permaculture

[Georg Parlow <g.parlow@gmx.at>]

Yes, Steve, widespread destruction all over and intensifying. And yes, many 
wish it ain’t so and stick their heads in the sand. If we are wittnessing an 
end, a destructive, painful end or a violent, painful birth, we (or at least 
some of us) will know in hindsight. If you have never wittnessed a birth and 
walk into a room with a woman in her final minutes of labour and full of 
franticly confused  and frightened onlookers, it might be hard to imagine 
that you are about to wittness one of living natures most beautiful and most 
mysterious events. But then again, this might not be birth but a painful kind 
of 'reset'. I think that talking of species extinction is overestimating our 
power and underestimating our resilience. But it might quite well be the 
destructive end of civilisation as we know it, without an upcoming golden age 
around the corner, but another stone age. We will see.

So Steve, when you talk of 'devising our strategy' I assume you are not 
talking about how to go extinct in style, but that you too see this as a 
transition - a transition into what? As stated above, I know that I do not 
know what we are up to, I am open that it might be bad but it might be the 
best that ever happened to humanity. What do you anticipate?

But whatever we anticipate, I think we pretty much agree on the idea, that 
the transition might kill us (and propably kills many if unprepared). So, 
strategy:
- get together in rural or semirural communities of 50 to 200 individuals
- stay close enough to towns so people can commute to jobs
- create a modern lifestyle (rather than hardcore country self-sufficiency)
—— how: appartment complex co-housing on a compound big enough for zones 1+2
                 enough land nearby for zones 3+4
                 secure land first, then start selling the appartments, start 
building when 1/3 is sold
- produce your own electricity
—— oversized PV, sell surplus into grid - when TEOTWAKI hits, go off-grid
- lean towards home-production of most of your food
—— be relaxed, and one by one expand your products
- cooperate with local organic farmers for red meat and other stuff you can’t 
easily produce
- make an effort to be an asset for the local community
—— skills, ressources and networks can combine to develop many enterprises
- beware of survivalists
- involve old folks (min.30%)
—— many are walking databases, and their money might cover most of the 
investment needs
- establish values of cooperation, respect, service
—— make "we care for our old/weak/sick neighbour" part of your sales pitch
—— dare to use words like "brotherly love" in your prospectus
- avoid hierarchies, avoid endless consensus-struggles
—— develop gound rules on sociocracy or teal management principles
- enjoy life and let the thing develop

I dont know how this has to be adapted to fit US situations, but here in 
Europe this is way to go. Of course this is just a rough sketch and can be 
improved and modified, but I hope the idesa gets across.

Georg

> Am 30.07.2015 um 10:18 schrieb Steve Hart <stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com>:
> 
> Yes a great little plea indeed. I have often dreamed of similar visions. In
> fact, for far too many years. However, IMHO it is all farrr tooo late. If
> we take a long hard look at what we see in front of us with all glasses off
> we recognise widespread destruction in every corner of the planet over all
> layers of all societies. It is intensifying and getting worse. We do not
> have to search very far to see such. But most of us just wish it aint true.
> Many just prefer to stick their head in the sand and hope it might all go
> away or be warm fuzzy and rosie when we pull our heads out. I have never
> been a doooms dayer but reality is reality. I'm back to the theory of
> adding another course to our school...a workshop on how to bend over and
> kiss ya arse goodbye. Extinction of species man aint that far away. We are
> poisoning ourselves pretty quickly. The banksters are driving it playing
> the flute but not even they have a secure escape plan. We do of course but
> happen to be in the beyond extreme minority. Perhaps we could start
> devising our strategy ? Any tips anyone ?...Steve Hart
>