examining the nature of the destruction (of nature),
we see which systems are failing and how and this gives us clues.  We spend
the first 5 percent of every class I teach looking at these problems to inform
ourselves.  In my opinion we should call it Permaculture Design
Interpretation, instead of merely permaculture design, but as it is most
people leave the design off too.  Problem solving doesn't have to be linear,
in fact linear approches rarely manage to solve more problems than they cause.
Don't let the reductionists co-opt your language and prevent you from
expressing what needs to be done.


Dan Hemenway

PS  There is still room in our online course that begins at the end of this
month.