Permaculture: Permaculture - a system for sustainable human environments

By TERENCE RICHARDS

Permaculture

"Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should, therefore, accept only those things necessary for oneself, which are set aside as one's quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong."

Isa Upanishad

Permaculture is a system for designing sustainable human environments It can be practised by anyone on any scale from a balcony or small town garden to farms and villages.

The term was coined by Bill Mollison when he and David Holmgren were working on developing an interdisciplinary earth science It originally meant `permanent agriculture'. It has since also come to mean `permanent culture', recognising that no culture or community can survive for long without a sustainable agricultural base and land use ethic. It is a holistic system which now includes topics such as appropriate financial and legal systems, building, energy, water and communications.

Based on observing the earth's natural systems and understanding the patterns and energy flows, it seeks to replicate the synergy of natural systems.

In cultivated systems. e.g. Robert Hart's forest garden takes as its model the self-maintaining ecosystem of the natural forest. By careful choice of plants for food, fuel, fibre, fodder, timber and using the seven `stories' of the natural forest, a highly productive system can be established and maintained with minimum labour. Mollison defines it as 'a system of assembling conceptual, material and strategic components in a pattern which functions to benefit life In all its forms. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy. shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way'.

One definition of a sustainable society would be one that fulfills its needs without jeopardizing future generations. In order for this to come about we must take responsibility for our own lives and work in a spirit of co-operation with a common ethic.

The threefold ethic on which Permaculture is based is:-

á      ¥      Care of the Earth - respect for and care of all living and non-living, things, conservation, rehabilitation of degraded systems, ethical use of resources and working for useful and beneficial systems.

á      ¥      Care of People - encouraging values which limit consumption and allow access to resources for all so that the basic needs of food, shelter, health care, education and useful and satisfying work may be enjoyed by all.

á      ¥      Redistributing surplus - once having set up the systems and taken care of basic needs, surplus time, energy and materials should be contributed to help others achieve the same.

á      ¥      Basic life ethic - recognises the Intrinsic value of all living things regardless of their use to us. They have value because they exist, are functioning and taking part in natural processes.

Some principles which will help implementation of these ethics are:-

¤      take personal responsibility now. It is no use waiting for someone else to do it.

¤      make your work count. Plant trees where they will survive. Work with those who want to learn.

¤      plan for the long term. How will our actions affect future generations?

¤      design small scale intensive energy efficient systems,use the smallest practical area.

¤      use native or naturallsed species where possible.

¤      diversity provides stability and Is a buffer against economic and environmental change.

¤      replace an equal or greater resource than that used.- yield is only limited by our understanding and ability to manage the system. Something can always be added.

¤      use low energy environmental (sun, wind, water) and biological (plants, animals) systems to conserve energy.

¤      bring food-growing back to the cities.

¤      recycle all waste. Pollution is an output not used by the system.

¤      everything is a gift. See a solution not a problem. 

¤      The heart of Permaculture is functional design - all aspects of putting things together to achieve an effect not just a look. Nor is it just cramming as many things as possible into a given space.

What is important Is choosing and siting each element (plant, animal or structure) so that it performs as many functions as possible, e.g. a hedge can provide shelter, mulch, privacy, food, animal forage, wildlife habitat, fuel, and erosion control. Similarly a pond can reflect light, store water for Irrigation and stock, be a fire break, a wild life habitat, and part of a grey water recycling system. Each important function is supplied by more than one element e.g. annual and perennial pasture and fodder trees for stock. Solar panels and a stove for water heating. It should function efficiently and assist other elements. In this way we can minimise work (inputs) and waste (outputs) as the output of one element becomes the input of another and the needs of the system are supplied by the system.

Permaculture is not about turning the clock back and being slaves to the soil, eking out a living as subsistence farmers. In fact, it takes from both traditional wisdom and modern science and technology. By using our Intelligence to design our environment (urban or rural) so that they are neither capital nor labour intensive, then we will not stumble from one quick fix to the next environmental disaster, but will be self-supporting In the long term. Fukuoka, with his natural farming methods, transformed a barren hillside in Japan into a highly productive landscape with comparable yields to those of mechanised chemical farmers. As he himself has said, this has been achieved by working with nature rather than against it; through protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labour.

In order to attain this `harmonious Integration of landscape and people' we must withdraw from destructive systems and invest our time, energy, intelligence and money in creative alternatives. Mahatma Gandhi envisioned `innumerable self sufficient villages where would dwell highly intelligent folk whom none could deceive or exploit . The villages would develop in ever widening, never ascending circles. Life will not be a pyramid with the apex sustained by the bottom, but an oceanic circle'.

There are examples of people putting Permaculture into practice all over the world:-

á  Crystal Waters In rural Queensland, Australia. 600 acres with 83 privately owned plots of about one acre each, enabling each family to be self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables. Income is gained from a variety of small businesses in the community. The remainder of the land is owned and managed communally. A community credit union aids the development financially.

á  Village Homes, Davis, California. Built in the 1970's comprising 200 homes with communal open spaces and food producing areas. Residents participate in the design and on-going management. Now produces a surplus of food and uses 40% less fuel than adjacent traditionally designed houses.

á  In Britain. in addition to many private gardens, allotments, small holdings and community gardens, designs have been commissioned by local councils, the Body Shop H.Q. in West Sussex and in Stroud there is a sustainable village project.

References:

á  Bill Mollison: Permaculture: A Practical Guide for a Sustainable Future. 1990 Island Press

á  Robert A. de J. Hart: Forest Gardening. 1991 Green Books

á  Kathleen Jannaway: Abundant Living. 1991 Movement for Compassionate Living.

á  Masanobu Fukuoka: The One Siraw Revolution. 1978 Rodale Press.

The mission of the Vedic Cultural Fellowship (VCF) is to bring vedic spirituality to the enchanting land of New Mexico, establishing a center that can be visited by people from around the globe. Vedic culture is inherently spiritual in outlook, making kindness, charity, compassion, and honesty the main values for harmony in life. We will seek to teach and apply the sciences of natural ayurvedic medicine, yoga, meditation, and vedic astrology, along with the varied arts which have their origin in the Vedas. Our desire is to help individuals overcome physical, emotional, or spiritual problems naturally, gaining a higher outlook on life both individually and collectively.

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