Permaculture

 

Brief Permaculture History

Permaculture came from the work of Bill Mollison, a lecturer at Hobart University and his student David Holmgren in the 1970s. It was in response to a 1972 report called "The Limits to Growth" created by the Club of Rome, a think tank of internationally concerned people from academia, civil society, diplomacy and industry. The report predicted that economic growth could not continue the way it was indefinitely because of the limited availability of natural resources.

 

Permaculture looked to find a way to change thngs in a practical and positive way. The first course was taught in 1979, however, it wasn't until 1988 the concept was refined by Bill in his Permaculture Designers Manual. Today it is being taught and practiced by thousands of people all over the world.

 

Core World Problems

The core world problems are:

• Pollution

• Deforestation, and

• Soil Degredation

 

By far, the biggest of the three is Soil Degredation and is at the core of environmental problems we face. Our present system of agriculture and land clearing for agriculture either removes soil or depletes it. We can make soil in a small garden but we cannot make it on mass. On a very large area, we have to partner with ecosystems and design for ecosystem interactions which will build soil.

 

Permaculture Design Guiding Principles

Each element should have many functions (eg. a trellis may hold a grape vine, shade the house and provide an outdoor area)

Every function should be supported by more than one element. 

 

As in nature, this acts as a safety net. You always have the function met from many sources. The intention is to position elements, so the beneficial relationship between elements work on the basis of what naturally occurs. A diverse system will dynamically adjust to changes. 

 

When we design in diversity, it is not just the number of different elements, but the functional interconnections between elements we have to look at to get stability. This dynamic stability leads to maintain or increase fertility. The soil is continually being replenished as nutrients are cycled through the system. Fertility leads to design sustainable productivity.

 

Permaculture design emphasizes on patterning of landscape, function, and species assemblies. it asks the questions "Where does this element go?" "How is it best placed for maximum benefit in the system?"