by David Holmgren€¦ · 9/5/06 © 2006 4 Permaculture One (1978) Bill Mollison & David Holmgren Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability

9/5/06 © 2006 www.holmgren.com.au 2

Peak Oil & Peak Oil & Permaculture Permaculture Australian Tour SpringAustralian Tour Spring 2006 2006

by David Holmgrenby David Holmgren


A design system forA design system for

sustainable living and land usesustainable living and land use

A grass roots andA grass roots and

international movementinternational movement

of of practitionerspractitioners, designers, designers

and and organisationsorganisations

Based on universal ethics Based on universal ethics

and design principlesand design principles

An empowering process for An empowering process for

reclaiming our place in naturereclaiming our place in nature


Permaculture One (1978)

Bill Mollison & David Holmgren

Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability

(2002) David Holmgren

Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual

(1988) Bill Mollison


Energy & Resource UseEnergy & Resource Use

Population

Pollution Pollution

ClimaxClimax

(post-modern(post-modern

cultural chaos)cultural chaos)

Techno-Explosion

Green-Tech StabilityGreen-Tech Stability

Earth stewardship

Collapse

Great GrandGreat Grand

ChildrenChildrenAgricultureAgriculture

10.000yrs BP10.000yrs BPIndustrial Industrial

RevolutionRevolution

Baby BoomBaby Boom Old GrowthOld Growth

Forest Forest

Pre-industrialsustainable culture

Historical Time Future Time

Creative Descent

Creative Descent

( (Permaculture)

Indu

stria

l As

cent

(Mod

erni

sm)


How will we cope with theHow will we cope with theenergy descent future?energy descent future?

9/5/06 ©2003Holmgren Design Serviceshttp://www.holmgren.com.au/

7

Gardening for Food security,Health & Conservation

Potatoes: staple food

from the garden

Kitchen garden raised beds Melliodora

Harvesting pears

Garden greens & vegetables,

greenhouse tomatoes


8

Organic soil fertility building & maintenance

Hot Composting

Mulching potatoes with cut grass

Living soil; the basis of food security

Worm Farming


9Pasta making

Seasonal Food Culture

Bottled fruit in earth cellar

Planinca eco community Slovenia

Sun drying fruitPasta making with children


10

Working with animals: yields & ecological services

Ducks in garden pond: suburban Sydney

Black Australorp poultry; old breed suited to free range systems

Milking goats: healthy food & living


11

Tree crops: a perennial agriculture

Fungi: food from recycling biomass

Pistachio nuts, Food Forest,

South Australia

Shitake mushrooms on oakSwalmann Netherlands


12

Compost toilet, Food Forest, South Australia

Water and nutrient harvesting

Galvanised

rainwater tank,

Melliodora

Gravel reed bed treating

grey water; Fryers Forest


13

Passive solar design &natural materials

Eco retrofit CERES Melbourne

attached greenhouse

New Construction Melliodora:

Mud brick thermal mass floors

& load bearing walls,

Salvaged timber flooring & joinery


14

Energy from wastes and forest thinnings

Melliodora wood supply for

cooking & hot water

(gas back up for cooking)

Austrian wood pellet furnace/solar

central heating cabin, Kinsale Ireland


15

Pig tractor Krameterhof Austria (Sepp Holzer’s)

Frugal transport solutions Motorbike “prime mover”

VietnamPhoto Darren Doherty

Chinese electric bicycle

Carpooling & Hitchhiking

Wood gasifier powered ute Finland


16Hand basin cabinet made from metal drum

Creative Reuse & Recycling

New fashion clothes made from

recycled fabrics Olympia, USA


17

Northy St Brisbane 2003

CERES Melbourne 1984

Urban Agriculture& Community

Gardens

Fairview Gardens

Santa Barbara

USA 2005


LETS

local

currency

Community Supported AgricultureNew ways ofTrading & Finance


19

Village Terrace

Co-housing at

Earthaven N. Carolina

Earthsong Co-housing

Community,

Auckland N.Z.

New ways ofsharing land

•Ecological building

•Common infrastructure

•Community governance


Craft, Tools

Technology

Culture andEducationFinance and

Economics

Land Tenure and

Community

Governance

Land & Nature

Stewardship

Health and

Spiritual

Well-being

Built

Environment

Seven Domains of Permaculture Action

Ethics &

DesignPrinciples

Infrastructure

Living Source

Emerging applications(Invisible structures)

Weaving together

the 7 domains

Can Permaculture Design save the Suburbs?

1. Understand the history and obstacles 2. Read the landscape and resources 3. Sidestep the obstacles, grasp the opportunities4. Turn the problem into the solution

Lets start at the beginning


Suburbia in the 1950Suburbia in the 1950’’ss

The typical elements of suburban living• Single income ($250/week in today’s money)

• Housewife & three children• 12 square house on 1/4 acre block (1000m2)• House proud self reliance & domestic frugality

(Vegies, fruit trees, chooks, the septic and lawn)

• Consumer icon of cleanliness, leisure and mobility


FoundationsFoundations For Growth of SuburbiaFor Growth of Suburbia

The post war economic boom of the 1950’s• Cheap and abundant fossil fuel and timber• Australia riding on the sheep’s back (wool $2.40/kg)

• War service homes and low interest rates • Public infrastructure for suburban growth

(Sealed roads, power, water and sewerage)


shed

verandah

porch

shed

14 square

brick & tile

war service

home

Hills hoists

shed

Vegie garden

Fruit trees

Chook penVegie garden

Fruit trees

Aussie Street (bitumen)

Ornamental garden beds

garage

Gravel Drive

porch

verandah

14 square

brick & tile

war service

home

porch

verandah

14 square

brick & tile

war service

home

carport

Gravel Drive

garage

Back yard mechanic

Gravel Drive

Vegie garden

Fruit trees

porch

14 square

brick & tile

war service

home

verandah

1950’s: The Golden Age of Suburbia

1 2 3 4

Married coupleno kids

Married couple& 3 kids



North

People Count 19


shed

verandah

porch

shed


Hills hoists

shed

Chook penVegie garden

Fruit trees

Ornamental garden beds

garage

Gravel Drive

North

porch

verandah

Married couple no kids

porch

verandah

Married couple & 3 kidscarport

Gravel Drive

garage

Gravel Drive

Vegie garden

Fruit trees

porch

Married couple & 5 kids

verandah60’s verandah enclosure

1960’s & 70’s: Rising Affluence & Addition

60’s verandah enclosure

70’s double garage/

games roomConcrete drive

Vegie garden

Fruit trees

Back yard mechanic

70’s addition & renovation

New owners:couple & 3 kids

70’s native garden

Nature strip and native street trees

carport

Concrete Drive

1 2 3 4

Aussie Street

Sewerage main

Kerb & Channel

People Count 17


Problems with SuburbanProblems with Suburban GrowthGrowth

Urban sprawl•Poor use of public infrastructure (sewerage) •Car based transport •Loss of agricultural land


Problems with Suburban GrowthProblems with Suburban Growth

Dysfunctional Economics•Unproductive capital investment•Speculative land values•Declining household production (food, crafts etc)

•Household debt and consumer addiction


Problems withProblems with Suburban Growth Suburban Growth

Dormitory suburbs•Declining household size•Empty houses and streets•Lack of community & increased crime


Conventional ResponsesConventional Responses

Planning Regulations to encourage increasing density•Smaller house blocks (500M2) •Dual occupancy infill development •Medium density redevelopment



Lifestyle responses• Holidays away• Live out; the mobile lifestyle• The renovation obsession• Move to inner city: apartment living• Move to country living (the super suburb)



Environmental responses• Improved public transport• Building insulation and energy efficiency• Urban green space, water sensitive urban design• Native landscaping for water conservation & biodiversity


carport

1

carport

70’s double garage/

games room

Concrete drive & garage


1990’s infill development180sq brick veneer

Elderly couple

Concrete drive

Concrete drive


Drip irrigatedornamentalgarden

Elderly coupleMoving to nursinghome

Empty nest baby boomersretiring to Qld

Gravel Drive

Aussie Street

Native street trees

Chook penVeggie garden

Fruit trees Unirrigated mown grass

1990’s:Aging & Infill

garage

Fruit trees

Storm water Detention tank

1 2 3 4

North

New developer owner

Separatedworkingmother & 2teenage kids

Young working couple, no kids

Kerb & Channel

People Count 11


Falling EnergyFalling Energy

•• Positives of energy descent Positives of energy descent

–– Drive creative Drive creative adaption adaption and innovationand innovation

–– Help overcome obsessions and addictions Help overcome obsessions and addictions

–– Renew community spirit and solidarity Renew community spirit and solidarity

•• A falling energy base A falling energy base

–– Expands the problems (services, food, water) Expands the problems (services, food, water)

–– Brings problems home ( terrorism, refugees, recession) Brings problems home ( terrorism, refugees, recession)

–– Make current urban design strategies ineffective Make current urban design strategies ineffective


Suburban Prospects ?Suburban Prospects ?

The End of Suburbia or the Retrofit of Suburbia?• Home based work, telecommuting, cottage industry

• Extended families, lodgers and shared households• Fertile soils, water supply & infrastructure for urban agriculture• Recycle of storm water and human waste• City Farms, CSA’s, Farmers Markets

Lets paint the picture


Unirrigated mown grass Berryfruits

kitchen garden

Concrete drive & garage

Storm water Detention tank


1990’s infill development180sq brick veneer

Young working couple, no kids

Separated working mother & 2 teenagechildren

Elderly couple

G/house

Verandha

Herb/perennials

G/house

Chook houseTool store Straw yard

CSA chook tractor vegie production

Grapepergola

Grapepergola

Baby boomer couple, young adult son

Nut trees

Compostbays

Passive solar12 sq eco-addition

Shade House

& Kiwivine

Fern garden

Young couple & baby

Orchard/chook run

GreywaterReedbed

50klit rain tank, metal racks, header tank & wind turbine

Late 2000’s: Permaculture Retrofit

Bread oven/

firewood store

Aussie Street North


Nurserystock

Nursery

Metal workshop/ PV grid feedback

Boarder: single mother & baby

G/house

1 2 3 4

Kerb & Channel

Native street trees

People Count 15


Kick starting Relocalisation

•• Network for inspiration and informationNetwork for inspiration and information

•• Get producing andGet producing and support local producerssupport local producers

•• Involve kids and their friendsInvolve kids and their friends

•• Make contact with neighbours, barterMake contact with neighbours, barter

•• Review needs, reduce consumptionReview needs, reduce consumption

•• Share your place: Share your place: take in atake in a boarderboarder

•• Share your car: Share your car: carpool and pick up hitch hikerscarpool and pick up hitch hikers

•• Creatively work around regulatory impedimentsCreatively work around regulatory impediments

•• Pay off the debt / work from homePay off the debt / work from home

•• Retrofit for the future, not speculative gainRetrofit for the future, not speculative gain


Solutions for the Energy Descent FutureSolutions for the Energy Descent Future

Documents

by David Holmgren€¦ · 9/5/06 © 2006 4 Permaculture One (1978) Bill Mollison & David Holmgren Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability