Permaculture: Ethics and Principles

Midwest Permaculture & Wayne Weiseman

Fundamentals of Permaculture

Webinar Series

Webinar 2Ethics & Principles

All Slides and Audio Files©Wayne Weiseman &Midwest Permaculture

PERMA (permanent) CULTUREPERMA (permanent) CULTURE

““Permaculture is about relationships that we can Permaculture is about relationships that we can create between minerals, plants animals and humans create between minerals, plants animals and humans by the way we place them in the landscape. The aim by the way we place them in the landscape. The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable, which provide for their own economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute and are therefore needs, do not exploit or pollute and are therefore sustainable in the long term.” (Bill Mollison)sustainable in the long term.” (Bill Mollison)

(Permanent- Latin: per- throughout + manere- to remain; Culture- Middle English: cultivation, (Permanent- Latin: per- throughout + manere- to remain; Culture- Middle English: cultivation, tillage; from Old French; from Latin: cultura, from cultus- cultivation, from Germanic: skel- to tillage; from Old French; from Latin: cultura, from cultus- cultivation, from Germanic: skel- to cut)cut)

Th e Pri me Direct ive o f Th e Pri me Direct ive o f Permac ul tu rePermac ul tu re

The only ethical decision is to take The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that responsibility for our own existence and that

of our childrenof our children

The Ethics of Permaculture

Permaculture is unique among “alternative” farming systems (e.g. organic, sustainable, eco-agriculture, biodynamic) in that it works with a set of ethics that suggest we think and act responsibly in relation to each other and the earth.

The ethics of Permaculture provide a sense of place in the larger scheme of things, and serve as a guidepost to right Livelihood in concert with the global community and the environment, rather than individualism and indifference.

Care of the Earth…includes all living and non-living things- plants, animals, land, water, air.

Care of People…promotes self-reliance and community responsibility- access to resources necessary for existence.

Setting Limits to Population and Consumption…gives away surplus- contribution of surplus time, labor, money, information, and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care.

Permaculture also acknowledges a basic life ethic, which recognizes the intrinsic worth of every living thing. A tree has value in itself. Even if it presents no commercial value to humans. That the tree is alive and functioning is worthwhile. It is doing its part in nature: recycling litter, producing oxygen, sequestering carbon dioxide, sheltering animals, building soils and so on.

The Principles of Permaculture Design

Whereas permaculture ethics are more akin to broad moral values and codes of behavior, the principles of Permaculture provide a set of universally applicable guidelines which can be used in designing sustainable habitats. Distilled from multiple disciplines- ecology, energy conservation, landscape design, and environmental science- these principles are inherent in any Permaculture design, in any climate, and at any scale.

Relative locationEach element performs multiple functionsEach function is supported by many elementsEnergy efficient planningUsing biological resourcesEnergy cyclingSmall-scale intensive systemsNatural plant succession and stackingPolyculture and diversity of speciesIncreasing “edge” within a systemObserve and replicate natural patternsPay attention to scaleAttitude

Permaculture CompetenciesPermaculture Competencies

Primitive living skills Primitive living skills Settlement, village life-ways and folkways Settlement, village life-ways and folkways Map building and modelingMap building and modeling Permaculture principles Permaculture principles Concepts and themes in design Concepts and themes in design The local ecosystem The local ecosystem Forms of eco-gardening and farming Forms of eco-gardening and farming Broad scale, bioregional site design Broad scale, bioregional site design The application of specific methods, laws and The application of specific methods, laws and

principles to design principles to design Pattern understanding and observation skillsPattern understanding and observation skills Climatic factorsClimatic factors Plants and trees and their energy interactions Plants and trees and their energy interactions Water: collection, storage, purificationWater: collection, storage, purification Soils Soils Earth-working and earth resources Earth-working and earth resources Zone and sector analysis Zone and sector analysis Food forests and small animal husbandry Food forests and small animal husbandry Cropping and large animal husbandry Cropping and large animal husbandry Harvest and utility forests Harvest and utility forests Natural forests Natural forests

AquacultureAquaculture Planning the homestead Planning the homestead ““Green” structures, ecological building practices Green” structures, ecological building practices Craftwork and chores Craftwork and chores Equipment, tools, bio-fuels and vehicles Equipment, tools, bio-fuels and vehicles Renewable energy, system design and Renewable energy, system design and

implementationimplementation Energy conservation Energy conservation Biological waste management and recyclingBiological waste management and recycling Strategies for different climates Strategies for different climates Urban and suburban strategiesUrban and suburban strategies Small farm and garden management and Small farm and garden management and

marketingmarketing Strategies of an alternative global nation Strategies of an alternative global nation Political, social, economic issues and solutionsPolitical, social, economic issues and solutions Designing public policyDesigning public policy Land and forest restorationLand and forest restoration Human settlement and local ecologyHuman settlement and local ecology Site selection, mapping and modelingSite selection, mapping and modeling Dividing, distributing, apportioning landDividing, distributing, apportioning land Practical work on designPractical work on design

Yield

System Yield is the sum total of surplus energy produced, stored, conserved, reused, or converted by the design. Energy is in surplus

once the system itself has available all its needs for growth, reproduction, and maintenance. Unused surplus results in pollution

and more work.

The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children.

Cooperation, not competition, is the very basis of future survival and of existing life systems.