permaculture

[Rick Valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>]

Eugene said:
>> Permaculture, in a nutshell, is about ethics:

Jeff answered:
> Yes, and can't we narrow the ethics down to earth care and
> people care?  Also, ethics are not worth much without action
> and this implies Permaculture is a process.  Specifically, the
> process of design.

I thought it was very interesting that John Wilson, founder of Fambidzanai,
said that (if I get it right) that in his view, the ethics of Pc are fairly
universal, that it was a bit presumptuous of Pc'ers to claim them. I think
that's a commentary on our dominant paradigm; I've heard it said by Bill and
others that the ethics were what separate Pc from other design systems.
Which I kinda like; is this not comforting to people of other cultures who
feel they live by these ethics?
Anyhow, I'd throw my vote in with ethics and action being the two sides of
the Pc coin. And some of the harshest attacks I've received have been by
people who perceived me as not fulfilling these ethics. Enraged 'em that I'd
wrap myself in the holy ethic cloak. I felt a bit (just a bit) enraged that
they'd be so sure of themselves in their own crusade that they'd feel
screaming at me would help.

And while I'm thinking of it- Biodynamics has been mentioned in this thread-
while I find lots of things in BD that feel very solid and good, intriguing
and inspiring, (and in the mix of early 20th. Century religo-psychological
cliche some good laughs) I think at times there is dogma and *MYSTIFICATION*
involved. For example: sheet mulching isn't a good idea because "it's too
much chaos" and urine can't be used in compost because it's "too much ego".
Tom Ward has asked rhetorically in my presence (I don't know if he's ever
asked a BD illuminati) "Just what do they do with IT?" ("IT" meaning human
contributed nutrients) meaning in my opinion, that the whole picture isn't
considered. My fear is I've never had the chance to ask because they're
horrified with my chaotic ego or filthy agricultural habits, and so avoiding
communication with me.

Does anyone out there know what they (BD folks) do with it?

(DISCLAIMER: any disrespect in the above paragraphs is thoroughly mixed with
sincere curiosity and confusion)

-Rick