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  • From: "Scott Pittman" <scott@permaculture.org>
  • To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] what is "politics" exactly...?
  • Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:51:52 -0700

I am able to work with various corporate entities because, so far, they have
been willing to accept my conditions of work which are basically the pc
ethics.

I am not trying or interested in, reforming the corporations that I work for
but I am very interested in the landscapes and people who are involved in
one way or another with those corporations. In the case of MARS it is to
work with cacao farmers to increase diversity and income so that they aren't
at the mercy of any commodity crop be it cacao, coffee, or palm nuts. I
found that MARS was very supportive of my project to create sustainable
situations for the farms and farmers of Haitian farmers.

This is not to say that I believe that MARS Corporation is sustainable, nor
can it ever be. Over time all of the large corporations who depend on
transportation from around the world for their survival are doomed to
extinction.

For now I am happy to use corporate money to create better lives and
environments for the people who are producing for the corporations and
trying to create models where the farmer will continue and prosper long
after the corporation has ceased to exist.

I see this as a very different approach to Green Capitalism which has little
to do with the well being of the worker or the producer but rather is still
driven by profit for the stockholders, and for the top executives. How do
you make corporate monocropping a fulfilling and ecological work even if it
is organic?? How is it possible to work within any corporate structure and
maintain your joy of life, and creative spirit? I think it is by convincing
oneself that Lincoln Towncars, and MacMansions are the stuff of joy and
happiness. I further think it is by ignoring the thousands under you who
can't afford their rent let alone Lincolns.

For the first time in history total corporate wealth exceeds total
government wealth that is a scary reality, since we know that corporate
wealth is divided between a very tiny minority of the population and
government is more and more in service to the corporate sector instead of
the people. This is an obscene reality that is crushing the life out of our
communities, or schools, our rivers and forests, and our future.


Scott Pittman
Director
Permaculture Institute
www.permaculture.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Vlaun [mailto:scott@moosepondarts.com]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 2:38 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] what is "politics" exactly...?

Scott,

I really appreciate the thoughts below and your commitment to
changing the system. As someone who has worked for Seeds of Change
for many years promoting organic seeds, I often struggle with issues
about capitalism that you bring up below, no matter how important the
overall mission of the company. Since you, and other leading
permaculturists have also worked for SOC and its parent company M&M
Mars on Permaculture and sustainable production projects, how do you
see that as different than what Hawken, McDonough and others have
done to reform industrial capitalist enterprises?

It seems like we need to be working on all fronts; to stem the tide
and change the paradigm. Having that kind of capital to make big
projects happen isn't perfect, but it can be useful.



Scott Vlaun
Moose Pond Arts+Ecology
Design Solutions for a Sustainable Future

450 Main St. Studio 2
Norway, Maine 04268
207-739-2409 Studio
207-890-4099 Cell
http://www.moosepondarts.com








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