permaculture

[Mark Feineigle <mfeineigle@gmail.com>]

>I do not think PC is a threat to anything. PC is patiently waiting
>until the established ways and powers fall apart

Let's look at a few ways even simple backyard garden techniques
(permaculture or not) could disrupt the status quo.

Obviously food production comes to mind first. This would directly threaten
the big ag companies like Cargill and Monsanto. It would threaten the food
distribution/trucking networks like the Teamsters. It would threaten food
processors and grocery outlets. By preparing more food at home it would
threaten the restaurant industry.

The medical/insurance/healthcare industries would be threatened by healthy
diets and medicinal plants. Even depression and obesity would be alleviated
by simply working in outside.

If people were spending more time in the yard and depression/stress levels
were reduced, you may see declines in escapist activities like TV/movies
and drinking/drugs, threatening Hollywood and drug cartels.

If composting were undertaken, it would threaten landfills, garbage-men,
and chemical fertilizer companies like Syngenta. A step further to capture
methane, even on household scales, would impact the natural gas industry,
its pipelines, and possibly even gasoline if CNG were utilized.

The IMF and the World Bank would have less power over developing nations
adopting such techniques.

These are just some consequences of simple backyard gardening. I am sure it
could be expanded to threaten even more industries with appropriate
technology like kachelofens, properly designed houses, and the like.
Imagine how many net jobs this would destroy. It would be nothing short of
a total restructuring of the social order.

Further, I think that the attitude of "let's just wait until everything
falls apart" is defeatist. If your house were on fire, would you try to
save it or just wait and build a new one? That said, I agree that
everything probably will fall apart before it gets better, but that wont
stop me from trying. If nothing else, the better the foundation we build
today, the sturdier our next house will be.

-Mark Feineigle