permaculture

[David de Vries <ddevries@scu.edu.au>]

Thanks to Sherry for an excellent post reviving this dynamic thread.

I would like to focus on this issue you made:
>Permaculture is a belief system, too.  I know some people will say this makes
>it sound like a cult.  However, I don't see how one can practise permaculture
>without replacing the dominant belief systems now in place.

Harking back: Scott said of Dan;
".  I admire the old coot for his tenacity
and integrity in holding the line on any attempts to co-op permaculture into
something it was never intended to be - a new slant on new age political
correctness.  I am particularly glad that I'm not the one doing it for a
change.

So a tip of the hat to another ally with his finger in the dike, (can I say
that?), you know what I mean.
Scott Pittman"

Grossly simplifying, the debate may be polarised into two sets.
1)  The new age, ying-yang, energy fields, inclusive _flowers in the hair_
set who will manifest a healing of the universe.
2)   The roll the sleeves up, say it like it is, scientific, take no
prisoners _red bandanna_ set who will engineer a healing of the landscape.

I don't see the two poles as incompatible, within permaculture - or within
one person.   A capacity to oscillate between these camps may be
advantageous.

Mollison is an example - the mystical fool/sorcerer can become the cynical
scientist mid sentence.  As long as you have your ethics, you can pull on
as many hats as you wish.

Similarly, I am intrigued by a New Module in Dan's online course
enigmatically titled "Transformation" - if thats not new-age clap-trap then
I'll trade-in my crystal dolphins.

So Dan, what is "Transformation"?  Something you do with a D9 or the
evolution of ecological consciousness on a planetary scale?

David