permaculture

["Scott Pittman" <scott@permaculture.org>]

There seems to be a little unseemly creep of bashing Bill Mollison in order
to give David Holmgrin his just due, which I find extremely unhelpful as
well as as bit unkind.

Bill Mollison has put one rubber thonged, fat foot in front of the other
around the world since 1970's presenting the good news of permaculture and
sustainability.  No one has done as much as he has to make this movement
grow, and it has had an incredible toll on his family, friends, and his
health.  

And yes Bill has warts, is abusive at times, and majorly egocentric, we all
have stories.  I spent six years on the road with Bill and have to say he is
hands down the most inspiring and brilliant man that I have ever met.  As a
teacher he has no equal that I know of.  I have also experienced some very
painful times through my interactions with Bill.  Nonetheless I continue to
admire and respect his life work and his incredible contribution.

I met David Holmgrin for the first time last year and spent an inspiring day
looking at the landscape around Santa Barbara through his eyes.  I
introduced him at the evening lecture at the University of Santa Barbara and
said there that he had always been an enigma to me, since I had spent twenty
years teaching a system that he was the co-developer of and was, for the
first time, meeting him.  David has a much different presence and style than
Bill and is every bit as observant and engaged in his subject as is Bill.  I
look forward to knowing David better and respect him for the same reasons I
do Bill, he co-created a major new systems approach to addressing mankinds
place on Earth.  

When all is said and done it will be David Holmgrin and Bill Mollison who
will ultimately tell their tale or not but what is important to me at this
time is that they continue to help us create the new story because without a
new story we are in deep trouble.

Scott Pittman
Director
Permaculture Institute