permaculture

[Tommy Tolson <healinghawk@earthlink.net>]

Steve Diver wrote:
> Permaculture has plenty to offer as conceptual
> and practical approach to creating systems that
> support ecological balance on Earth.
>   
Goldsmith's /The Way/ offers a good look at the path through the 
ecological worldview.  Permaculture is the path.
> But the organisms called humans are tricky to
> work with.  When you figure out how to get this
> species to cooperate with each other and move
> forward in harmony with a common goal of peoplecare,
> earthcare, and setting limits to population 
> and consumption, you're 80% towards the goal.  
>   
Well-said.  Like herding cats, I think LBJ said.  Common goals are bad 
for bidness, though, unless they entail slavish devotion to marketing 
campaigns.
> The other 20% -- the worldwide implementation of 
> sustainable communities and ecological technologies 
> in harmony with the goals -- can happen quickly
> enough.
>   
Critical mass (Bucky Fuller?) was reached in the above step.  Everyone 
knows what to do and has what it takes to do it.
> Alas, since it ain't going to happen the easy
> way, folks are looking for tips on getting ready
> for regional self-reliance.
>   
I fear going there, but think it's the next thing.  Colin Mason says 
we'll descend into the Dark Ages again, unless certain things happen to 
prevent it.  Regional self-reliance doesn't come easy to people who have 
had the democracy kicked out of them since the Constitution was ratified 
in the US and the people lost control of the free market fundamentalists.  
> But keep on talking about the big picture cause
> the visionary approach still has a chance to 
> instill a planetary shift in consciousness. 
>   
While no one was looking, the "revolution" happened in the US, and now 
cars will have to average 35 mpg, Gitmo's closing, and global warming is 
going to be addressed by all the players contributing to it.  Al Gore 
saw the big picture.  I give him a lot of credit.  If only the Supremes 
had stayed out of the people's business in Florida in 2000, Al's in the 
White House now instead of Dubya.  Al didn't raise Hell because he 
didn't want the people to hate their government, he said the other day.    
> We're all in this together.
>   
If the photos from space did nothing else, they showed this to be 
undeniably true.  What an image!  Thanks for responding.

Tommy Tolson
Austin, TX