Our story-understanding our design system…
Preamble
Having read the pre-publication copy of Terry Leahy’s book, The Politics of Permaculture, I set out to write a straight review. That didn’t work. As I read the book I kept finding overlaps with my own thinking on the topic and I wandered off on side trips exploring what he writes about. Finally I gave up on writing a straightforward review. Something longer was required, so I decided to write a combined review and commentary.
Writing from the pre-publication edition, it is possible that the published edition might differ in minor points. However, the pre-publication edition encapsulates the essence of…
A GROUP REPRESENTING European agricultural and research practitioners have launched a petition in the science journal, Nature, to stop Italian draft law DDL988 which “would put biodynamic farming on the same legal footing as organic farming — the latter based on solid scientific evidence.”
The Nature item describes biodynamic farming as “a practice that invokes cosmic forces to improve soil quality.” It goes on to say that “government economic policy should not be shaped by esoteric astrological principles. …
Reflections on our life on the road in 2019 and into 2020.
The rain comes with first light. Not a heavy rain, more a medium fall that patters on the roof. Consistent. It’s accompanied by a short-lived wind strong enough to buffet the van.
It’s early summer and we’ve been living in our minivan here in the caravan park by the beach for some time now.
The camp kitchen is the convivial space. It’s here as we cook and eat that we talk with people living at the caravan park, with people we’ve already met and those who are new. The backpackers, most of them here to pick fruit, keep to themselves…
Originally published in July 2009
This is a manual on the southern Africa implementation of ideas in the permaculture design system. It is a reality-based volume reporting what has been done and what could be. For practitioners of international development , Terry Leahy’s book is a must-read.
BILL. MOLLISON’S Permaculture — A Designer’s Manual covers the broad sweep of the permaculture design system. So does his Introduction To Permaculture, though at a more basic level. The same goes for Rosemary Morrows books on permaculture, and Ross Mars’. Ian Lillington’s The Holistic Life takes a finer-grain view as he applies permaculture design to his family home…
THE DOOR opens. We look up.
There are maybe eight of them, scouts in their teens years led by an adult. We can see they are cold and glad to get out of the weather. They look wet and bedraggled. They mill around, pulling sleeping bags and food from packs.
A strong wind slanted a cold rain across the high country that afternoon, a rain that varied from light to heavy. We had been further out on the ranges, out towards Jugungal. Our plan was to overnight here at Horse Camp Hut before walking out.
The hut was built in…
Our permaculture… our story…
For the record, so this part of our collective history is not forgotten, I’m republishing my September 2009 story about the development of the ethical investment industry in Australia, particularly the emergence of the permaculture’s Earthbank Society.
My motivation for republishing is to document how the ethical or social investment sector played a significant role in permaculture’s early history, a time when economics was more a focus of the emerging permaculture movement. Permaculture economic activists like Robert Rosen, Damien Lynch, Geoff Young, Robyn Francis and others were instrumental in establishing what grew into the ethical or social investment industry. I’ve added a comment made to the original story by northern NSW permaculture educator, Robyn Francis.
THE EARTHBANK SOCIETY was an initiative of Bill Mollison, founder of the permaculture movement. In 1982 an Alternate Economic Summit, initiated by…
Our permaculture… our story…
I’m republishing a September 2009 story from my defunct PacificEdge website. It is about the development of the ethical investment industry in Australia, particularly the emergence of the Money Matters Financial Group.
My motivation for republishing is to document how the ethical or social investment sector played a significant role in permaculture’s early history, when economics was more a focus of the emerging permaculture movement, so as this part of our collective history is not forgotten. Permaculture economic activists like Robert Rosen, Damien Lynch, Geoff Young, Robyn Francis and others were instrumental in establishing what grew into the ethical or social investment industry in Australia.
IN 1986, Simply Living magazine ran an article on ethical investment which elicited more letters from readers than any other article since the magazine started. “
Following…
The search for solutions…
It is time to start treating Australia’s housing situation for what it is — a crisis. Rather than applying the same old less-effective solutions, perhaps it is time to look to new housing models and building technologies. In this story we look first at the problem then at possible solutions. Photos: ©Russ Grayson
WE’VE been building in the same way for a long time. Thousands of years of a long time. The methods are time-proven whether they be constructions in wood, brick, cement or mud. Problem, is, building this way is too slow if we are to effectively deal with our present housing crisis.
The problem
Let’s take a look at the current housing crisis in Australia. It takes two forms:
- a shortage of properties for sale and their escalating prices
- a shortage of rental accommodation and the associated increase in rentals.
An ABC article by Carol Rääbus in February 2021 highlighted the crisis: “While…
Stories of the road…
First published summer 2014.
AT THE END of the third sentence of the first paragraph appear the words that were to launch Jack Kerouac to fame:
“With the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road”.
On The Road, Kerouac’s 1957 novel based on real characters, real places and real events continues to stimulate fertile imaginations and brings a restlessness to readers. Why it comes to mind is that it aptly describes the life of a young woman I met in Tasmania.
The Red Gypsy
As I walked along the gravel driveway of Yvonne Gluyas’ home on…
Why words count…
CONSIDER THIS. You work for an influential environmental advocacy organisation. An election is coming up. You produce a brochure to convince people to vote for a particular political party. You think it provides a stark choice but what it does is simply cast undecided electors as part of the solution or part of the problem. There’s no middle ground, no grey zone between the black and white polarities, no space for those undecided.
Yes or no. For or against. Good or bad. Them or us. Solution or problem. It’s a simplistic binary choice. If you are an undecided voter, how…
Russ Grayson
I'm an independent online and photojournalist living on the Tasmanian coast after nine months on the road in a minivan.
