permaculture

["jamie nicol" <jamie@tiscali.fr>]

History does afford the occasional view that pierces the carapace of modern
self-satisfaction. Too rare unfortunately for most to sit up and take note.

As far as revegetating the Sahara, I suspect it will happen (is already
happening? - having just seen Lawrence's latest post). I know the Egyptian
part quite well (at least I did a few years ago) and saw the rising waters
of Lake Nasser reaching ever more into the desert, sometimes along canals
already dug with the occasional incongruous bridge spanning an as yet dry
sand bed. Fukuoka has become more absorbed with the fight against the
encroaching desert in Africa and on the Southern Margins of Europe (The
Southern Europe Greenbelt Project used to be found at www.mir.org , does
anyone have a more current URL?) and a persuasive planting regime is
included at the back of The Natural Way of Farming - I'd certainly be
interested in hearing if a project using his techniques had been started in
North Africa.

As to a synthesis? Everything is politics. But then every action we have
ever done, do and will do is politics. Action at every level toward
sustainable agriculture...I know, I know, I still haven't begun to answer
your question.

Jamie
Souscayrous




-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Kirby Fry
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 2:31 PM
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Pc and large scale farms

Hi Jamie,

Wow, what a post!  It's hard for us to fathom at times just how many ag
systems have already arisen and fallen.  It's like the author of Ishmael
says, when you jump off a cliff there is the illusion of flight and great
progress until you hit the ground.

I really enjoyed visualizing the scenes you set around ancient Rome.  North
Africa was once the bread basket of the Roman Empire.  Now it is regarded as
one of the fiercest deserts in the world.  I would rather see it revegetated
with invasive exotic trees than remain as a desert.

So what is your synthesis of all of this?  Do we try to derail modern ag,
catch a ride or sit by on the sidelines cultivating our Pc gardens as it
hurtles by?


Kirby Fry

For the real scoop on environmental and social justice issues check out the
archives of Democracy Now!
http://www.webactive.com/webactive/pacifica/demnow/archive.html

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