The Simpler Way: Ted Trainer

[white belt]

This discussion brings me back to Holmgren's RetroSuburbia and the concept in permaculture of different "Zones":

https://www.permaculturenews.org/2015/1 ... -a-primer/
https://www.milkwood.net/wp-content/upl ... 4x1019.jpg

Prior to reading that book, I was a systems tinkerer at the individual level (hence why ERE1 appeals to me so much). However, what I couldn't quite grok is how to bridge beyond my own (somewhat arbitrary) boundaries. If we think of ERE1 as pertaining to Zones 0-2, then ERE2 might cover engagement with Zones 3+? You are still working from a systems perspective for all zones, so it's not like ERE1 is acting on an island without consideration of how one fits into the wider world, but Zones 3+ require different strategies than the lower zones. What if we consider the highest Zone the entire planet? Or all of human civilization inclusive of past and future? The entire universe? Perhaps the analogy/connection is a bit tortured.

I think just seeing how a thinker like Holmgren pieces together his system from inside out (or bottom up) helped me to understand some of the possibilities, but I'm still very low on the CCCCC stage with this concept.

Taken from the first link:

As distance from center [Zone 0] increases, available time and energy decrease.

Edit: Perhaps it's more complete to say, "As distance from center increases, available time, energy, and influence decrease." It's relatively easy to have influence on your own household, but relatively difficult to have influence on the entire course of human history.

[7Wannabe5]

@white belt:

What you noted is very true, but when you work on your own actual permaculture project, you fairly quickly realize that it is also ridiculous to attempt to isolate/boundary yourself from all sorts of local flows. For instance, the boundaries of your project are most likely to be determined by legalities, but the smallest natural boundary in which you can rationally consider yourself to reside would likely have to be your region of water-shed. So, it's difficult to maintain "la dee dah la dee dah" spirit of isolated self-sufficiency if, for instance, expansion of extreme toxic waste dump is planned for site 2 miles away from your project. So, then if you get out your used bike and ride through dangerous neighborhood to attend meeting of political action group opposed to expansion of toxic dump, this will greatly increase likelihood that you will meet a local minister who knows of a good source for free compost, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.