permaculture

["Graham Burnett" <gburnett@unisonfree.net>]

Appologies for delay in replying, have been away in the Outer Hebrides for 2 
weeks, nowhere near a
computer or an email!! wonderful...



> I think your permaculture presentation is a good idea - I haven't looked at
> it all yet - but I still think nice idea, what's the reality?  For example
> in your permaculture cup of tea, is the tea grown in your back garden?

I think that was the idea, eg, lemon balm, rosemary, nettles or some other 
cool temperate herb that
can be used as a tea or beverage in our cool temperate UK- plenty of people 
do!

> If not, how does it get to you - sailing ship?magic carpet?  Where do the 
> parts
> to make the wind generator come from - Copper from Chile, control circuitry
> from Japan etc etc.
>

Steady on Neville- it's a basic introductory site, put together using a 
program that came free with
a 2.99 computer mag, trying to put across what the concepts of permaculture 
are in simple pictorial
forms with 'soundbite' style text in 20 odd pages, not an indepth analysis of 
the entire western
economic infrastructure and it's every permutation! The 'cup of tea' pics are 
just a
representation, highly simplified and idealised, of how we COULD meet our 
needs via closed loops
and cycles rather than the prolifigate waste of resources and creation of 
pollution which is how
things tend to happen nowdays, even for something as simple as making a cup 
of tea- it's about a
concept rather than specifics which anybody could pull apart and analyse the 
inconsistencies of,
which I think is rather unfair within the context of what I set out to 
achieve. I hope that people,
including people who are kids, or for whom english isn't their first 
language, or who's literacy
isn't too hot, will say "Aha! So that's what permaculture ( a notoriously 
difficult word to define)
is!", then go on to find out more (which is why there are links to other 
sites) and maybe address
the sort of questions you are asking...

> I think you present a pleasant future that we would all like but choose to
> ignore some serious issues in order to make your case.  To become a serious
> force for reform and development you must cover all the angles and be
> prepared to defend your stance with fully reasoned proposals.  If Tony Blair
> said tomorrow that the Government wanted to support Permaculture with
> finance and other support what would your plan / manifesto be?

What me as an individual??? Steady on! i don't have a plan/manifesto ready 
made and off pat to
present to Mr blair and his pals, I have enough trouble trying to run my own 
life and keep a handle
on the various groups, projects, initiatives, etc I'm already involved in! 
(hence needing 2 weeks
chilling out in the Scottish Islands! And I went there using trains, boats 
and busses that used
non-renewable fossil fuels- and which no doubt had Chillean wiring in them- 
so how inconsistent am
I??? Still the house we stayed in was off the national grid and powered by a 
wind generator-  I did
forget to check the country of origin of the 12 volt battery it fed though!!! 
) to me permaculture
is about individuals and communities working out sustainable solutions to 
problems and taking
responsibility. The Permaculture Association, and many individuals working 
under this big
multicoloured umbrella called permaculture, are however actively engaged in 
creating policy on a
local and maybe even national governmental level, eg, policy documents on 
sustainable and equitable
transport, housing, economic development, agriculture, healthcare, agenda 21, 
etc, etc...

To me, to suggest that 'permaculture' should have 'all the answers' laid out 
in a manifesto and
ready to put into place on this mythical day that Tony Blair says, "right you 
are, I'm handing
power over to the Permaculture Association" would be the simplistic approach, 
when it's our own
back door (to quote Bill Mollison) that we should be concentrating on...

In fact, Blair HAS in effect said that he supports permaculture by his stated 
expectation that
every local authority should have a Quality Of Life/Agenda 21 strategy in 
place- shame he hasn't
made it statutory tho!

I've forwarded this correspondance within permaculture circles as it would be 
interesting to
hear/read others' thoughts, and maybe others can answer your concerns re. 
'The permaculture
manifesto' more adequately than I am able to...

Cheers for now,

Graham Burnett
35 Rayleigh Avenue
Westcliff On Sea
Essex, UK
SS0 7DS

South East Essex LETS
http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/

South East Essex Organic Gardeners
http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/SEEOG/

South East Essex Permaculture
http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/SEEOG/page7.html












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>
> Neville Davey C.Biol. MI Biol.
> Department of Landbased Studies
> Nottingham Trent University
> Brackenhurst College Campus
> Southwell
> Nottinghamshire NG25 0QF
> UK
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