What is PERMACULTURE, anyway?
Permaculture is a design science based on the observation
of natural systems.
The word "permaculture" was coined in the 1970s by Australian
ecologists, Dr. Bill Mollison and David Homgren, as a contraction of permanent
and agriculture, with an implication of permanence in culture.
" Permaculture is the harmonious integration of landscape
and people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and
non-material needs in a sustainable way. The philosophy behind permaculture
is one of working with, rather than against, nature, of looking at systems
in all their functions rather than asking only one yield of them, and
of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions." Bill Mollison
in Permaculture - A Designer's Manual (1988)
During the past twenty years, permaculture has grown into a global
initiative, that diversifies as it adapts to different cultural
contexts. Permaculture is fostering a global design science revolution
with mass appeal. Permaculture ecological land use employs principles
of natural systems in the design of beneficial associations to
form living systems capable of regenerating and supporting themselves.
These ecological design principles, strategies and methods can
be applied on urban, village and national scales and can be adapted
to any ecosystem.
Permaculture education consists of training ecological land use
and the development of sustainable life skills. Permaculture training
provides the basis for the development of seed banks, nurseries
and village forest gardens which can insure food security, jobs,
and regenerative enterprise at the local level.
Permaculture knowledge empowers individuals and communities to
achieve local self reliance with: home design for energy efficiency
(like solar hot water tanks); water conservation (rooftop catchment
cisterns); waste treatment (composing and wetlands); erosion control
(earthworks); soil building; seed saving; home gardening; animal
management; rangeland restoration; reforestation; forest gardening
(multi-storied orchards); fuel forestry; nursery establishment
and other practical skills needed for economic self-reliance and
ecological sustainability.
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By thinking carefully about the way we use our resources it is
possible to get much more out of life by using less. We can be
more productive for less effort, reaping benefits for our environment
and ourselves, and for generations to come. Permaculture is the
design of an ecologically sound way of living - in our households,
gardens, communities and businesses. Its principles and practices
can be used by anyone, anywhere:
* City flats, yards and window boxes * suburban and rural houses/gardens
*allotments and smallholdings * community spaces * farms and
estates
* countryside and conservation areas * commercial and industrial
premises
* educational establishments *waste ground ....
Permaculture encourages us to be resourceful and self-reliant.
It helps us find solutions to the many problems facing us - both
locally and globally.
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Adapted from Permaculture WORKS, newsletter of the Permaculture
Association of Britain London WC1N 3XX www.permaculture.org.uk
and Permaculture Magazine www.permaculture.co.uk
