Permaculturalist or permaculturist?

What is the difference between permaculturalist and permaculturist?

Well, there is no difference.. If you are integrating the ethics and principles of permaculture into your living environment and into your life, you are both a permaculturist and a permaculturalist. Personally I prefer to use permaculturalist because I find it easier to say. It rolls off the tongue a little better.

Regardless of which is the correct way to say, as they are both correct, the principles of permaculture are the focus here.

Let’s take a look at what kind of ethics and principles we are talking about, and why they are so powerful when practiced together.

The Ethics of Permaculture

  1. Caring about the Planet we live on.  Earth Stewardship.
  2. Caring about People everywhere. Community Care as Self Care.
  3.  Sharing the Abundance of a Natural System. Limiting Greed and Promoting Prosperity.

The ethics of permaculture go beyond doing good for people and planet, they embrace the idea that if we do well in nurturing the Natural Capital of the Planet, there will be plenty of surplus. The by-product of Permaculture is a systemic model of abundance called natural global prosperity. The only limitation is greed, and waste. We limit greed as fair share, and eliminate the idea of waste by doing more with less, recycling, repurposing, and reusing all material.

If we care for the Earth ecosystem and its natural resources, we see the inherent value of the natural capital that is continually being re-invested in the grand process of nature itself.  This system works really well without human intervention. So, if we are to guide our actions in a permacultural way, we will work with that natural system, not against it.

If we care for one another as we care for ourselves, and build a community of caring and sharing.. Well, that kind of moves the dial as they say… The highest possible ethic we can have as a sentient, and conscious species, is to care about each other. If we think about it, carefully, it doesn’t require too much explanation. But it does require a deeper acceptance and a fuller understanding.

To be continued…