permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>]

 Lee Flier wrote:

> I think you VASTLY underestimate the amount of Permaculture
> people in the Southeast.

Profuse apologies for my slighting of the SE, well known (even by me) as a
hotbed of Pc activity. From 3000 miles away the whole eastern seaboard
shrinks up pretty small. Let me amend my statement to "far away from major
concentrations of both population (EAST and west coast) and permaculture
activity (same as above plus the SW)."

I don't believe Shreveport--in a Gulf coast state--fits those criteria. I
know that wherever Bill goes he will attract lots of people. I agree, it
will be inconvenient and expensive for many to get to no matter where it is,
but I'm sure we'll go anyway. I know that every Pc conference generates this
same discussion, with people pointing out how burning thousands of pounds of
jet fuel is unpermacultural.

My point: The event would be be easier to organize (and less energy
consuming, and smoother running) if it were somewhere within, say, 100 miles
of a nexus of Pc activity so that there can be truly local organizers. It
would also be a plus if there were other Pc sites and people in the area for
particants to see, stay with, and visit before and after the conference.
(Under any circumstances the site should provide camping or other cheap
housing for the many financially challenged among us.)

If Shreveport can offer this, I'm satisfied.  But I'm thinking of last
year's "Build Here Now" conference in Taos as a model; it was a major event
that brought a lot of influential Pc people together. About 70 of the
participants came from within 150 miles, the rest from all over the US. That
model makes sense to me. Again, putting Bill where at least _some_
permaculture is, rather than sending all of North American permaculture to
Bill, seems sensible.

Toby