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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>, Pc Envirolink <permaculture@envirolink.org>, jen.ren@sympatico.ca
  • Subject: permaculture, consumers and promotion idea
  • Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2002 15:11:40 -0500


This just arrived from a Canadian Permie. I invite you to comment and
respond to her idea. Please don't just hit reply as she is not on the
list. Be sure to include HER email address, too, so she can enjoy your
feedback.
Keith

Subject: permaculture, consumers and promotion idea
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 21:25:09 -0500
From: "jenny rendall vasey" <jen.ren@sympatico.ca>

Dear Permaculture Friends,

I hope my letter finds each of you healthy and joyful this holiday
season! Recently I had an idea regarding sustainability, consumers and
permaculture designers that I wish to share with you.

Some of you may remember that I do not have a "green thumb", although
those skills are developing since we moved to our permanent home this
summer. I am, however, deeply interested in applying permaculture and
general sustainability to the business/consumer world. This last year
has been an interesting one for me as I ventured into the arena of
"citizen politics". I canvassed during the last election for the
Canadian Action Party, found myself in Quebec City at the Summit,
organized community meetings and wrote for the Monetary Reform magazine.


Recently, I experienced a shift in thinking that perhaps my efforts to
empower people, in our current global climate, would be better realized
if I modified my message, like a good salesperson, to appeal to people
as consumers rather than "Citizens".

For example, the average person I speak to does not care to understand
trade agreements, the WTO and such for numerous reasons. It could be
because they feel it's complicated, it's out of their hands, they're
caught up in their own lives - whatever. Then there are the external
reasons they are not getting the message like media control, propaganda
etc... The bottom line is they are apathetic. Then one day, my consumer
friend becomes upset because her utility costs are skyrocketing. I make
the connection between WTO policies and her increasing expenses. In one
sentence I explain that they are going up because unelected elitists
decided that utility commissions and certain products, like water,
should no longer belong to the people and that they should become
privatized for profit. And the person
gets it. It has more impact on the person than any demonstration,
education program etc... because the person must pay out more and have
less disposable cash for themselves.

The general concept of this idea is based on two important parts and
goes like this - an international consumer group which only promotes
goods and services which contribute to "permanent regeneration" of the
planet (as Brian Milani calls it and says that this actually goes beyond
the gray area of sustainability). Part of the purpose of this group is
to promote permaculture designers and others, who are performing
'restorative design' work. The group focuses on getting the consumer
to understand that they wield incredible power with their pocketbooks.
It educates consumers that our purchasing decisions have a direct impact
on the world around us and that collectively we can effect huge change.
For example, with supporting evidence from globalresearch.ca, consumers
are made aware of the link between the ongoing American situation with
the push to develop further oil/natural gas resources in the Caspian Sea
region. Perhaps the group suggests that if consumers disagree with the
conflict and want a more peaceful,
democratic society, they should limit/avoid natural gas and oil based
products. Further, it offers practical strategies to limit consumption,
recommends specific products from sustainably oriented companies and
connects consumers with designers who can help them. This approach helps
companies by stimulating sales, which in turn encourages them to create
more alternative and ultimately sustainable products.

Connecting designers with consumers is an important purpose of the group
because the designers then become part of the solution, rather than only
focusing on criticizing business and other societal systems. As we
know, permaculture practitioners have the capability to empower
consumers with systems that will help improve the quality of life and
restore personal/community self-sufficiency lost through multi-national
corporatization. The group can provide the necessary tools and resources
for the public while providing an income for the under-utilized
designer. I see minimal ties to the permaculture community other than
promotion of their services. I know this is something that many of us
would see as a bonus as we try to avoid organization of everything. I
have been listening Gregoire! To date, I have not yet found an
independant, unbiased consumer group with this spin on it. As we know,
it is vitally important that any group truly representing the interests
of the public must be free from corporate or government sponsorship. I
think this group could be efficiently administered with few resources.
We would be fulfilling a need and providing an essential piece of the
integrated effort to heal the planet. Links to other like-minded groups
like Fairtrade, Corpwatch, Public Citizen, Centre for Global Research
etc.. would provide further info for the consumer. Perhaps a source of
funding for the group could be a small referral fee from the designer
who actually got the contract for work from our promotional efforts.
When I speak of consumers, I include businesses, governments etc...
within this group as potential clients for
services. Businesses in particular could benefit tremendously and gain
an advantage over others by
applying permaculture principles to their systems.

I am convinced that the public is ready for this and that the timing is
right. In light of recent legal changes and increased protestor
surveillance, this type of activism through 'consumer enlightenment' is
the safest way to assert our freedoms and to ultimately engage the
masses in conducting restorative work on the planet.

If you have made it this far, I thank you for taking the time to read my
lengthy letter. I would like to hear how you feel about it, all
comments and criticisms, and if you are interested in working on
something like this. I would like to particularly hear about your
knowledge of existing groups engaged in this type of work. Naturally,
it would be much easier to find a similar consumer group who may want to
build their organization further in this manner. Best wishes to you and
yours for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
sincerely,
Jenny Rendall Vasey





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