... the turning of much desert and marginal land to agriculture using permaculture techniques
Assuming GW and Climate Change, we don't know where the desert and marginal lands will be in 100 or so years. Palm trees in the Thames Valley? Scotland a major cotton exporting nation? Coconuts in Finland?
(OK, I lied about that last one.)
I do agree with the shift to permaculture, most of which principles are (as I understand them) what used to be called "Sound Farming Practices." (LOL)
Permaculture is both a philosophy or lifestyle ethic as well as a design system which utilizes a systems thinking approach to create sustainable human habitats by analyzing and duplicating nature's patterns (ecology). The word "permaculture," coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is a Portmanteau-style contraction of permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture. Renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki has stated: "What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet." Today, permaculture can be described as a 'moral and ethical design system for the survival of people and their environment'. It seeks the creation of productive and sustainable ways of living by integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture, agroforestry, green or ecological economics, and social systems. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way they are placed together; the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Permaculture is also about careful and contemplative observation of nature and natural systems, and of recognizing universal patterns and principles, then learning to apply these `ecological truisms' to one's own circumstances in all realms of human activity.
The word "permaculture," coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is a Portmanteau-style contraction of permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture. Renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki has stated: "What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet."
Today, permaculture can be described as a 'moral and ethical design system for the survival of people and their environment'. It seeks the creation of productive and sustainable ways of living by integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture, agroforestry, green or ecological economics, and social systems. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way they are placed together; the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Permaculture is also about careful and contemplative observation of nature and natural systems, and of recognizing universal patterns and principles, then learning to apply these `ecological truisms' to one's own circumstances in all realms of human activity.
That plug-in would be a wonder, and probably the reason why Scoop in its present form will only last another 12 months at most.
I've been re-reading 'TOOLS FOR CHANGE' - An invitation to dance ISBN 1-904235-55-7. IMO we should all have a look at this book, because it outlines the dynamics and development of communities. I was sent a copy by a member of ET, and the insights I have gained from this book are alone worth all the hours, days and weeks I have spent here ;-)
Hopefully, if TGB and I can get our act together (with the other contributors to ET-TV), we might be able to buy some commercial software that would enable all we wish to do. You can't be me, I'm taken
Personally, I would suggest cloning the scoop functionality we like on top of Zope/Plone/CPS. Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
We've had this discussion a few times. Our Dear Leader has admitted to knowing nothing about coding. I am not sure we have any technically literate people aboard in admin, other than our champagne socialist.
But in the broader 1000+ community of ET we have quite a few minds that can blow minds. The question is: how can we put these minds together?
IMO the search for that process: putting minds together, is the WHOLE point of ET. Bringing in the minds has, apparently, not been the problem. Getting these minds to work together is the problem. And to do that, you need tools... You can't be me, I'm taken
