Permaculture is a highly ethical form of regenerative landscape design. It comes from a mash-up of permanent culture and permanent agriculture, the idea being that through human intelligence and resulting activities we improve the land we are cultivating for the benefit of earth first and people second. This acknowledgement that the earth provides for us and will return our care with ever growing bounty. Out of this idea first articulated by Aussie, Bill Mollison and co-developed with David Holmgren came the Permaculture Principles and Ethics:
- Earth Care
- People Care
- Fair Share (Return the Surplus, Reinvest, Share with other People)
Every decision is filtered through these ethics, which once you lean into it, makes them so simple. Design is also guided by these principles, which are articulated beautifully by Toby Hemenway.
This system flips the narrative that humans are innately destructive on it’s head. We have the option–the choice–to make the Anthropocene a beginning instead of an end. It’s straight from the end of the Lorax, “Unless someone cares a whole awful lot”–it’s me, I care–but until I found permaculture I never knew what to do, only what not to do.
Permaculture is hope made manifest.
Yes, we can live here permanently and make the earth better for it.
Second Breakfast Gardens 