permaculture

[Odo Primavesi <odo@cppse.embrapa.br>]

Good day, Pc practitioners!

To the discussion on what Pc really is (concept, tool etc), in my view 
of an agronomist working in tropical climate, where the processes are
speeded up, for example an organic matter decay of 50 years in Europe 
occurs in 6 months in our savanna ecosystem, PC is a very well 
developed model of natural energy input management, to achieve the 
optimal biomass production of a site. PC uses waterbodies and different 
kinds of plants.

Here in the Brazilian tropics we see that resident water conservation is 
the most important life promoter. And this I get by soil conservation 
practices using different kinds of plants, trying to accumulate the 
biggest quantity and biodiversity of biomass. So I can reestablish an
 useful  complex hydrologic cycle and microclimatic buffering. The 
forestry (agroforestry) is an important component of this  system. PC
 is a more complex agroforestry design, because of the detailed 
calculations on energy management.

So I see PC as a superior agroforestry system adapted to the site 
specific ecological conditions, paying attention to ecological principles.
 Certainly the design will be site specific, depending on the local 
energy and water input, and available soil properties (fertility, 
drainage, depth etc.). What we need to keep in mind are the ecological 
principles (they are unchangeable). 

In relation to the spiritual events normally linked to Pc, the answer 
is that people that try to use techniques adequate to attend ecological 
principles, like Pc, are more linked to nature, to life! To Life! So, it 
is not the opposite! Pc practitioners are nature friends, and therefore
 more social worried.

With the best regards,

Odo Primavesi

(Note: To design the energy balance in a site, including different 
management options (simulations) we need a specialist in this matter,
 to establish a simulation program which will make it easier to design 
site specific Pc systems. I am not such a gay. My matter is water and 
soil conservation.) 



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Sun, 25 Jun 2000, Lee Flier wrote:

> Myk wrote:
> 
> >To my mind 'data/examples/recipes/whatever' are examples of permaculture's
> >application not permaculture - Isn't it when the
> >data/examples/recipes/pictures/drawings... etc. are taken as permaculture
> >(rather than the result of the application of permaculture as a design
> >system/methodology) and implemented by rote in inappropriate circumstances
> >that the problems occur?
> 
> Yes, and that was exactly my point.  It needs to be emphasized that
> Permaculture is a SYSTEM and not a specific application.  But, being a
> relatively unknown system, we ALSO need to be able to provide examples of
> using the system, or else people will dismiss the system as pie-in-the-sky
> and impractical.  At the same time we need to make it clear that these are
> examples and not permaculture (in the same way that a house is an example of
> an application of architecture, and that is a very useful analogy).  That
> was my point - that we need to teach both and we need to make it very clear
> what the distinction is.  That can be a challenge but I think part of the
> reason people have a hard time understanding what permaculture is, is
> because not enough emphasis is placed on making the distinction clear.
> 
> --Lee
> 
> ***********************************
> Lee A. Flier
> lflier@mindspring.com
> Atlanta, Georgia, USA
> http://lflier.home.mindspring.com
> 
> 
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ODO PRIMAVESI, Agronomy, Sc.Dr.,                                  
Soil and Plant Nutrition/Environment Quality
(in intensive cattle production systems)         
E.mail: odo@cppse.embrapa.br   
                                       
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-EMBRAPA  
Southeast Cattle Research Center-CPPSE           
Rodovia Washington Luiz, km 234 - Fazenda Canchim      
Caixa Postal 339  (P.O.B.)  
13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil   
Phone: (55)16-261-5611 - Fax: (55)16-261-5754 
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########################################################
ODO PRIMAVESI, Eng.Agr., Dr.,                                  
Solos e Nutricao e Plantas/Qualidade   Ambiental         
(em Sistemas intensivos de producao de bovinos)         
E.mail: odo@cppse.embrapa.br         
                                 
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria-EMBRAPA  
Centro de  Pesquisa de Pecuaria do Sudeste-CPPSE           
Rodovia Washington Luiz, km 234 - Fazenda Canchim      
Caixa Postal 339  CEP 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP, Brasil   
Fone: 016/261-5611 - Fax: 016/261-5754 
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