permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

> Another aspect of this is the fact that those who are involved on any 
> level with home or community food production will not only be able to 
> feed themselves but feed others too, near and far, increasing the 
> abundance of local foodsheds. This is so important and will become much 
> more so in the next few years as peak oil kicks in for real and goods 
> are priced higher and are in shorter supply. People need to wake up to 
> the reality of taking responsible for their own well-being, involve 
> themselves in medical self-help and get serious about building 
> supportive communities where they live. The goal of total food 
> self-sufficiency may be difficult to achieve but it is a necessary 
> carrot held in front of them for inspiration and guidance. Communities 
> of people living on homesteads and growing their own food can help meet 
> individual needs through sharing the surplus, barter or sale. The 
> possibilities are endless. Less is better more often than not and keep 
> it simple is the word of the day. Save the complexities for the 
> permaculture systems you design and install on your land and the food 
> production systems you employ to feed yourself and your neighbors.
> This is for real. An Extension agent friend in my county is hell-bent to 
> promote these very concepts, nationally and yesterday. He sees peak oil
> as having a big effect on our lifestyles in the very near future.

For those interested in this sort of thing and those who still want to 
think that their opinion of how our government ought to be run still 
counts for something and matters to our elected officials.

I'll add a brief comment I wrote in a friend's Facebook page regarding 
the role of government providing direction and impetus for people 
seeking a lifestyle of self-reliance and participation in building local 
foodsheds.

I replied to this comment:

"There is a part of the brain we see in psychology and anthropology 
thats connected to religion. These behaviors don't go away just because 
you don't believe in a religion. They find other places and ways to go. 
The "Cypher" strategy Obama used (where you feed whatever you want out 
of government into Obama) promotes the religous side. As did the 
language of Obama in his rhetoric appeal to a religous part of our brains."
And:
"Obama created the Cypher of "Hope." or "I am the vehicle for your 
hope." this was the purposeful plan for hope and change as thematic 
elements of the campaign. This is also why Obama gave 8 or nine 
different positions on most issues. So he could create the largest pool 
of people to fill up his empty form."

With this comment:

The Obama Cypher, as you have described it, is the plan I would have 
followed were I he and intent on restoring faith in government, creating 
a purposeful government that protects the environment, the people and 
their health and empowers the public to take responsibility for their 
own well-being. Offering a multiplicity of faces of his new 
administration, illuminating its policies and direction is exactly what 
I would have done. I would never have thought of that as being so 
legitimate until you described it. This is an age of specialization and 
you have to reach out and talk the language of so many segments of our 
population, all in an environment of fairness and common sense.