by Dave Riley
Anyone who's been there will tell you that to understand low energy inputs and systems like Permaculture you have to do the DIY.
I used to practice Permaculture in the nineties at our old house and have now begun another project in a different context.I call it "Little Cuba".
I was talking to a horticulturalist last month who could see no prospect that our cities could be turned into local food production or short food/low energy journeying.And she was a leading parks and gardens manager in the Tweed River Shire -- bordering on hippiedom to the south. She could see the massive climate challenges and despite her skill and training (in Horticulture AND Permaculture) could not address the options with any confidence.
The problem with Permaculture lore is that it presumes that we can sentence almost everyone to agricultural activity in some form. That's not possible and is certainly not a preferred option.
So we need to logically proceed --and the Cuban example is very useful in setting a sort of template to consider.
Just how could this be done?
Barry Healey's recent article in GLW on Permaculture and Marxism doesn't address that point --and after re-reading Permaculture literature -- nor do the Permaculturalists themselves.
So is there a prospect that we can engineer an alliance with the Permaculturalists who see the system as a means to save the planet from its carbon addiction? Can Permaculture become a political movement?
One of the quaint ironies of Australian green politics is that the ecosocialist movement with dedicated adherents primarily off shore -- defers to local theorists as its patrons: Alan Roberts and Ted Trainer. Two individuals who aren't usually part of socialist discourse in this country.
And the Cuban preferred 'system' bases itself on the work of another two locals: Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.
So is there some doctrinal adaptation we need to engineer to weld these systems to own banner?
VIDEO:Low energy lifestyle lessons from Cuba, an excellent documentary on living locally and sustainable living.
Large format view of video...
