Permaculture is any system of agriculture that sustains the region's ecosystem and renews the region's natural resources. The term was coined in the year 1978 by Australian ecologist, Bill Mollison. Permaculture, a combination of the words "permanent agriculture", is a movement whose central theme is creating landscapes that sustain communities with a renewable food source and more. Not only is permaculture used for the harvesting of food, but the integration of animals is a key element as well as environmentally friendly machinery and techniques.
Ethics of Permaculture Extend to Attitude
The Ethics of Permaculture serve as a guidepost in promoting togetherness in communities, while working in balance with the earth and nature, steering people who participate away from individualism. Permaculture promotes care of the earth, care of people, and the spirit of giving. People who practice permaculture tend to have optimistic life ethics and believe that every living thing has value in itself, regardless of its usability by the human race.
People who practice permaculture must follow guidelines that highlight the disciplines applied in designing a permanently sustaining ecosystem. People are required to maintain a positive attitude while performing their duties, as negativity is believed to have a negative affect on plants and animal life. They are also expected to assure that each element in the design has several functions, as well as to eliminate excessive use of machinery and other non-organic items.
Resources About Permaculture
A great resource to check for a good variety of plants suited to permacultural endeavors is Plants for a Future, written by Ken Fern and published by Permanent Publications in 1997 . The book discusses a wide array of rare, edible and medicinal plants that can be implemented in a permanently sustainable environment. Some of these plants include carob, which is a substitute for chocolate, and tobacco which is not only used in cigarettes and pipes, but it is also reported to be a reliable plant substitute for eggs.
The Global Ecovillage Network publishes news and announcements in the world-acclaimed Permaculture Magazine. Such high-profile people like Patch Adams, the clown doctor portrayed by Robin Williams in the film of the same name, take a global role in teaching communities about permaculture.
An example of how efficiently the ideals of permaculture are spreading around the world is the Kibbutz Lotan in the Arava desert of Israel. This community has successfully completed the irrigation and preparation of a large stretch of wetland for growing sustainable crops in the arid, infertile region. There are also ecovillages located in Belgium, Africa, and parts of the United States of America.
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