A Permaculture Perspective on Dealing with Climate Change Now
Matt Powers, influential teacher: “We are dealing with an Oxygen problem as much as a stagnating Carbon cycle”
I just love the wisdom of permaculturists. Systemic thinking. Symbiotic solutions. Healthy soil, clear view on energy, and integrating practical observations. They are telling the truth in a clear and concise way.
It’s how I came to understand the world. It’s how I find honest, practical solutions for my personal life.
Whoever thinks that permaculture is just a form of natural gardening, think again. It’s wisdom for our earthly and human future in all aspects.
Earth Care. People Care. Fair Share.
It’s the one and only Future Care. So, how about climate change and CO2? Matt Powers is very direct about it and made this beautiful illustration (picture at the top) to clarify. His words:
“People talk about CO2 like there’s no such thing as photosynthesis… If it doesn’t liberate the Oxygen from CO2 while sequestering Carbon in the soil, I’m not interested. Everything else is low-grade tech.”
— Matt Powers
And that’s so true. Why is everyone focusing on the C in CO2? If Carbon is stored in the soil where it should be in order to create new life from it, we would have no problem. The real problem is the fact that we smother the O. The Oxygen. Our breath!
We need to learn about the context of our actions. We need to see everything in connection. We cannot solve ocean problems without taking the situation on land into account.
We cannot grow crops without realizing that we’re polluting our waters with nitrogen and phosphorous if we don’t go regenerative and create healthy, living topsoil. Full of organic matter, micro-organisms and fungi.
Look at the illustration and let it sink in. This is the carbon cycle, including oxygen and photosynthesis. No windmills or solar panels alone can solve the brokenness of these loops. We need combined action to heal our planet and keep it liveable for humans.
Look at the illustration again. What can we do? For now, it might be best to stop consuming. Make your life super simple with little stuff. Go back to basic needs, learn about these loops, and then come up with better human systems.
And don’t think human systems are only the responsibility of governments and businesses. Our families are little organisms. Our friends’ groups are organisms as well. And our bodies? They are the most wonderful organisms of all.
How do I deal with this knowledge personally? Only when I connected truly to my body and our planet, I acquired the wisdom I needed to tackle climate change in my own unique way.
Our earth operates in cycles. And feedback loops. We need to slow down, observe and make wise decisions about energy, storage, and creating surpluses.
Low-tech
Some permaculturists glorify low-tech only. And yes, it’s mighty important to celebrate and include low-tech again into our lives. It keeps us grounded. Connected to our local place and multi-species, natural life.
Our connection to nature is so mighty important to unleash our own vast wisdom. So, we study the philosophy of Deep Ecology. We come to understand deep down in our hearts and guts that we are part of nature. Not above it, not ruling over it. Part of it. And that it’s time to play our human role in the bigger picture with modesty and wisdom.
By day, we have our hands in the soil and feel Gaia’s heartbeat. By night, we hear the owl. And the insects scuffling among fallen leaves. We keep our eyes on the stars and feel the pull of the moon on our personal tides.
We combine hope with action and not only read Joanna Macy, we do the work that reconnects. Heal the broken past by feeling all our emotions and letting all that grief and anger flow into the soil. We reflect on dogmas and hierarchies and let go of those constructs of reductionist thinking.
“We are dealing with an Oxygen problem as much as a stagnating Carbon cycle”
— Matt Powers
High-tech
But there are high-tech permaculturist thinkers and doers too.
The Blue Economy is permaculture in business action. Very ethical. Very advanced. And very ingenious. And whole Spanish economies have been transformed with these methods already. And more societies and economies are following as we speak.
The Superformula is permaculture in tech action. The shift from Cartesian tech to nature’s tech is happening in the construction of e.g. antennas that connect the physical with the immaterial realm. One formula for all shapes of nature. For me, it’s just magic…
Biomimicry, bionics, and biomimetics are also changing the ways of business and technology. And I applaud all these diverse ways of changing what’s broken.
Let’s re-install the cycles in our human beings and our planet’s being. Let’s learn and feel and connect to the vast wisdom out there.
Wanna find ways to hold climate change at bay? To live with climate change? It all starts with the vast intelligence of our planet…
Comments from Matt
I discussed this article with Matt himself. Just reached out via email and asked. It’s how I’ve learned from the best teachers in the past years and added my own wisdom of connecting the dots to their knowledge, as well.
It’s so much fun to just very respectfully reach out and connect to the people I admire. When they don’t reply, it’s also okay. I leave it and get on with my life. There’s so much fascinating stuff to explore!
This is Matt’s comment on this story:
Great thoughts and great article! You have my permission to use the image for the article certainly :)
I’d respond with: plants and photosynthesis are high grade tech and we don’t even come close yet. I agree that we are deeply part of nature — we are an observing and responding part of nature.
I’d say the reasoning, designing, and processing parts are distributed throughout and that’s why we learn so much from nature — this is why we “commune with nature” and pray, etc.
Nature has inspired everything humans have “invented”, so it’s the high-grade technology that heals, self-reproduces, and automates.
He just confirmed what I just know in my bones to be true and is proven more and more by science these days. Genes are just stores full of past information. The new insights on Epigenetics are closer to reality. Genes can be switched on and off depending on the environment.
And cells are the really regenerative ones. Let’s focus on cells and on symbiotic connections and we’ll get somewhere liveable.
Local, bioregional economies and technology that heals, self-reproduces, and automates. Low-tech and high-tech, in all diversity.
Takeaways
- Making your life super simple, with only basic stuff, is the best way to deal with climate change for now. Until the new abundance together with nature has been created by us and the companies around us. And by that time, we don’t want anything else but basic needs. And companies will all focus on basic needs and community value. It’s like healing from addiction. Together with nature’s abundance, we will live purposeful, fulfilled lives. We can do it, we just have to broadly spread the knowledge on how to do that and it’ll happen in unexpected ways.
- Systemic thinking is something you can learn. If you want to learn about permaculture and a connected way of being, we are all Permaculture Students. We all learn from each other and nature. We’re students in life. None of us are teachers. We swarm in a beautiful murmuration.
- Makers are the ones changing things. Consumers who do not take action are seeking distraction. We all have a role in the new ways of being. Let’s be a maker, a creator, instead of just a consumer. Be a creator of joy and experience every day of your life. Be a changemaker in your professional life. We’re on this journey together and we need progress in all aspects of life and work.
- Enhancing biodiversity is the way to go. Fighting others who do not understand (yet) might be necessary for some who feel that urge. But fighting is not obligatory. All the non-fighters can take up their role in creating the new reality. Take the tiles out of your garden and create a tiny forest enhancing biodiversity instead. Or an edible oasis that also produces yummy food. The choice is yours.
- Honestly connect to the people around you who inspire you. What’ve you got to lose? Be daring! Make your life as impactful and fascinating as can be! And swarm with us towards a better tomorrow.
There are permaculture courses everywhere in the world by now, so just pick one close to you or pick one in which you feel a good connection to the teacher. Start on your pilgrim’s journey today.
Online, many videos can be found and you’ll feel quickly who can best be your teacher for now. Together you can become students of life’s vast wisdom…
Want to connect? You can find me somewhere on our beautiful planet, with my hands in the soil and my eyes gazing at moonshots and quantum leaps. Or find me via Linktree.
© Désirée Driesenaar
