permaculture

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>]

I was making suggestions. I'm not in Thunder Bay and I assure you I'm not 
telling anyone there what they have to do or not do. I'm sure Thunder Bay 
will be booming again soon with your skils and knowledge.

My own thought on small town revitalization in general is that it'll take a 
much broader approach than PC designer certification alone, probably more of 
the broader approach that you mentioned there.

paul@largocreekfarms.com
http://medicinehill.net

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On 10/20/2004 at 11:14 AM Jocelyn Paquette & Bob Ewing wrote:

>Greetings
>
>Tradingpost wrote:
>
>>Most likely your extraction economy is actually extracting wealth from
>Thunder Bay, with outside companies there that are not recirculating
>profits within the community.
>>
>
>naturally,
>
>> They get the green light by making jobs, but they run out. So, like many
>other places they aren't prepared for the decline.
>>
>
>of course,
>
>> Community self sufficiency involves a learning curve, so it's not quick
>and easy when an extraction economy fails as it must.
>>
>> But lots more goods and services could be provided by local business,
>creating jobs and self employment for many others. The basic needs of
>food, shelter, transportation, and social contact can offer opportunities
>for more local entrepreneurship.
>>
>
>that is the process we are actively designing, learning as we go.
>
>> Local builders can learn to use more local materials and adapt.
>>
>
>on going work with the earthship and other alternative building methods,
>housing is a major energy consumer here.
>
>> Locals can learn more service trades without going somewhere else to do
>it. Growing more food locally and learning to work with basic foodstuffs
>is needed everywhere. Reliable auto mechanics are always in demand, as are
>the more reliable second-hand vechicles of all kinds.  I'd say it's up to
>the locals' own ideas and initiative, not up to a "designer" at all.
>>
>>
>
>well that is where you be wrong, someone needs to facilitate the process
>to get it going in a manner that involves all members of the community,
>we use a participatory planning process which combines my skills and
>knowledge as a certified permaculture designer and a community activist
>working with a social worker and a community development officer as well
>as people who intimately know hunger and poverty. This approach was
>enabled by my education  and action both of which include being a
>certified permaculture designer. as well a me being a local.
>
>BTW I never said it had to be a designer that is your twist on what I
>wrote. my words spoke of opportunities for designers  not that designers
>where the only ones who could make is so. here it has taken diversity
>and slow and small solutions, for example,  to get this rolling,.
>
>
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>>
>>On 10/20/2004 at 12:47 AM Jocelyn Paquette & Bob Ewing wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>so we move out of the cities into the rural area  and then what happens
>>>to the rural areas would they not surpass their carrying capacity?  Here
>>>in Thunder Bay the population is declining, one reason is that as a
>>>natural resource extraction economy we are running out of things to chop
>>>down or dig up. this is an ideal opportunity for designers to show what
>>>can be done.
>>>snip