posted 12 years ago
> self sustaining...
I crossed the (Poof!/its-gone) line with my last post here so here's another swing at my thoughts on sustainability.
I can understand why cities could be seen as a blot on the landscape (they are, after all), but to not at the same time see the necessary and positive side of cities is to be blind sided, probably sooner than later. Being blindsided is not good sustainability practice. Sustainability needs to include cities; it has to do it in a practical and real way because city people are just like the rest of us - they just happen to live in a different ecosystem.
We're all in the same boat, regardless of which end or which deck we manage to situate on and we don't get to prosper sustainably w/out technology. There may be one or two people here who do or can live fully w/out technology. I dare say no more than that. Note, I'm not talking about toughing it out, not starving, managing to develop a survival status over the years, etc. No, I'm talking about prospering with joie d' vivre, children secure in their play and education, adults fulfilled with time to partake of a few "off topic" pursuits, neighborhood where people are more than just somewhat confident their children, themselves and their property is safe from robbers both near and distant and who don't look upon the larger world with fear and loathing. None of us get to live properly (by almost any definition) w/out technology; it's not just physical, it's social as well.
This means everybody depends greatly on cities and owes them a LOT. Technology comes from a stable society and only from people in cities because the type of creative energy and resources needed to evolve and advance technology require teams and team work in a face to face environment - regardless of whether the internet is up. Just maintaining technology requires large groups of people living and working together. We need to take care of our cities.
Can we live with greatly reduced technology and avoid that nasty stuff and the cities will shrink and dwindle and the world will be better and better? Well, it's logically possible for the sun to rise in the west (yes, truly it is), but I think it would be irresponsible to bet much on it. Just so with hopes for our peaceful and artful future w/out major technological underpinning. And _thought_ is a form of technology so lets not get picky about _which_ technologies.
Basic smarts says to locate in a safe place - Right-On. Taking only what one needs and passing on a better place - Right-ON. Paying attention to the environment and living healthy, RIGHT-ON. Who can argue with that? But the idea that best way to do it is by simply distancing ourselves from large disasters or endemic societal ills... No, don't think that works. We can't survive it much less fix it w/out being engaged with it. The greatest leaders and politicians kept their real enemies close to them so as to know what was going on and take effective action. Same idea maybe - keep your hand in.
It appears (to me) that the real basic issue of sustainability requires acknowledging the necessary connection to the rest of the world; if the rest of the world isn't sustainable, chances are we're not going to be for long either. For lots of reasons, practical, social, political. There is no safe haven - we're all downstream one way or another. So it's important to stay connected so we can be aware of what's happening and have the means to make our little bit of difference. IMHO its not a good idea to write off the cities, try to step back and let them sink or swim. Not saying we got Bill Gates here gonna fly in 10,000 cargo planes full of ipads and food whenever there's water in the streets. No. Am saying that permaculture has to live and be counted in the cities just as much as the country.
Permies is already out there. It includes everybody, it has lots of folks from all over, all different kinds of folks from all different environments. It's a working PUSH to spread the word everywhere, enable the interested, connect the active... All that sort of stuff. Permies itself is not removing back into the hills, stocking up and barring the gates. The gates are open to all (eg., me) with the local centurion patrolling to keep order. Permies is emphatically _in_ the big messy world and that's a big plus. That's the way toward sustainability. I think creating these connections, spreading these ideas is a far more effective way of propering in the long run than just removing to the far hills.
Well, I've repeated myself about 5 times, hopefully in 5 different ways. Thanks to all that read through.
Rufus