Permaculture Design Philosophy

Although here we are dealing with the design philosophy, it also involves values and ethics, and above all a sense of personal responsibility for earth care. As we know permaculture involves the earth and nature, we as a whole have certain moral and social responsibilities for the conservation of our environment.

The sad reality is that we are in danger of perishing from our own stupidity and lack of personal responsibility to life. If we become extinct because of factors beyond our control, then we can at least die with pride in ourselves, but to create a mess in which we perish by our own inaction, renders, our claims of consciousness and morality, are unauthentic.

There is too much contemporary evidence ofEcological Disaster which is appalling and frightening, too. Our consumptive lifestyle has led us to the very brink of annihilation. We have expanded our right to live on the earth to an entitlement to conquer the earth, yet "conquerors" of nature always loose. To accumulate wealth, power, or land beyond one's needs in a limited world is truly immoral, be it an individual, an institution, or a nation-state.

What we have done, we can undo. There is no longer time to waste or any need to accumulate more evidence of disasters; the time for action is here. The people are the only critical resource needed by people. We ourselves, if we organize our talents, can help each others survival. What is more, we will either survive together, or none of us will survive. To fight amongst ourselves is as stupid and wasteful as it is to fight during times of natural disasters, when everyone's cooperation is vital.

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

The present great shift in emphasis is on how the parts interact, how they work together with each other, how dissonance or harmony in life systems or society is achieved. Life is cooperative rather than competitive. And life forms of very different qualities may interact beneficially with one another and with their physical environment. Even "The bacteria................. live by collaboration, accommodation, exchange, and barter".

Permaculture Landscape & Society Permaculture Ethics

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