Being observant and responding to what we see is really important in moving towards a more ethical and sustainable way of life. We can learn from nature,and from other people, observing how others have moved to a greener and more ethical approach, and working with the world around us to succeed in our goals.
Energy is abundant on our planet. Learning how to catch and store that energy – in plants, with renewable energy infrastructure, or in other ways, is key to living a sustainable way of life. Growing your own food at home is a great way to catch and store energy from our sun. Passive solar design also offers opportunities for architects, engineers and designers to make further use of this abundant energy source.
Taking the three core ethics of permaculture into account (Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share), we can work with nature to get all the things we need. Obtaining a yield can be as simple as using organic gardening techniques to provide food for our families – but it can also be about obtaining a non-tangible yield: happiness, health… or mental well-being. Living a sustainable lifestyle that sticks to permaculture principles can allow us to obtain all sorts of more intangible yields as well as the obvious tangible ones.
Understanding where we’ve succeeded and where we’ve gone wrong is vitally important to creating real and lasting change. For example, by analysing and evaluating all the things that we bring into our homes, we can make better purchasing decisions moving forwards: reducing, reusing, recycling and regulating our worst consumerist tendencies.
By using the power of the sun, the wind, or the water, we can power our homes, grow our food, and regenerate our environments. Rather than relying on finite and polluting fossil fuels, we should make full use of renewable sources of energy: for example, switching to a green energy supplier – or even generating our own power with solar panels or other renewable infrastructure at home – is something many of us can do to move to a more sustainable way of life.
Moving towards a zero waste lifestyle means looking at all the trash we chuck out and trying to eliminate it. We can do this by reducing the amount we buy, by buying wisely, by reusing or recycling where possible, by composting, and by working with ethical companies who look at waste throughout the entire life-cycle of their products.
Whether designing a new vegetable garden, or an entire new sustainable way of life, we have to look at the big picture before we get bogged down in the little things. Thinking holistically, about all areas of our lives, can help us move forwards in a positive direction.
Plants work well in diverse systems – the same is true of people too. Planting polycultures (guilds of plants which work together) is just one example of how this principle works in the real world. And as well as applying this in the garden, we can also apply it to communities, groups or organisations. Sustainability is something we achieve together – through collaboration and co-operation – it’s not something we do alone.
Every journey begins with a single step. Whenever we try to do too much too soon, it’s easy to become overwhelmed – and though big changes can bring big benefits, they bring bigger risks too. Making small, incremental changes is the best way to move towards sustainable change. For example – don’t start a farm, try a small windowsill garden. Don’t overhaul your entire shopping philosophy – change things one ethical purchase at a time.
Just as ecosystems work best when filled with a greater variety of different plants and animals, so human society functions best when a variety of different people are represented. In your garden, home and your life in general, it’s a good idea to promote and value diversity in all its forms.
Sustainability is about making use of all the resources that we have at our disposal. Whether we’re talking about land use, work places, homes or society in general, making use of all we have involves valuing fringes and fringe elements. This might be as simple as using a neglected corner of your outside space to grow more food, or something more abstract, like thinking outside the box.
Finally, change is an inevitable part of life. It’s important to remember that permaculture isn’t just about now, but about the future. We design for change, understanding that things will alter over time. The changing seasons, changing attitudes, our changing climate… how we respond to these changes will shape sustainable progress in the years to come.
St Cyrus’ Edible Trail is an enjoyable walk linking the National Nature Reserve with the village
This is the online permaculture design course as accredited by the permaculture association
A free weekend of carving and making things with wood.
Bread Mission
Kombucha Workshop
An edible trail is what it sounds like – a trail through a community full of plants that produce an array of fresh food each year. This can include fruit trees, berry bushes, salad boxes, herbs and wild foods. It provides an opportunity for people to have an enjoyable walk whilst learning about and trying
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We will look at the history of Kombucha and discuss it’s benefits. Also how to make the drink, including different styles of tea preparation and fruit infusions. We will also look at how to produce vinegar and it’s uses. There will be Kombucha to try and a little baby one to take home with you.
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This Wednesday the 7th of March there will be an action day in the community garden. From 11am until 3pm
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