Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1

PERMACU‘LTURE DESIGN
PHILOSOPHY

Although ilirs book is .boui design n rr nlw zlmul
values and erhies, and sboye all ebour a seine ol
pemlul luponsibllily ior eanh are, l have wnheii ul
nines in ihe lirsi person, io indiesre lhsi ii is noi a
delached, impersonil, or even unbiased diseuineni
Every book or publiesrioii has-III eurhor, and whii ihai
aiiihor chooses io wnie sborii ir subject-we, (or rhai
person dlmva deeerounes ihe sirbiedv oonienr, and ihe
values axyrtsed or onuned lain nor dehdizd lioin,
bui hsye been passionaoely nyolyed wiih «his earrh,
and so heiein gee .s hm! vi on or whar l ilunlr an be
senieyed by anyone.

The sad .eiliry is ihsr we oie in danger ol penshmg
rroin our own siupidily and lick oi persona|
iesponsibilicy m liie u we beeoine exoner beause ol
ismis beyond our eonnol, ihen we can a| leesi die
wllh pride or ourselyes, our in (male i inese in wlueh
we perish by our own inaeiion mails nonsense olonr
clamsmmmmmd inoriiliey

There is ioo inueh eoniernporary eoidenee of
mka‘lul disssrer which appals ine, and n dimfld
ingluen you, loo oiir wnsurnpiiye lilesiyle has led us
io ihe very brink oi annihilation. We have expanded
our rlghr ro live on rhe eerih lo an enrirlerneni ie
eonouer ihe earth, yet "monerois- oi nshire alwsyr
lose. To aeeuoiulsre wealrh, power, or lend beyond
ones needs in I hinired world is no be iriily iinownsil,
be ii a: enindiyidusl, an iieu‘ruoon, or a mumdhte.

Wha| we haye done, we can undn, l'heie is no longer
nine lo wnsie nor any need to seeiirnulaie oiore
eyidenee ni diusreis; ihe iiine (or serion is here. l
deeply believe rhaz purple ere ihe only enoesl reeooree
needed by people we ourselves, ii we orginise oiir
rialenrs. are suuieienr m eaeh oiher. What is more, we
wul eiiher survive rogerher, or none oi us will survlve
To righi beiween ourselves is as srupid ind wasieiiil as

ir is or righi during inner oi naiursl disaslers, when
everyone-s eoopersuon is oiial.

A peison oi eoiirage ioday ir a perron of pate, the
minus: we need is io reruse aulhorily end in eeeepi
only personnlly responsible decisions Lilre wer,
gmwlh at any cool is on nuiinoded 2nd diseredued
eoneepr h is ouv |wrs whieli sie being laid to wasre,
WM! is worse, ir is our ehildren-s world wlueh is being
desnoyed. lr is ihereioie our only possible d
wlihhold ill supporr lor desoiienye sysieins, and to
rease |u invesi our lures in our own sniilhilarnin

 

Wm

The amy awed declsml is In ialio urban-unruly Vol oor
own exisiom and mm Mow mnflmn.

In. it now.

Mosr flunkmg people would egree rhai we have
ni—rioed 2k iinal and "revocable decisions |hi| will
abolish or eiisisrn lile on rhis earth We esn eiiher
igioie rhe niadnm or uneonoolled indusmal growth
ind derenee spendln; lhsil is in srnnll ones, or large
anemones, eroding liie forms every dsy, or olre ihe
peih ro liie and 5urwival.

lnioroiaiion ind hurnrniiy, serenee and
undcmanding, are in iransirion, long 350, we began
by wondering oisinly eboui whar is rnosr disieni.
asrrononiy ind nlm|osy were our anciuu pre~
oeeupeirons. We plngmd, oullenie by niillenia, oo
eniirnerarin, ihe wonders m' earih. Fus| by mmmg
things, rhen by megommg more and more ieeenrly
by dmdlng how ihey rumion md win! wnrk ihey do
wrihin and wiihoui iheinselyes, This zna|ysi5 has
rerulied in ihe deyelopnienr or diileieni sciences,
disciplines ind iedoiologes, .s welrer oi ham: and ihe
sundmng nl pans; s proliiereiion or speeoalisrs, end a
eonseouenr mahllfly ro loiesee xesuhi or ro dzshgn
in|zgn|zd sysieois.

The pieseisr suit rhiii in emphasis is on how uie
paris Ime‘licl, how ihey wmk rogeilier wiiii eieh orher,

I