Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Priority One Buzz

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Darren Doherty" <darren@permaculture.biz>
  • To: "Permaculture List" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Priority One Buzz
  • Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 09:24:12 +0700

G'day,

Priority One (P1) is a pretty big book, that for one reason or another
people have started to review and make sweeping statements about without
actually reading it. I have read it once and will probably have to read it a
few times, just like I have had to read "Permaculture: A Designers Manual"
etc. a few times as well for my small mind to absorb and get close to
understanding the plethora of information and claims therein. But at least I
have made that effort.

Dr Arden Anderson, who reviewed book (and therefore apparently read it
right?), made the comment that P1 is great when it comes to talking about
soils, carbon issues, keyline etc. but that Allan should "stick to what he
knows about", which as I said to Allan, is a bit rich coming from a
Physician who has himself crossed the disciplines & become a Soils/Agronomy
Consultant of some note. Anderson then wrote in an article (for the New
Zealand Organic Grower mag) titled "Priority One" in that the real "Priority
One" should be not simply soils but human nutrition, because by default this
is only available from biologically managed soils and the systems that feed
off this base. Allan as an aside is a lot of things himself: A Mechanical
Engineer (Yeomans Keyline Plow, Solar Thermal Energy Systems, and most
notably the inventor of the Banana Lounge!), Nuclear Physicist (post grad U.
of Sydney), Meteorologist for the Australian Gliding Association....So a lot
like many of us in PC - we are a new brand of Artist Philosopher Scientists
who develop and manage systems

P1 is available for free on-line as a download and can also be purchased as
a hardcover. As I said I have read it and it contains a lot of great
Keyline/Soils/Carbon Sequestration information. It is also a book about
energy and energy systems with Allan giving his bent on all of this
including Nuclear.

Allan is clearly painting a Green-tech future that suggests Nuclear is
better than Coal (as does Lovelock, Tim Flannery et al); that the nuclear
waste issue is a fossil-lobby furphy, that Coal-based power production also
produces radioactive waste; that we should not believe everything that many
green groups say as many are funded by the fossil-lobby and therefore
propogandist pawns; that provided we switch to organically grown biofuels
and nuclear, that we can continue economic growth unabated; that Nuclear
power is not necessarily linked to bomb production; that the economics of
Uranium supply is an economic issue linked to price of energy in that there
may come a time when Uranium extraction from oceans may become economic even
- perhaps in a 1000 years.

I personally have issues with the unabated growth issue above all else,
which I have agreed to disagree with Allan on. Allan suggest that like Adolf
Hitler noted in "Mien Kampf", '...it is easier to sell a big lie than to
sell a small one...' To some to even quote Hitler would be seen a heresy of
some kind....These issues in P1 are a big 'stirring of the pot' and it up to
the individual to accept or refute such claims, no matter how perverse or
realistic they are, but that it is in vital that we inform ourselves and
debate these issues. To me that is a fundamental freedom of speech issue and
one that I would defend.

Above all else what I do admire about P1 is that it is a solutions-based
tome with regards to helping solve the greenhouse gas induced crisis.
Whether we agree or not with his whole suite of solutions is another thing
and ultimately up to the ballot box, our consumer and consuming choices, and
ultimately the laws of thermodynamics. This is a departure from something
like the acclaimed "Climate Makers" (Tim Flannery - who has just been named
'Australian of the Year' for his work on greenhouse/climate issues!) which
is more of a report - and god knows we don't need more of them telling us
how bad things are! Though it is at the same time a translation of
greenhouse theory, a "Climatology for Dummies" as it were. Climate Makers is
very short on solutions and makes no, or very scant mention of the impacts
or great role that soils seq. and therefore agriculture has to play in
effectively impacting all of this. It instead takes a softish 'Goreist' tack
and suggests changing over to a hybrid, turning off the lights, getting
compact fluros, putting up solar, going with wind etc and Nuclear for that
matter . All of the usual stuff...He does suggest a 'Carbon Dictatorship'
though but that is another story entirely, and an concept he's putting out
there as opposed to a policy statement as such. Certainly a lot of the Peak
Oil stuff is similar - tells us the state of play without actually
enunciating any set of recommendations or solutions. Allan just says it as
he sees it - that is why he self-published. If you don't like it then too
bad, in his book...that's your right...

He devotes about a 1/5th of the book to nuclear stuff and to be honest it,
as I have discussed with him, it had me double-taking without doubt, still
does, and will for sometime - perhaps forever....How close his opinion, as a
Nuclear Physicist, is to reality, well I don't know as I am not well
"educated" on such matters. I am still trying to rationalise all of this,
just as I did when I read James Lovelock's similar statements. Certainly
Tim Flannery as well for that matter...(I am a Flannery fan by the way -
have read all of his books - favorite is "Country").

On the background radiation claims - these I have heard elsewhere too,
including from a past PDC student who is a practicing MD & Naturopath (& on
the board of the Naturopathic Doctors of America - or something like that -
whatever the peak body is called). In my life I have never devoted a lot of
attention to the whole nuclear issue, so am not really in a position to pass
judgement or even get close to understanding the science or the validity of
such in my own mind with respect to the claims proported by either "side".
To be sure I find the radiation that emits from some people's mouths pretty
toxic as well !?!

There are some other things in P1 that I do have a hard time with though as
I do know just a little about tropical forest systems: Allan makes some
sweeping statements that some of these systems are not as rich as they are
proported and that their "conversion" into organic biofuel production
systems would be quite reasonable. I find this very hard to swallow and
accept as I know that this is simply not the case. Their is some evidence
now that climax wet tropical forests are net greenhouse emitters, as all of
us are! That doesn't mean that we should be rid of simply on that basis,
should we ban paddy rice and wetlands while we are at it and certainly don't
forget the belching cow!....whatever the case any forest greenhouse (and
wetland for that matter) emissions are to my mind counter balanced by all of
the other yields that these magnificent and vital systems provide....

So there are some pretty, let's say "controversial" claims made in P1, that
for too many overshadow the excellent translation of much of the science and
figures relating to greenhouse. I fully support the notion that soil organic
carbon sequestration is the easiest and cheapest means of sequestering
atmospheric carbon - whilst fostering the development of healthier farms,
crops, livestock and people. That is the basis of my energy and support for
P1 and Keyline/Permaculture and why I am making this upcoming effort in the
US and elsewhere - nothing else - no payment from Yeomans - just a plow and
a pallet of books to distribute and enhance debate and discussion. No where
on the planet do we have a greater potential, than in North America, with
its soils, its scale of agriculture etc. etc., to do the job, or at least
make the greatest initial impact of atmospheric Carbon levels. The Carbon
Farmers of America are one group that are going to make some serious headway
on all of this - practical, cost-effective organic production systems toted
at a farmer to farmer level.

Certainly for me, and indeed Allan, and with many of you guys, we are not
going to die wondering!


--
Ciao,
Darren J. Doherty
www.permaculture.biz

Australia Home: +61 (0) 3 5441 5525
Australia Mobile: +61 (0) 437 350 773
Viet Nam Mobile: +84 (0) 977 800 994
Skype: permaculture.biz

WORLD TOUR 2007
Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC)
Soil & Water for Every Farm with Keyline Design (KDC)
Design & Consulting (DC)

New Zealand PDC
Argentina PDC
California PDC, KDC, DC
Oregon KDC
Ohio KDC
New York KDC
Spain GIS/CAD
Italy/Austria PDC




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page