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  • From: Greg <Greg@UrbanFarm.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Permaculture as science
  • Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:37:08 -0700

All,

Interesting dilemma we find here again as I feel that everyone will have a different view of what permaculture is. However when I stand back and look permaculture is really not man created . Pc simply takes the laws of nature and the universe and applies them in a way that humans can understand them.

Science on the other hand is finding a way (or many) to explain how things happen in the universe.

My two cents worth.

Greg


I have found that there is a very interesting relationship between
permaculture and science (love hate comes to mind). Scientific theories
and data are useful is specific situations, and permaculture is strongly
informed by theories, axioms and hypotheses that have emerged from
scientific practice, but I would say with confidence that permaculture
is not science, and while founded on 'colloquialized' axioms transfered
from ecological sciences, permaculture practice leans heavily on an
intimate, intuition based relationship to land that is not systematic,
replicable, or even transferable. Permaculture practice, while
developing and redeploying some technologies, hasn't added to any
network of scientific theory or advanced a scientifically defensible set
of hypotheses except by borrowing and promoting work by scientists in
agronomy.... and that is OK. The Third Reich had some great scientists
at work too... and science is piss poor and inefficient at working on
some kinds of problems.

Furthermore I would suggest that permaculture incorporates an ethical
system about 'right relationship' between people and land and the limits
of technological fixes. Dick Cheney is focussed on 'getting the job
done' too, he just has a different 'job' in mind.

Paul Cereghino

I would also point out that permaculture is science and results
based and belief systems and politics are specifically omitted
from the sphere of permaculture. Permaculture is focused on
"getting the job done".



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The Urban Farm
Growing good food
Having fun gardening
Connecting with nature


Greg Peterson
http://www.urbanfarm.org
602/565-7045




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