PERMACULTURE
EVALUATION
CENTRE
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HOLMGREN'S 12 PRINCIPLES
Note from 'Foreword':
Importance of mutual relationships and high biodiversity within sustainable ecosystems, and need to design managed ecosystems not well understood. Permaculture enables us to focus on front end design rather than back end problem fixing
Notes from 'Purpose of this Book':
xii Think of each of the principles as a door into the labyrinth of whole systems thinking
xv Permaculture was founded on basic assumptions about the crisis the world faces, including the temporary nature of the industrial era driven by fossil fuel consumption
xvi Expect permaculture to change its status from an ‘alternative response to the environmental crisis’ to the social and economic mainstream of the post-industrial era
xix Redefinition of permaculture as: the use of systems thinking and design principles that provide the organising framework for implementing the original vision as in Permaculture One - of consciously designed landscapes which mimic patterns and relationships found in nature.
xxi Perception of permaculture as a countercultural lifestyle has positive aspects ….
xxii … has facilitated experimentation and pioneering of lifestyle models directed by the ecological imperative
xxv Permaculture principles are brief statements or slogans which can be remembered as a checklist when considering the inevitable complex systems for design and evolution of ecological support systems
Can be divided into (1) ethical principles (2) design principles
Holmgren’s ethical principles were ‘distilled from research of community ethics as adopted by older religious and co-operative groups’
xxvi Permaculture inspired projects and processes frequently illustrate a difficulty in using principles except in an illustrative and literal way. It could be argued that permaculture has contributed to the spread of some innovative design solutions that illustrate permaculture principles, but has been less effective in spreading the systems and design thinking which underlies these solutions
xxvii Zones and Sectors: zone 0 = permaculture design principles zone 5 = global
xxix Permaculture as ‘ descent culture’ leading to a future low energy sustainable culture from current fossil fuel dependency
xxx We need to dismiss simplistic ideas of sustainability as a likely reality for our children or even grandchildren
1 Ethical Principles
Ethics act as constraints on survival instincts and other personal and social constructs of self interest that drive human behaviour
Culturally evolved mechanisms for more enlightened self interest, and longer term understanding of good and bad outcomes
2 Beliefs and values developed in high energy culture likely not to work in world of declining and limited energy
3 Deliberate design of a new spirituality that reflects ecological realities may be an unrealistic and dangerous extension of the permaculture agenda. Holmgren’s interpretation of ethical principles of permaculture rests on rational and humanistic foundations
4 Diagram of vision of materialism and spirituality
5 State of soils is best measure of future health and well being of society
Stewardship of land – ownership will become an issue – collective better than individual
Biodiversity – caring for all lifeforms for their intrinsic value
6 - by providing for ways to meet our needs while allowing other species to meet theirs
Care for people: various interpretations
7 Current inequalities will reduce as dependence on the global economy declines
8 Set limits to consumption
9 Concept of ecological footprint is useful
See all children as our heirs
Redistribution of surplus – also applies to surplus time, resources and wealth
10 Tree planting, soil improvement – for future generations
Permaculture design principles can deepen understanding of how ethical principles can be applied to ecological realities