permaculture

["Bart Anderson" <bart@cwo.com>]

> "How about waste  digesters? They are closer to the permaculture goal of
> using waste as a resource. - Claudia "

> Waste digesters are great....
> But we're a very long way from doing it at an affordable cost per gallon.
And
> we're even further from being able to contribute a meaningful percentage
of
> the 65 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel we consume each year just in
our
> personal vehicles  - M. Elvin

I agree.  Technologies like waste digesters just don't scale up.  They may
make sense for a farm or village, but not for a nation of car drivers.

Another issue is that what we now consider "waste" will begin to be valued
in an energy-poor future.  For example, agricultural waste and pigfarm
slurry, may become valued for returnning fertility to the soil.

// As the energy crisis deepens, I'm very curious to see what permaculture
people will come up with.   I notice that permaculture teacher David Blume
is about to come out with a book on alcohol as a fuel:
http://www.permaculture.com/newsletter/NewsletterMay2006.htm .

For me, the more interesting approach is how to reduce demand.  I can't
think of any other movement or philosophy which is as well prepared for a
low-energy future as permaculture is.

Bart