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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Why Bother With Permaculture? An essay by Ted Trainer
  • Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:08:25 -0500

Scott Pittman wrote:

I never quite know what to say or do about those critical of permaculture
based on a partial understanding of what it is.
While I couldn't agree more that the visible parts of permaculture
gardening, building houses, water harvesting and remediation, forestry are
at best survival techniques in the coming hard times - but that is just the
beginning of what permaculture has to offer. There is a whole other part of
the design system called "invisible structures" that deals with economic,
social, and financial aspects of life and it is within this section is the
true opportunity to offer new strategies to deal with corporatism,
capitalism, and rampant consumerism. If this isn't happening then it is the
fault of the teachers who either don't understand the implications of
"invisible structures" or are too lazy to give it the depth of thought and
creativity to be able to teach it to their students.

I have developed an unsavory reputation as a conservative grump (to put it
kindly) for my insistence on retaining "all" of the curriculum for the
permaculture design course, as handed down by Bill Mollison. That does not
mean that there aren't thing that can be added and updated but that the
pedagogy of the course as directed by the curriculum is a whole system and
was designed that way. I can't tell you how many certified designers I have
met who don't use or teach "invisible structures", so it is no wonder that
in many quarters permaculture is considered another gardening technique. It
is like teaching organic gardening without mentioning soil!

Amen to that. A past flap in this forum involved a used permaculture salesman trying to sell us on the idea of buying a new car, i.e. throw out Mollison's standard for earning a PDC and replace it with one not requiring the study of soil, plants, water, structures, etc., a new game of permaculture political football complete with reducation camps and political parties with, of course, the new movement's leaders pompously perched on gold encrusted dais to be venerated and worshipped, anxiously awating a flood of alms.

In another forum global warming was questioned as being a fabrication of the
global corporate elite for profit and
shifting blame to the masses.
"the presentation to the public of what is happening... what is going on
behind the scences, of global
warming. The way it is being presented is a viscious hoax"
I followed up with:
I share your concern, however I do not see any hope of accomplishing what you
would like to see happen.
We can still "pretend that human caused global warming with resulting changes in
climate" is a reality and go about our
business doing things that we know will offset this trend, build a global
movement involving as large a community of
like-minded folks doing the same thing as possible. The spin-offs from such a
meeting of the minds could be innumerable
resulting in long term benefits for activism on many fronts. That is actually
what is happening anyway, as I see it.
"They" may not make changes, but "we" certainly can, with far-reaching
benefits for many with greater likelihood of
political change. Look at the permaculture movement. Doing something about
global warming through reducing carbon
emissions, recycling, reduction in energy consumption and maintaining an
environmental footprint that is more in tune
with Nature than working against it. I'm probably preaching to the choir.

LL
--
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
lflj@intrex.net
lflj@bellsouth.net
venaurafarm@bellsouth.net
Venaura Farm http://venaurafarm.blogspot.com
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