tule elk preserve, getting close!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
permaculture Principles 101: Bill Mollison says...
As i said before, Permaculture has evolved out of the need to to keep energy flowing through, into and not out of the system at hand.
we all remember the first law of thermodynamics, yes? energy and mass can neither be created nor destroyed- it is constant.
whether it be water, sunlight, organic matter, human resources or any other number of factors, it can be overwhelming at times to try and keep track of all that energy and the different systems you have going.
this can even include, day to day things in life its self. Permaculture is not just environmental- it can be about the farm and land, but also sub-urban, urban, and the human mind- but we shall get to those wonderful "invisible structures" later on.
Bill Mollison's Permaculture principles:
Observation-
work smart not hard! observe your system well- get to know how it all functions and what exists within it- don't waste your time on labor that is redundant to the mechanics of what you already got!
Resources-
any energy storage that assists yield. the work of the Permaculture designer is to maximize useful energy storage in any system- be it the house, livelihood, urban or rural landscape.
The Problem is the Solution-
we are the problem, we are the solution. In Permaculture the focus is on turning constraints into resources. Sometimes the very problems we are trying to fix such as abundance of water flow, (or lack there of) or over abundance of manure, can be the solutions to other problems- hydropower/water mills/water storage, or poor soil.
Pollution is An Unused Resource-
if resources are added beyond the capacity of the system to productively use them, the system becomes disordered and goes into chaos. imbalances may occur as a result. ex: too much grey water or too much fertilizer can result in nutrient overload, thus nutrients can become inaccessible to plants.
System Yield-
the sum total of surplus energy produced by, 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.
Biological Resources-
Living things reproduce and buid up their availability over time assisted by their interaction with other compatible elements. use and preserve biological intelligence.
Ex. integrated pest management- including wild life, bees, birds, worms, bacteria, ducks, chickens, pigs, cows spiders, frogs etc. create a plan to allow them to do what they do naturally to aid in the fertility and maintenance of the land thus decreasing the human and technological work load.
Use Onsite Resources-
Determine what resources are available and what resources are entering the system on their own and maximize their use. Ex. keeping water on site and reusing as much as possible with ponds, grey water, retaining rainwater from roofs, and surface runoff. maximize the use of sun, wind, people, biological resources etc.
One Calorie in/One Calorie Out-
The sun runs all life processes. a finite amount of growth can occur in a given season. as we export trees, grass clippings, "weeds" animals (cattle and sheep for meat) we are essentially "mining" our soil of minerals. we need to grow crops to replace the minerals and nutrients exported during the harvest. keep as much biomass onsite as you can. hell, take in kitchen scraps from local businesses... after all one persons kitchen scrap is another persons biomass gold.
Law of Return-
what ever we take we must return. every object must provide for its replacement. maintaining cycles=sustainability.
Every Element Supports Many Functions-
how many functions can we get from every element we include in our plans? choose each element in a system and place it so that it performs as many functions as possible.
Ex. a pond provides cooking, supports ducks, fish and aquatic plants. thus creating a richer habitat. it also catches rainfall, gives fire protection and domestic household water. the clay dug from the pond site can be used for building structures such as buildings, walls, benches, ovens and plaster finishes.
Every Function is supported by Many Elements-
patterns here anyone??? planed redundancy will ensure that all-important functions will be met despite the failure of one or more elements. Ex. Poly-cultural crops, diverse energy sources, diverse lively hoods.
Relative Location-
recognize connections. locate elements relationally. maximize relationships among components. components placed in a system are viewed relatively, not in isolation. Ex. location of trees can provide windbreaks.
Diversity-
as sustainable system mature, they become increasingly diverse over time. the number of elements is not as important as the functional relationship between them.
Local Focus-"think globally, act locally"-
create community, share seed, save seeds, grow food, and support local economy.
Stocking-
finding the balance of various elements so that one element doesn't overpower others over time. how much of an element needs to be produced in porder to fulfill the need of the whole system? more isn't always better.
Stacking-
1. multiple functions for each element (stacking functions!)
2. vertical stacking. always look at the space as 3D. vertical space is more valuable then sq. footage. trellising, multiple canopies of functional plants.
Succession of Evolution-
recognize that certain elements prepare the way for the system to support other elements in the future. working in the dimension of time.
The Yield of a system is Theoretically unlimited-
the only limit on the number of uses of a resource possible is the limit of the information and imagination of the designer.
Work Within Nature-
aiding the natural cycles results in higher yield and less work. a little support goes a long way.
Edge-
optimize edge. edges or eco-tones are areas where two ecosystems come together to form a third which has more diversity and fertility then either of the other two. Ex. Edges of ponds, forests, meadows, etc.
Make Least Change for Greatest Possible Effect-
the less change that is created the less embedded or embodied energy is used to create the system.
Planting Strategy-
1st native plants, 2nd proven exotics, 3rd unproved exotics on small scale with lots of observation.
Small Scale Intensive Systems-
start small and create a system that is manageable and produces high yield. when you start small "mistakes" or "learning curve" has less impact on the environment.
Relinquishing Power-
the roll of a successful design is to create a self-managed system.
Everything Gardens-
all organisms manipulate their environment to their benefit.
Appropriate Technology-
what is appropriate in one context may not be so in another. Permaculture principals apply energy efficiency, cooking, lighting, transport, heating, sewage treatment, water delivery, and other energy needs.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
in the year 2023
It seems that we think about the future at every point of our lives.
The moment we start talking about climate change, our economy, even a life crisis, we harp on the inevitable but mostly unpredicted future of tomorrow. We think about "the saving of the planet," and how we need to act now for that future, the future for a living planet, and to make sure we protect those rain forests "for our children's, children's, children's, children".
too much of this would burn me out, and growing up with a lot of it, has.
i mentioned before about not being an eco warrior, and how i might have mentioned, a little harshly, against the general liking of the environmental movement.
For the past 25 years of my life, and almost another 20 before that, we were becoming self aware of our environment and what kind of effect/affect modern, industrialized civilization, has had on both us and the planet.
in less then half a century, our planet became less a far off world, and all at once a very small home to a creature with very big aspirations (Humans).
our oceans started to feel the strain of too much harvest, forests turn to pasture::small towns::paved communities::and cities. our air quality and environmental quality
have quickly depleted. the resources that have fed all of this, are doing the same.
so we know all this. its very sad. in fact, its entirely the best of dooms day any literature, film (even radio show) has yet had to offer.
the small forces (and sometimes very large organizations) working to save it, i think, tend to go about it all wrong: we have tried to address this horrible out look on the future with an approach, business like, on all its levels. we have tried to use the same method of organization and capital that has caused the exact dooms day scenario we are looking at.
when we try and predict and draw an outline to this dooms day-
10 years 5 degrees warmer? 20 years there is not enough food? peak oil now, or in 50 years?
we forget about the exact meaning of "now." the most important part of all this, is living in the now, and starting on a path to living as a being. as being one. as being self reliable. as being part of other beings. community, human power, and the ability to come together and figure it out piece by piece.
build water tanks to collect water.
grow food in any space possible.
share a car, tools, stories, skills, even a fork and knife.
DIY: classes, books, and volunteering.
build a chicken coop and rescue birds from industries.
forage for food, and etc.
so live now. by approaching everything you need as being, you can tackle even the biggest problems you think is entirely out of your control.
think of the roots, and imagine the branches in which they lead-
everything starts with you.
you are the sole consumer/creator of [your] life.
the greatest resource we have of all: our bodies, our minds, and most of all our hands.
everything after that does not matter, because it all comes back to us. we.
if its change we need and want, then the roots will have to be unbound and allowed to grow into the proper space. without the room to grow and change, we will wither away within our own soil, with no room to be human. it seems to me we need a good transplant, and something better then a concrete pot....
Bolinas and the PDC
As of Friday, i will be up in Bolinas CA for a two week permaculture intensive, to be certified as a permaculturalist.
what is permaculture?
In the mid 1970's Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, in response to the horrid destruction of top soil due to industrialized agriculture and the poisoning of biodiversity, water and land in Australia-
had coined from earlier definitions of permanent agriculture or forest culture at the turn of the 1900s, "permanent culture" or permaculture, defining both land and people in the practice of a more permanent sustainability of resources and biome.
at right, ( a quick and poor drawing)is just a quick visual of the 3 key principals of permaculture:
earth care-
this is recognizing that earth is first. we are a part of it, not apart from it, and it takes input of energy just as much as we take from it.. in fact we should be putting more energy back into it.
people care-
we live with each other, so that we live within our means and the earth's means. we prioritize earth care so that it becomes own by default. care of our environment for us, not for the sake of saving the earth; we seem to forget that this planet lived on quite nicely without us for millennia.
we are only destroying it for our selves, and no one else. that is a BIG DEAL PEOPLE! (i do not consider my self some eco warrior- go hug a tree, i couldn't care less- people need to realize that there will be plenty of life long after we go extinct... it is entirely in our control whether we live on and have a human friendly planet. remember the T-rex and friends lived in a much hotter, more CO2 rich atmosphere/planet then we did- they went extinct because that atmosphere lost its heat that sustained their cold blooded life style, and it happened over millions of years. im sure if they could have helped it, they would have. this is just one example of a cycle that our planet naturally is a part of, and we have altered our environment on every level since our brains have allowed us to. why our smart and very self conscience brains have not recognized the inevitable finite nature of resources is going to be the punch line of our tool using, and amazing evolution.)
fair share-
by recognizing the limits of resources and consumption, and maximizing their outputs, we can put more back into those resources and energies then we take out of both the earth and for our selves.
these three principles are key, all cycling back into one another, and creating a balance and organization that allows the abundance that is needed for all three- earth, human, and fair share.
if we do not share or work together within this cycle, then we create a isolated, closed system.
imagine a fish tank: we want to keep water and oxygen flowing through the filter and pump, populate it with some plants, invertebrates, and add only a few larger fish that can add to that cycle. every once and a while we must tend to it, clean it, and make sure everything has what it needs and is kept in balance.
permaculture is our solution to our own fish tank (earth) and if we don't start treating it as such, we will all be floating belly up like that gold fish we once had long and ago. might as well flush us down the toilet....
Monday, June 27, 2011
turn off, tune out, drop in...
So here it goes-
where in the world are we going???
with increasing concerns of peak oil, failed de-regulated economy, health care, over processed food system, and a shrinking global community, what more in life is there??
there is more to life then money, toys, and communications across screens. We must connect more with each other in real time, to make the differences that we all seem so curious about in our 24/7 interconnected, media driven world. i know, i know... a blog is a little counter productive for this yes? well nothing like a little social media to start your day... so much for off the grid.
The Break Down-
each week i will attempt to post at least one article i think you might like, a photo or piece of art, and maybe a rambling that is relevant to all of the above. starting in august i will be on the west coast in the big city of San Fransisco where i will be attending a permaculture sustainability course in Bolinas, just north of the city. once that starts many of the entries will be geared towards this course, the time i will be spending at a few urban farms within the city, and all around great discoveries. until then, it will be entries from the field, a little bit of Long Island New York, and past and current musings that have long been destined for viewing pleasure.
Enjoy.
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