permaculture

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Here's another "wrong" question. Exactly how do they "apply PC principles
to their regular lives and to their business lives, rather than becoming a
PC Designer and designing farms and ecosystems"?  And exactly how did
permaculture get to be about anything but applying it to the land we live
on? Has it been changed to appeal to those who can afford the workshops but
don't want to get their hands dirty?  And when did it become a movement to
change society by appealing to those who couldn't care less about the 90%
of the population who are less well off?  There's no denying that what
we're seeing here is blatant elitism. And it is wrong, from a practical as
well as ethical standpoint. Boggles the mind.

paul@largocreekfarms.com
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 9/18/2004 at 12:29 PM McFarlandAIA@aol.com wrote:

>Toby writes:
><The huge group we are not reaching is the middle and upper-middle
classes,
>responsible for most resource use. They have ample means to afford a PDC,
>but no way are they going to go to a shoe-string budget,
pit-toilet/outdoor
>shower/tent-camping 2 week course! I've seen them leave. Even the Sierra
>Clubbing/LL Bean wearing Green types want comfort and beauty. A cheaper
>course won't entice them, and these are the people who administer our
>society. Yet there are very few $300/weekend, $1000/week courses, the type
>they would consider going to. If you want to change society, you have to
>reach the people who are doing the most to affect it.>
>
>Presuming that Houston is an affluent area with a large population of 
>potential conversions to a more sustainable lifestyle, that is exactly why
>we teach a 
>"working man's" class. That and the fact that most people can't take 10-14

>consecutive days off from work and family. I haven't found one yuppie in
>our 
>classes who hasn't been convinced to downsize and were already halfway
>there 
>before they started the class. Also, they go on to apply PC principles to
>their 
>regular lives and to their business lives, rather than becoming a PC
>Designer 
>and designing farms and ecosystems, although some in our group do that and
>make 
>little money. We don't just graduate students and call them Designer's.
>Yes, 
>we give them a certificate, and with no real guidelines on interning, we
>have a 
>continuing education and workshop outlet for them, if they have the time
>and 
>interest. We graduate 11 tomorrow and I am proud to be a part of the
>continuum 
>of one person (me) making a difference exponentially to many others, and
>they 
>to others. I very much have enjoyed this dialog on the extremes of
>presenting 
>the class and to those who practice Permaculture. It has broadened my 
>continuing education in Permaculture.
>
>Shawn McFarland, AIA, LEED
>Permaculture Guild of Houston
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