The Ethics of Permaculture
The Design Principles of Permaculture
The Ethics
Gaia is a system which is complex, interdependent and always in the process of evolving
and changing. We cannot understand the complexity and sophistication of the Earth’s
systems. We can only treat them with respect and with a sense of awe. All the species, all
the processes and all elements have merit in their own right, and it is our role to
preserve them, protect them and treat them with respect.
Our aim is to protect and secure all people, irrespective of race, class, belief
system, generation or lifestyle. Everyone has the right to the basic necessities of life -
healthy food, clean air and water shelter, energy sources, freedom from persecution,
freedom from fear, access to health care, access to education, to be loved and cared for.
Distribute what is not necessary for your own survival, in doing so you will help
ensure the survival of others and our planet. By limiting consumption we can build a
culture that is truly sustainable and equitable. This distribution includes ideas,
information as well as physical and financial resources.
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The Design Principles of Permaculture
Natural systems are constantly changing, evolving and growing up. In our designs we
need to allow for this future expansion. This can simply mean being aware to give enough
room to grow to a fruit tree when it is initially planted. A mango, for example can grow
into a very large tree, but is quite small when planted. Initially it will appear out on
its own, but over the years will take up the space.
The tendency of systems to evolve through the Herb, Pioneer,, Climax sequence can be
exploited in two other ways. Firstly, we can SUBSTITUTE useful plants at each level.
Instead of allowing broad leaf weeds to cover an area, we can deliberately plant useful
herbs or nitrogen fixing legumes as ground covers. The our pioneers may be plants like
banana, papaya, pigeon pea or cannas. And finally for the climax layer we can use large
fruit trees, timber trees and a few long- lived legumes.
We can also STACK a system. This means using useful plants for each of the levels of
succession, but plants them together at the same time. We are stacking all together, and
compressing time. So we can plant the ground cover, papaya and a mango all at the same
time. The ground cover will establish quickly, soon the papaya will commence production
and much later will be shaded out by the maturing Mango.
Natural systems also have different levels within the climax system. A few long-lived
legumes, many productive tall canopy trees, understorey plants which can tolerate the
shady conditions, some shade tolerant ground covers and climbing and creeping plants. In
combining plants we seek to create GUILDS - combinations that work together. These
associations often involve a main tree or larger shrub, a legume climber (beans, peas..)
and ground cover layer (herbs, or wilder vegetables - pepino, chives..).
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As seen in the Principles of Ecology, energy flow from the sun, through ecosystems is
the basis of life on our Planet. The organisms that hold their share of energy as long as
possible and use it as efficiently as possible are the ones most likely to survive and
prosper. In design terms this means we need to create tight energy cycles within every
part of our system, where ever possible.
Composting is a simple example of Energy Cycling. The energy present in food scraps,
garden prunings etc can be converted, with the help of bacteria and fungi back into
nutrients which can be again used by plants to produce food. The alternative is an Energy
Sink, where this organic material is treated as "rubbish" and exported off site.
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Nature is extremely efficient and has developed methods to handle most functions. Where
possible we should use natural systems to do the work for us.
For example, we can buy human made chemicals to combat pest problems in an orchard, or
we can design our system such that ducks and/or chickens can be allowed into the orchard
(on a controlled basis) to eat the pests for us. While grasshoppers can rapidly develop
immunity to even the newest, strongest and most expensive pesticide, no grasshopper has
ever developed immunity from being eaten by a chicken!
We can dig the soil for a vegetable garden, or we can feed the soil and ensure we have
a large population of earth worms, who will perform the task of aerating the soil better
than any spade (and easier on our backs!).
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Multiple Elements is a type of insurance policy. It is thinking about the functions or
services you want and then finding as many ways as possible to fulfill them. For example,
water is extremely important to any human endeavor, so its collection should always a high
priority. The function of water collection can be supplied by roof catchments, by
diversion drains (feeding dams), by a swale system (to trap water in the soil), by pumping
from wells and/or rivers, even greywater treatment is a form of water harvesting.
A dam can be multifunctional in that it can be stocked with fish, be planted to
moisture loving plants, used for recreation and also act as a fire break (if placed in the
fire sector, ie the main direction of the hot drying winds). It may also be only one of
the elements in the fire control function - other elements in controlling fire may be an
earth berm, a heavily grazed area, a wide roadway or a dense planting of fire retardant
plants.
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There the idea is to ensure that everything that is included into a system has as many
functions as possible. Tis simply enhances efficiency. For example, if building a small
garden shed for storage of tools, we could place it so that it's roof also catches
rainwater into a tank, it could supply trellis support for climbing plants, it could form
part of a barrier between parts of the garden, it could visually hide an "ugly"
view.....
In planting a large shade tree we could choose jacaranda, or tipuana tipa , which is
additionally leguminous, or we could use icecream bean, which is leguminous and has edible
seed pods.
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In ecology, it is seen that the edges between different ecosystems are always more
productive than either of the ecosystems themselves, since the edge area can support
species from both ecosystems AND also species which are unique only to the mixture of the
ecosystems.
A curved line (for a windbreak for example) is longer than a straight line - it has
more "edge" and can be planted with more useful plants - and is more effective
as a windbreak anyway!
There are many types of edge. Try to maximise them where ever possible. The tyre pond
design creates lots of water/garden edge (for growing water chestnuts or mints for
example).
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The concept of zones, is one of energy use. Place items which require lots of energy,
especially in the form of human visits closer to the centre of activity, generally the
house. An intense plucking green garden bed (which is probably visited at least twice a
day) should be closer to the back door, than the woodlot, which is probably only visited
twice a year.
In many Permaculture books, this concept is arbitrarily given numbers, such as Zone 1
(the vegetable garden area), Zone 2 (orchard, chicken run etc)...Zone 5 (wild woodlot,
native forest harvesting and hunting). The important point is the gradation of energy
intensity of use.
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This is the idea of energy flowing through a system, which generally happens from
specific directions. It is these directions that create the sectors. For example in most
areas rainfall will tend to come with wind from a certain direction, so slopes facing that
direction will tend to receive more rainfall. The Andes range in Peru and Chile receive
high rainfall on the ocean side of the mountains, where as inland the rainfall is
considerably less.
A busy highway on one side of a property can create a sector which is characterized by
traffic noise and car pollution - earth berms (mounds) and dense plantings in this
direction will minimize these impacts.
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This Principle is simply about using any slope or height differences to advantage,
especially i the area of flowing liquids or fluids. Water flows downhill, so we can use
this fact by placing collection and storage tanks above the house, then we have water
without having to buy a pump. By knowing that hot water rises, we can construct a hot
water system which relies on this natural thermosiphon, rather than another pump.
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By paying attention to the natural world around you, you will start to observe the
patterns of Nature. You will not find the straight lines or right angles so prevelant i n
human activities.
Use the complex and beautiful patterns of Nature as inspiration in your design work. In
designing properties, try to see the natural patterns of that landscape, and use the
patterns that most benefit and fit in with the landscape. Many of Permacultures designs
have been inspired this way. For example the idea of the keyhole garden was insired by the
cross-section of a tamarillo fruit.
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Each tree, each plant, each structure will have some areas where it will be especially
beneficial to be placed and other areas not so suitable. Planting a avocado in a location
which is often damp and moist will probably only kill the tree (due to root rot).
Similarly planting a wind brittle plant like acacia decurrens in a windbreak system does
not make much sense.
This principle not only requires that we think about the requirements of each element
(botanic, horticultural requirements in the case of plants) but also that we think about
the interactions from our placement. It is sensible, for example to plant trees (eg
bamboo, pecan, blueberry) with high water requirements in close relationship to a pond.
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Ecological systems have a dynamic stability due to the diversity of species and
interactions they contain. Our designs should similarly try to build in as much variation
and diversity as possible. Large areas of monocrops create pest plagues and weed
infestations, but a diverse, mixed garden means that neither pests nor weeds ever have a
chance to get out of balance , and into plague proportions. Use a variety of plant and
animal species to create a complex web of interactions and a mixture of associations.
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