permaculture

[rafter sass ferguson <liberationecology@gmail.com>]

Thanks for all the resource lists, everybody!

Steve, I totally agree. It's one thing to teach about the problems with the
current systems, or a few alternative models, and it's another to
teach it *like
permaculture* - to do the grand synthesis of principles and design that
marks permaculture so distinctively.

I teach an evolving permaculture economics unit that I'm pretty psyched
about... trying to move in the direction of that synthesis, at least! It's
very influenced by my experience as an instructor (and student) at the
Financial Permaculture course in Miami this past January.

I would like to heartily recommend a book called *The Resilience Imperative*,
by Michael Lewis and Pat Conaty. I'm still working my way through it, but
more than anything I've seen it is provides a road map for the kinds of
economic institutions we want to create in permaculture. Most of the models
they talk about have both current successful examples *and* are grounded in
several centuries of historical development. Despite being just a little
bit dry in places - it is about economics, after all - it's blowing my
mind. Check it out - it's worth the work.

solidarity,
rafter



On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 5:00 PM, Steve Hart 
<stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com>wrote:

> Great topic...great debate that needs much more development input and
> dispersal. IMO we have difficulty moving forward on many of the tremendous
> variety of options available to us through our Permaculture wisdom until we
> fully recognise the treadmill we are locked into by the existing systems.
> These systems began their design and development in the 14th century by the
> great money changers and usery agents. It has obviously evolved
> considerably since then to the point of reality that 98% of the world are
> designed slaves to their system. Our challenge therefore is to escape,
> breakout and get off that treadmill. We also need to be teaching these
> strategies in our PDCs and specialist one week follow up courses. Anyone
> interested ? please let me know...to at least continue the debate ?
> Steve Hart
>
>
> On 29 September 2013 18:45, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, Sep 29, 2013 at 1:05 AM, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, Sep 28, 2013 at 11:24 PM, Koreen Brennan <cory8570@yahoo.com
> > >wrote:
> > >
> > >> Other aspects of new business models are:
> > >> Feedback loop from critics embraced and used to improve model
> (accepting
> > >> feedback loop and self-regulating, and the problem is the solution)
> > >> Creating strategy around interrelationship of stakeholders (integrate,
> > >> don't segregate)
> > >> Observe and interact (deep surveys, interviews of clients)
> > >> Capture and store energy (waste stream repurpose/recycle/redesign)
> > >> Creatively respond to change
> > >> Stack functions
> > >> Pattern to detail
> > >> etc
> > >>
> > >> The three ethics are embodied in B Corp value, employee ownership,
> > >> rejection of unlimited growth as a goal, new forms of business
> > goalmaking,
> > >> etc. Of course, we well understand there is hypocrisy there; false
> > reports,
> > >> etc. But companies are also feeling pressure and some are responding.
> > I'm
> > >> always looking for ways to increase that pressure and won't stop
> unless
> > or
> > >> until there is real ethics being practiced. I personally believe that
> > the
> > >> economic "ism" that is being used is not as important as the quality
> of
> > the
> > >> system design. None of the "isms" really cut it without great
> > permaculture
> > >> design.
> > >> Koreen Brennan
> > >>
> > >
> > > That is amazing and really great, in-depth thinking, employing the
> > > creative process throughout. It shows yet again that permaculture
> > dominates
> > > and that ethics drive the whole systems thinking process.
> > >
> > > Great post. {If this list had such features] I would give it an upvote
> > and
> > > an 5/10 rating. Reddit does this but does not have email or as
> effective
> > an
> > > archival system as a list such as this one.
> > >
> >
> > Dominionism tells those who want to rationalize polluting for profit that
> > they don't have to be a cog in the natural machinery of Gaia, a mere
> > worker, lowly peons like everyone else dependent on
> > Earth's life support system for health and well being, continued survival
> > for theirs and future generations. Instead, they can own it for
> themselves
> > to dominate and exploit without giving it a second thought
> > or feeling the need to seek out alternative solutions and possibilities.
> > Every time I read the news it appears that this is the dominant paradigm,
> > for now.  .
> >
> > Bees.
> > Late winter/early Spring  2013 I saw about a dozen honey bees foraging in
> > my fields. Since then I have not seen a single one, Zero. Rien, Nada;
> Zero
> > bees on my property. This time of year I have a bumper crop of goldenrod
> in
> > bloom, offering prime food for bees. Not one bee has been seen amongst
> the
> > flowers. Growing up, I always assumed that bees were a fixture on the
> > landscape and that
> > good local honey would always be available and affordable in the grocery
> > stores. Not so, it seems. Herbicides, nicotinoid fungicides, lack of
> > diverse food sources for bees are all factors to blame for this.
> > Will native honeybees every return? Wild bees? Successful commercial
> > apairies? One wonders. I have seen large populations of bumblebees,
> > carpenter bees, wasps and other alternative pollinating insects at work
> on
> > my land this year. One wonders how long even those will be around. Is it
> > just my region of N.C. or is this situation common throughout the U.S.?
> >
> > LL
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Kia ora
>
> [image: Picture]
> *Steve Hart*
> Ecology Architect
> skype: stevenlawrencehart
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>



-- 
Rafter Sass Ferguson, MS
PhD Candidate | Crop Sciences Department
University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
liberationecology.org
518 567 7407