permaculture

["Eugene Monaco" <efmonaco@comcast.net>]

You know, I appreciate being able to read posts like the two articles below.
But they are woefully political.  I also appreciate Lawrence's attempts to
keep the list open and comprehensive, it's a tough job and somebody has to
do it.  But the calls for censorship are overblown, I think.  
There are a number of subjects that could have their own list.  Gardening
for example.  Mollison said he wouldn't even teach us gardening it was so
basic, and yet it comes up again and again.  Another topic that could use
another list is questions from newbies that haven't had a design class.
Beekeeping could be another.  There are other beekeeping listserves,
including an organic beekeeping listserve where you can get all you want.
Peak Oil for sure could be another list, and already is.  Talk about it all
day.  Also Global Warming.  And news stories like the two below.  And so on.

I heard a story from an architect who ran for mayor, who says that she did
more for architecture in 3 years as mayor than in 20 years in practice.
Being in political office is a key point of leverage.  Maybe one of the
largest out there.  The fact that it has been co-opted by forces of empire
building (read: ethics disorder) is in part because enough of us do nothing
about it.
Permaculture without access to land is difficult.  Land reform and political
programs and movements and news and stories of such are an extremely
important part of the equation and need to be shared.  Here in Knoxville, we
are getting things, through political efforts, such as permeable pavements,
net-zero housing for low income people, community gardens, better stormwater
management, recycling at city festivals, and even a commitment from TVA for
greener power.
As has already been pointed out, the Designer's Manual included a final
chapter on 'invisible structures'.  There's your link to politics.  I think
Mollison stopped there because he had said enough already and wanted to
focus on helping folks understand how the earth works.  He said that we
already know how to live sustainably, we just don't do it.  Why we don't do
it is politics.
A number of struggles, civil rights for example, started in the face of
impossibility and with political organizing, made tremendous progress over
time.  Cleaning up Love Canal was a political process of organizing.  Farm
worker's rights and the accompanying boycotts were all political.  The
multi-billion dollar, largest-in-world-history lawsuit against ChevronTexaco
to clean up areas in Honduras is political, as was the process that let it
happen in the first place.  And the rise of the neo-cons is political too.  
So while we're out in the garden, the organized group in the other valley
may set things up in a way that doesn't respect permaculture ethics.  We may
need to show up at City Hall with our pitchforks once in a while.  Or be
gutsy enough to run for office and work that incredibly powerful key
leverage point (a permaculture principle).
That there are so many topics is evidence of our growing pains.  Mollison
draws a diagram with permaculture at the center and all other disciplines
connecting like spokes of the wheel.  He also draws the diagram of the
elements in the design and all the connections.  That the Greens are
connected to the beekeepers who are connected to the architects who are
connected to the labor party is a sign of strength.
It is difficult to know where to cut off dialogue and ask folks to go
somewhere else for greater detail.  If we all respect each other's time it
can be self regulating, and that is a good sign of sustainability. 


Gene Monaco
Knoxville, TN

>From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
Subject: [permaculture] 'Jim Kunstler writing about export cuts by
        producers and ramifications'
"Stop wringing your hands about that new strip mall, think hard about
how you're going to feed yourself in the coming years . . ."
...Those of you considering the purchase of more WalMart stock, take
note.

>From: lbsaltzman@aol.com
Subject: [permaculture] Soil Carbon Sequestration
WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK: 
SOIL IS ONE SECRET SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING
Can organic farming fight climate change?