permaculture

[Steve Hart <stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com>]

Again IMO we have a dilema or a problem but as the saying goes "The Problem
is the Solution"

LL you are the functionary of perhaps the most active and there dare I say
it the best Permaculture chat room around at the moment. You have great
ability at sharing resources and also researching and compiling them to
share. Your gift to this great network which is growing by the day. All
this capacity for sharing and offering comment and debate but you have not
yet done a PDC. A problem ? perhaps ?  A solution below. I have  mentioned
previously I am a member of the first tier of Permaculture graduates and
had the great fortune to spend considerable time with those that forged the
early era of PC, including Dan Hemingway.  However over time, 25 years
perhaps, there has been a gradual weakening of all things
Permaculturewhere today we get so called graduates and exponents
espousing the values
of systems like hydroponics as relevant elements in Permaculture. Which
then escalates to suggesting that aquaponics also has a key part to play in
Permaculture.  The principles, perhaps, but not the recipes of commercial
aquaponics. We also have many so called PDCs taught by unqualified
inexperienced want to be teachers. We also have evangelists who by nature
are great at espousing virtue and lots of bullshit. Yes the demand is there
and the market place tells us that where there is a demand it readily gets
filled. The upshot of this is, we now have a very weak Permaculture world.
Bill used to say ..it does not matter, just get out there and do, it we
gave a planet to save. Well ..I for one have always been strong on getting
it right..perhaps my upbringing my conditioning and my professional career
through Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and my
perfectionism to boot that moulded this attitude. Its my attitude I am more
than comfortable with.

Its not the planet that needs saving. It is the species man that needs
saving.

LL, you suggest you have not done a PDC for you could not afford one and
there was not one in your region. Easy solution. Convene one at your
doorstep. Get it for free and if you manage it right perhaps you will
receive reward for it also. But make sure you select a teacher who is
qualified with considerable experience. IMO you will gain considerably from
a good PDc and this chat room and all its members the better for it with
far more robust debate and perhaps  go a ;ong way to the evolving of the
solutions to the following dilemma.

The weakening of Permaculture...well that is a greater challenge. But the
solutions actually quite simple. PC Europe are evolving solutions as we
speak being in the middle of a series of 7 conferences to evolve a more
rigorous educational structure. I have been very fortunate to be part of
the first 3 conferences. The 4th was held in Portugal recently the 5th is
planned for England at the end of May 6th in Spain and 7th yet to be
confirmed but either Sweden or Bulgaria. Permaculture Australia, our
founding bioregion, is also evolving more structures to be able to satisfy
the wider Permaculture community far better than has been so far. I loudly
applaud Skeeta et al who have taken the initiative to convene the 1st Nth
American PCCC. I imagine great debate will evolve through this. Through the
previous IPCs and especially IPC10 in Jordan Scott Pittman convened
discussion on global structures. This energy has evolved a little since and
we hope to see further traction on the topic at IPC11 in Cuba Nov/Dec this
year. I hope I can get there, in fact to both.

The other Dilemma is the abuse LL you offer Glen Atkinson. IMO worthy of
debate for you as the facilitator of this chat room have considerable
influence and obviously a most valuable part to play....if you don't lose
all your members. I can see that you have a high degree of emotional
attachment to the subject in question. I was not witness to the discussion
you had with GA so I will never understand the four sides to the argument,
its place its context, or meaning. However from my perspective who knows GA
very well for over 30 years recognise him as a unique scientist with unique
levels of thinking and actions and evidence of a lot of his work which he
puts into practise with results. Yes I recognise he has viewpoints which do
not fit the norm. But I do recognise him as a unique scientist who along
with others has evolved Biodynamics to levels that are just about
interpretable by the man on the street. Evidence of this can very easily be
seen in his websites. Having had many long discussions with him on many
varied topics I have a good understanding of his thinking patterns. And,
fascist is not where I would put his thinking.
-- 
Kia ora

[image: Picture]
*Steve Hart*
Ecology Architect
skype: stevenlawrencehart