This report from sanjeev shankar is in progress as of 2008-03

• introduction

“I make it my business to extract from Nature whatever nutriment she can furnish me, though at the risk of endless iteration. I milk the sky and the earth.” ¹⁾

“The different branches of science combine to demonstrate that the universe in its entirety can be regarded as one gigantic process, a process of becoming, of attaining new levels of existence and organization, which can properly be called a genesis or an evolution” ²⁾

Plants are the centre of the web of life. The growth of urban centres around the globe has had a critical impact on ecology. In recent years there has been a growing interest and public movement to bring ecology out of the bush and into the urban and suburban environments where most people spend their time. Whereas traditional ecology is mainly about connectedness within the natural world,the new focus lies on having a holistic and inclusive approach to build deeper links with ecology in our midst beyond doing conservation in isolated national parks. Some of the questions at the core of this research were: Do we have the right to consider human beings as more valuable than other life forms? Can we be perceptive enough to see our planet in a way that tells them that they too are part of nature? Is there an option to treating forests as sacrifice zones for urban growth ? Is there an ecological limit to economic growth? What is the future of our cities? Can there be a differentiated green identity of a future city? This research documents the current status of urban permaculture and explores ways in which we can transform our cities into productive, healthy, edible and playful green visions: visions which go beyond parks, manicured lawns, horticultural imports, bonsai and 'beautiful' golf parks. They strive to bring back plants at the core of our daily life and existence.

• brief summary of the cultural/scientific/social/… context within which the research took place

The research started in Brussels and Amsterdam through informal discussions between the producer, FoAM, represented by Maja Kuzmanovic and the design researcher, Sanjeev Shankar. Thereafter, the research base shifted to India where Sanjeev visited the urban villages in New Delhi, Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala, the Beulah organic farm in Tamil Nadu, the Rain Forest Retreat in Karnataka and the Krac - A - Dawna organic/bio dynamic farm near Mysore. The project has also been benefitted by detailed discussions with Ms. Suprabha Seshan, director of the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary; Dr. Sujata, founder of the rain forest retreat and Juli and Vivek Cariappa, founders of the Krac-A-Dawna farm. Further site visits in New Delhi included Sarai_Centre for Social Development Studies; TERI_Tata Energy Research Institute; Khoj_a community of artists and Chandani Chowk_ a 15th century thriving settlement in Old Delhi. The research has since proceeded through follow up exchanges between the producer and the design researcher and will conclude at the GroWorld design session in Brussels in April 2008.

Geographic location

India, which has been traditionally known for its diverse culture, vibrancy and strong traditional agricultural methods is today synonymous for its rapid growth and transformation both in rural and urban realms. This nation thrives and lives as much in rural areas as it does in its cities.

New Delhi, situated within the metropolis of Delhi, is the capital of India and provides a dynamic and complex urban setting. To think of Delhi today, one has to see it in a context of both its changing topography, as well as it being the capital of rapidly changing India. Though it continues to be the political and administrative capital of the country, today it also plays a crucial part of the global political economic scenario. With a population of over 15 million the city is undergoing massive change.

A couple of decades ago the area surrounding the city was mostly agricultural. One could drive out of the city, and quickly enter into a very rural countryside. Today, the situation is different. Now the city is increasingly in the midst of a continuous urban sprawl, with surrounding urbanization extending uninterrupted. Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon are now ‘extensions’ to the city, even though they are in other states. The pace of change has been so fast that it is strange to find vegetables and flowers being cultivated below high speed flyovers and in front of emerging shopping malls! Delhi has over 40% of it citizens living in slum like conditions. Often these habitations have been inter-seeped amongst the affluent colonies and have formed the informal service sector. However, over the past decade they are being systematically thrown out. The river banks too were till recently a site for the poor. As demand for scarce land rises, there is an ongoing change in the demographics of residential areas. In the early nineties, a concerted city action led by environmentalists forced the conversion of prime forest land into a development zone. Over 7500 ha of forest are now legally protected in the city, and through another law, tree cutting needs special permission, even on one’s own land. Similarly NGOs along with the Courts forced the conversion of public transport from diesel to CNG, a cleaner fuel. At the social and physical level, Delhi remains a historical, multi-layered fragmented city, with each fragment contributing in its own way to the city fabric. Over time, these multiple layers of historicity are expressed through multiple identities and realities.

Socio Cultural Context

The research has had a global vision. It explores a global perspective of urban gardening and permaculture and ways in which we can contribute to a fertile and healthy city. The focus here is to compare urban gardening in Benelux and India. Within India, on one hand it looks at traditional agricultural methods through on-site in-depth understanding of centres which have rooted themselves in rural and tribal areas; on the other hand it brings into its fold developments and examples from rapidly growing urban centres with the focus being New Delhi. Though, there have been few efforts to address the issue of integrating ecology into an urban realm, these seem to be happening in a fragmented manner and are yet to reach a tipping point. Urban ecology as a field has resulted in the possibility of system level integration, however, the world is far from seeing a holistic approach to this challenge. In most cases, people fear that an inclusive approach would have a negative impact on 'growth' and their 'comfort'. The thrust of this research and thereby this project is to explore methods to help people contribute to the health of a city in a strategic and decisive manner and thereby direct the benefits arising out of this to improve the situation globally and trigger a positive green domino effect.

• brief summary of the cultural/scientific/social/economic context within which the research is applicable

This research would find direct use in India and other nations which have had a strong tradition of agriculture, especially the orient (China, Japan) and central/south american nations (Guatemala, Costarica, Peru). Further, through the comparative analysis of urban gardening trends in Europe and India and through follow up exploration and design of urban permaculture kits, this research aims to trigger a platform for a series of projects which would act as catalysts for pratical product solutions and initiatives for a future green city.

• description of how the work relates to other works in the field of inquiry

This project explores aspects of human environment, its relation with ecology and our attempt for sustainable growth. The research relates to the fields of permaculture, ethnobotany, human plant interaction, urban ecology, situationist psychogeography, open source architecture, sustainability, green design, modular systems and bionics.

• concise summary of the problem domain/s that the research explores, or the specific aims of the research undertaken.

As stated before the intent of this research is to explore the urban gardening and permaculture trends at a global level and to further explore new ways to establish links between urban realms, its inhabitants and ecology. In the process, the project aims at redefining our relationship with the city and our vision for its future. It attempts to question our prevailing belief system which places nature as an object, to be viewed, manipulated, commodified and sold.

This phase of the project has the following objective:

• On-line and literature survey of state of the art in urban gardening and permaculture (global perspective)
• On-site research and comparison of urban gardening in the Benelux and India
• On-site research of Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, focusing on preserving and increasing biodiversity
• Design for urban gardening prototypes and kits
• Article for the Luminous Green publication on the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
• Participation in the Research Gathering in October 2007
• Participation in the groWorld design session in April 2008
• A written report in the prescribed format

• justification of the aims (scientific/artistic/historical/etc…)

• The uncontrolled growth of cities has had a devastating impact on ecology
• By the end of 2008, half the world's population will be living in cities for the first time in history. (according to UN report)
• Cities are becoming increasingly polluted, sterile, unhealthy and disconnected with other life forms, especially plants which have been an integral part of human survival and existence.
• We have more people hungry every day, more unemployment, rising poverty, increased use of pesticides, herbcides and biocides, deteriorating soil quality and depleting forest cover
• There has been a sharp increase in desert area, in urban sprawl and number of cars on the road !
• Cities are facing new challenges related to health care, rise in food prices and other basic services every day.
• Natural and traditional systems can offer us practical solutions and are a crucial resource to tap into. Problems can be seen as opportunities.

• concise description of the way the research has been developed from establishing the problem definition to the final results

The research started with preliminary discussions between the producer and the design researcher in Brusssels to define the project scope. This was followed by a visit to the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam, one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. A living museum, the hortus is a green oasis in the middle of a bustling urban setting. Thereafter the design researcher shortlisted a series of core topics and questions which were used as triggers to inform him and in the discussion between him and the users, which in this case were inhabitants of a city. These discussions contributed in establishing the problem and understanding its complexity. In New Delhi, the focus shifted to the inhabitants of the city, the habitat in which they live and their links with nature. Special attention was given to the urban kitchen gardens in New Delhi and Chandani Chowk in Old Delhi which has continued to remain one of the most dense and thriving parts of Asia since the 15th century. Visits to Sarai(Centre for Development Studies) to document ongoing research projects related to ecology along with interaction with artsts at the Khoj community formed the second layer of the study. Interaction with the Biodiversity/Forestry department of TERI(Tata Energy Research Institute), CSE(Centre for Science and Environment) and ICAR(Indian Council of Agricultural Research) formed the third layer of the onsite research in New Delhi. Thereafter, the research focus moved to south India with the first site visit to the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, a place dedicated to conservation and preservation of native plants. Next was Beulah organic farm, which specialises in home made marmalade and wines. Located in rural Udagamandalam in Tamil Nadu, it demonstrates customised solutions for organic plant growth right from the use of liquid organic manure to playing music to trigger their growth. Following this was a visit to the Rain forest retreat, an interesting model as it was one of the few case studies which balances its concern for ecology with a marketing business model. Next was the Krac-A-Dawna bio dynamic farm located in rural Karnataka close to Mysore. The farm produces a range of finished products from wild honey and cinnamon to sesame butter and cotton fabrics. The analysis of these sustainable enterprises in India was an enriching experience. and was backed up by crucial on-line and literature survey about permaculture, guirella farming techniques, traditional agricultural methods and organic farming. Apart from this, the permaculture design course by Bill Mollison and two books, 'An Agricultural Testament' by Sir Albert Howard and 'Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustanability' by David Holmgren have been indispensable to this study.

• justification of the methodology

The subject of this project demands a sensitized and practical approach. The methodology was crucial to help the design researcher develop empathy for the cause and also become aware of the complexity of the problem at hand. Visiting the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala and subsequent visits to other sustainable enterprises dedicated to organic methods of farming and revitalisation of traditional Indian farming techniques were crucial to inform the research. It has helped the researcher appreciate the nuances and demands of the project. Reading the book, ‘An Agricultural Testament’ by Sir Albert Howard was a critical experience in realising the huge divide in agriculture methods between the orient and the occident. While, 'Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustanability' by David Holmgren, gives wonderful insights into the genesis of this idea and how it could positivell impact sustainability efforts globally. All of this has helped to create the right references for this project and enabled the researcher to present a lucid and detailed project report to the producer.

• concise description of the actual outcomes of the research

Permaculture is an integrated, interdependent, evolving, multidimensional and creative design response to a world of declining energy and resource availability with emphasis on design processes drawn from nature. It is about values and visions, and design and systems of management that are based on holistic understanding, especially of our bio-ecological and pychosocial knowledge and wisdom. It is particularly about our relationships with, and the design and redesign of, natural resource management systems, so that they may support the health and well being of all present and future generations. Permaculture also reflects the ongoing evolution of our knowledge systems and can be intepreted to any area which might benefit from such holistic design theory and practice. Human settlements, business enterprises, political and economic systems, learning environments, health field and child rearing can be some of these areas.

’PERMACULTURE’ was originally coined in the mid seventies by two Australians, David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, to describe the design system pioneered as a response to what they, and many others globally, saw as serious challenges to the survival of all of us. Originally derived from the words ‘PERMAnent agriCULTURE’, permaculture has gone beyond it’s roots in looking at strategies to create sustainable food growing methods to become a worldwide movement encompassing all aspects of how we as human beings can live harmoniously in relation to our Earth and it’s finite resources and create a PERManent CULTURE. Permaculture, today has multiple defintions, but one that is particularly useful might be- “To create sustaianble human habitats by following nature's patterns”. This thought is clearly manifested in permaculture as a system of gardening but also as the worldwide network of individuals and groups and further in permaculture as a counterculture.

For many, the Permaculture focus on land and natural resource management is complimentary to the industrial focus of the “green tech” optimists, but there are differences. Permaculture:

• gives priority to using existing wealth to rebuilding natural capital, especially trees and forests, as a proven storage of wealth to sustain humanity into a future with less fossil fuel.
• emphasises bottom-up “redesign” processes, starting with the individual and household as drivers for change at the market, community and cultural level
• more fundamentally, was predicated on the likelihood of some degree of collapse and breakdown in technology, economics and even society, which is not envisaged or designed for by the “green tech” optimists but is a current reality for many people around the world.
• sees pre-industrial sustainable societies as providing models that reflect the more general system design principles observable in nature,and relevant to post-industrial systems.

The assumptions on which permaculture was originally based were:

• The environmental crisis is real and its magnitude and impact directly threatens our survival.
• The ongoing impact of golbal industrial society and human numbers on biodiversity would be far greater than has ever been.
• Humans are subject to the same scientific laws which govern the entire universe including the evolution of life.
• The inevitable depletion of non-renewable fuels will see a return to general pre-industrial systems dependent on renewable energy and resources.

Further, insofar as permaculture is an appropriate response to limitations on use of energy and natural resources, it will move on from its current status as “alternative response to environmental crisis” to the social and economic mainstream of the post-industrial era. Whether it will be called permaculture or not is a secondary matter.

Permaculture is a wholehearted adaptation to the ecological realities of decline and offers us a graceful and ethical descent. The process for providing for people's needs within ecological limits requires a cultural revolution. We appear to have little time to achieve ths revolution and in this context, the idea of simple set of guiding design principles which have wide, universal application is attractive. The following principles are slogans which act as a checklist when considering complex options for design and evolution of ecological support systems.

1. Observe and Interact
2. Catch and store energy
3. Obtain a yield
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
5. Use and value renewable resources and services
6. Produce no waste
7. Design from patterns to details
8. Integrate rather than segregate
9. Use small and slow solutions
10. Use and value diversity
11. Use edges and value the marginal
12. Creatively use and respond to change ³⁾

Now, in a situation of descent, ethics become indispensable and through their culturally evolved systemic nature lead us to create a more inclusive view of who and what constitutes “us”. The three broad maxims or principles which cover these are given below:

• Care for the earth
• Care for the people
• Set limits to consumption and reproduction, and redistribute surplus

How one inteprets the principles listed above and implements them is open for refinement and improvisation. One has to take responsibility and see problems as opportunities, or problems as the solution. Every element here serves multiple functions and every function is served by multiple elements. Using these principles we can come up with a design that is in line with our regenerative world.

A permaculture garden is not a garden seen in nature. Though it might have a configuration like a forest in terms of stability and efficiency, it is rich in functional plants which have a strong relationship with each other and result in high yields. In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions exist when it comes to gardening or having backyard animals. Some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings which have allowed them to circumnavigate these obstacles are discussed below. They are a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across different aspects of sustainability. Further the character of cities in the western world is extremely different from the eastern world. These differences work at social, political and physical level and have shaped these cities. Hence, the examples discussed below are quiet diverse but the concept of “no loss” links them all.

• Rooftop gardens: Rooftop gardens are a specific urban agriculture niche set within a broader system of city gardens, enjoying their own set of distinctive benefits. Rooftops are underutilized and rarely-considered urban spaces with great potential for creative development. There are essentially three options for rooftop gardens for rooftop gardens.

• Vertical gardens: Vertical gardening is a comprehensive term referring to any manner in which plants can be grown on, up, or against the wall of a building such as a vine, as part of a window shade, as a balcony garden, or in a vertical hydroponic system. Vertical gardens act as good insulators and a source of food. They also increase the life of the structural wall behind, reduce storm water run-off, reduce the heat island effect of cities and improve the water quality. For more details see vertical gardens.

⁴⁾

• City farms: In New york, numerous vacant plots have been converted into city farms where communities grow there own food. These range from apples to pears. Further, by using graftign techniques, fences can be made entirely out of such plants. In Melbourne, the city farms also play the role of community education centres, which is a brilliant way to introduce kids to aspects of food production. In Davis, California, through the allocation of areas for directing rain water into catchment basins, swail areas have been created which over the years have now transformed into productive fruit farms.

• Cooperative Arrangements: In Santa Fe, a community group is applying for a variance from the city to start using a small open space in their neigborhood for keeping chickens and bees and to plant an orchard. Combining their negotiating power helps with getting a variance, and distributing responsibilities as well as financial burden of setting up a productive environment ensures its stability and long-term success.

• Co-Ownership of Assets: In Albuquerque, a group of people that live near each other decided to downsize and now own one truck, which is shared by several households.

• Grafting Fruit Trees: In limited spaces one can still get a variety of fruit, when using a technique of grafting. A desirable variety (early ripening, or developed for storage, etc) is grafted onto an existing rootstock, resulting in trees that bears several types of fruit (now, apples don’t become oranges, but there can be several different apples on the same tree!).

• Worm Composting: A plastic bin with holes can house a family of red wiggler worms, who will be happy to eat your kitchen waste (eliminating it from the urban waste stream), and these critters will make it into good odor-free compost.

• The BackYard Forester, Los Angeles: A nonprofit organization, TreePeople leads people towards greening the city, restoring watersheds, ecosystems and neigborhoods. People can turn their yard into a wildlife or bird refuge or create an orchard that produces a surplus to share with food banks ,in the process creating an urban forest.

• The Citizen Pruner, New York: People can get trained in tree care and pruning, and be able to take care of trees, whenever and whereever needed.

• Chickens in a City: Depending on the location, people may be allowed to keep chickens in their urban yard! The City Chicken - a website, which includes every answer plus city by city listing of regulations for keeping chickens makes this possible!

see urban farming comparision

see traditional farming notes

An important question considered by the researcher was, what are the growth symbols/patterns in urban areas? The challenges in cities can be seen as opportunities. We could come up with design responses which will directly impact the situation. This could be related to to real estate, construction, mass production, modular systems, transportation and architecture. Responses which soften the 'corporate sheen' of cities to create ubiquitous greens through ubiquitous planting. As per recent statistics the planet adds 73 million humans to its tally every year!⁵⁾ Can we add 73 trillion plants every year ?

see urban permaculture kits

see site visit and survey notes

• comparison of the expected and the achieved results
• suggestions and comments on the research process and its results
• description and suggestions around the collaboration process (if applicable)
• suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research

The claims and insights in this research have been informed by the interviews, site visits and surveys conducted by the design researcher. The surveys have been based on online research and published papers and books.

Books

• An Agricultural Testament by Sir Albert Howard
• Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren

URLs

• http://www.sarai.net/fellowships/associate/debkamal-ganguly
• http://www.teriin.org/sector_search.php?sector=11&tp=Projects
• http://www.rahelhegnauer.ch
• http://www.thenrgroup.net/info/people/CT/Tingle.doc
• http://www.thenrgroup.net/info/people/sketch.htm
• http://www.spiralseed.co.uk/permaculture/
• http://www.guerrillagardening.org
• http://www.guerrillagardening.org
• http://www.gb0063551.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/guerrilla
• http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=8075862560861551314
• http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-4751861414078790483
• http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1932967376811053312
• http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-1045670822404092369
• http://www.tlio.org.uk/campaigns/wandsworth/pureperm.html
• http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/itw-sudan-0123.html
• http://www.storyofstuff.com/
• http://blindspot-delhi.blogspot.com/
• http://brussels-farmer.blogspot.com/
• http://publicspace.ca/gardeners.htm
• http://www.bladediary.com/index.pl?stencil=223
• http://www.guerrillagardening.it/
• http://www.primalseeds.org/guerrilla.htm
• http://www.gruenewelle.org/index_en.html
• http://www.greenguerillas.org/
• http://www.heavypetal.ca/archives/2007/04/operation_moss_graffiti.html
• http://www.mclveganway.org.uk/
• http://cityspinning.org/
• http://greenmuseum.org/c/alch_gard/kathryn_miller.html
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-good-life-in-havana-cubas-green-revolution-410930.html
• http://www.pomona.edu/museum/exhibitions/archive/fall2001/postlandscape/mcauley.shtml
• http://www.landliving.com/articles/0000000616.aspx
• http://www.oaec.org/
• http://www.oceansong.org/farmandgarden.htm
• http://www.solarliving.org/
• http://www.droppingknowledge.org/bin/projects/archive.page;jsessionid=31B9FCD40E44AF991825D1717E7FABBA
• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/benjamin_fahrer.php
• http://www.frlht.org.in/
• http://www.medicinalplants.in/
• http://www.leisa.info/
• http://www.urbansquares.com/
• http://www.materialistpsychogeography.co.uk/
• http://www.ikatun.org/institute/infinitelysmallthings/
• http://www.prusikloop.org/mrwatson/?p=76
• http://kdg.mit.edu/Projects/p13.html
• http://www.tuukkahalonen.com/
• http://www.ioodesign.com/
• http://www.kathleenrogers.co.uk/r_d/
• http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/portablelight/intro.html
• http://designcorner.blinkr.net/Interactive_Architecture/
• http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/programmes/units/unit14.htm
• http://futurefeeder.com/index.php/archives/2005/05/08/frameless-structure-glass-dome/
• http://reconstruction.eserver.org/063/holmes.shtml
• http://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/2005/12/the_hanging_gar.html
• http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/C16/P20/
• http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/01/18/really-green-buildings/
• http://www.ecosyn.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/Container_Plants/index.html
• http://www.asquare.org/networkresearch/?cat=21&paged=2
• http://www.terragalleria.com/america/north-east/new-york/picture.usny6611.html
• http://progressivegardening.com/soilfreehydroponicgardening.html
• http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/013509.html
• http://www.thecityreview.com/arcnow.html
• http://www.hbp.usm.my/ventilation/Penghijauan%20menegak.htm
• http://www.clubofpioneers.com/blogs/tags/architecture/
• http://www.sunutility.com/html_pg/city.html
• http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/jetson_green/2006/11/index.html
• http://www.netspeed.com.au/abeccs/sunshineuni/sunshine%20building%20design.htm
• http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/ci/v7no3/v7no3_13_e.html
• http://greenmuseum.org/generic_content.php?ct_id=229
• http://www.nzwerf.org.nz/publications/sw602/sw602s5-1.html
• http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/jetson_green/energy_efficiency/index.html
• http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,1599531,00.html
• http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/902
• http://greenroofs.wordpress.com/contact-us/
• http://www.green-roofing.co.uk/frames/frames_system.html
• http://nisee.berkeley.edu/elibrary/browse/kozak?eq=5392
• http://citycomfortsblog.typepad.com/cities/2004/02/index.html
• http://www.developmentcrossing.com/development_crossing/climate_change/index.html
• http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~infoarts/links/actobjects/activatedartists.html
• http://www.sarai.net/fellowships/independent/abstracts/03-04/page-3/?searchterm=Nilanjan%20Bhattacharya
• http://khojworkshop.org/aggregator
• http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/announce/news/94B/20060607.pdf
• http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hybrid/msg07015311868.html
• http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/kabernd/seminar/2002/edible/pt.htm
• http://www.new-agri.co.uk/01-5/focuson/focuson4.html
• http://www.prolume.com/temp/ltimes/ltimes.htm
• http://cmos.missouri.org/2003Dec14.htm
• http://www.prolume.com/temp/nyt/patents.htm
• http://www.prolume.com/temp/cnn/cnn1.htm
• http://desertification.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/permaculture-explained/
• http://www.navdanya.org/about/index.htm
• http://www.krameterhof.at/Englisch/anzeige.htm
• http://homepage2.nifty.com/ISEA-Japan/inl/inl80.html
• http://www.di.net/videos/the_new_species_architecture/
• http://www.materialecology.com/
• http://ecotality.com/life/

Films

• Power of community: Produced by the community solution organization, the film explores the peak oil crisis with focus on community based solutions that reflect the values of cooperation, conservation and curtailment. The film captures the free fall of Cuba's economy in early 90's with the fall of the Soviet Union and its brilliant turnaround using drastic measures to become self reliant. It demonstrates the role of community in dealing with acute challenges. Every aspect of cuban life was affected by the 'special period', but no change was as far reaching as agriculture. Cuba was forced to switch to survival agriculture from the green revolution practices it was accustomed to. A drastic effort to convert every piece of arable land to organic agriculture was begin. An urban agriculture movement resulted where every vacant lot in the city was converted into an orchard. Under urban gardening, idle plots of land were identified, cleaned and turned into gardens by the community. The people cooperating and caring about each other were the main factors for the turnaround. With sustainable practices Cuba found that it took 3 to 5 years to rehabilitate the soil again. To increase food production the government worked with farmers to find local solutions. The result was smaller farms and cooperatives with a high degree of privatization and autonomy. These were able to use sustainable practices in a much more efficient manner and created new ways of decentralized growth under a larger umbrella. With a more stable method of land distribution and ownership, thousands moved to rural areas. The impact was also felt in the education, housng, transportation and energy alternatives realms resulting in improvised solutions from the people and the government which has not only created a unique model for all of us but also reinstilled faith in the power of simple steps taken at a community level.

• Bill Mollison-Global Gardener Series 1-4
• Bill Mollison-Funding the Revolution
• Bill Mollison-Permaculture Design Course
• Farming with Nature-A case study of successful temperate Permaculture
• Permaculture- Sepp Holzer - Aquaculture-Synergy of Land and Water
• Permaculture- Emilia Hazelip-Synergistic Garden