Permaculture Resources

Permaculture defines resources as the energy or elements in a system. The non-living components can include sun, wind, rain and minerals,  and living components such as people, animals, plants and fungi.

One way of defining the resources we use is to take the “use and result” approach, and look at the consequences when we use these naturally occurring elements.

We view “use and result” in this way;

Those which increase by modest use: Palatable shrubs and grasses which, if managed carefully with techniques such as cell grazing, will continue to increase in yield. If these resources are over or under grazed, they can become either extinct or become tough and loose palatability. Information is also considered in this way: if used well, information will increase, if unused it becomes outdated.

Those unaffected by use: a good view, climate, a pile of stones used for mulch or a heat store and climate. Any well managed ecosystem will be unaffected by its use. Those which disappear or degrade if not used: An unharvested crop, grass which could be cut for hay, swarms of bees, ripe fruit, and water runoff.

Those reduced by use: overharvested fish and game stocks, clay deposits, mature forests, coal and oil.

Those which pollute or destroy if used: residual poisons, radio actives, large areas of bitumen or concrete and sewers running pollutants to the sea.

We can see in many parts of the world where natural systems have been permanently polluted or allowed to degrade beyond the ability to recover- hence famine and war prevail.

Permaculture design seeks to apply an understanding of how natural resources regenerate, so as to repair and restore degraded systems. This is not only for the health of that system in its own right, but for the flow on effects to human culture and activity.


Published at VaranasiEstate (on February 24, 2012) 

How to Start Planning Your Own Transition Town

Transitions Towns do not just spring up over night. They require careful planning and delicate handling if they are ever going to come to fruition. Though it is a lot of hard work, particularly for just one person. Therefore, you will need many hands to help you out, which I guess if the first step to setting up your own transition town.

Rallying together a group of people as like minded and as passionate as yourself is the first step you will need to creating your own transition town. This can be done in a number of ways. You could be one of the lucky ones whose friends just so happen to share your exact point of view as you one everything and will therefore go ahead with anything that you say. But this is a very rare occurrence, so I’m going to assume you are just one person with an idea. If you want to rally people, interact with them. Pound the pavement with a petition, organise events to draw like minded people into your group. This will be an effective, and also fun, way to get people to jump on board with your plan. Another way you could do this is to raise awareness of what a transition town is and why it is that we need them. To do this, create practical and visual examples of what it is that you wish to accomplish, so that those who see it and are interested will become intrigued. For example, displays of solar panels, aquaponic tanks and even worm farms will have people questioning, and those who share your view will become intrigued and voila! You’ve started an entourage.

It is important to make sure that your Transition Town does not simply stop at a talking point. It can’t be one of those topics that comes up every get together with friends around the open fire that never actually goes anywhere. You and the people who are helping you need to remember to remain proactive, proficient and, most importantly, passionate.

It is also important to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day; your dream will not come true overnight. You must start small and set the foundations first so that you can build up from there. Setting out to accomplish the impossible will only ensure that the town will fall flat on its face and you’d have to start over again. So set the structural integrity first, make sure that enough people are involved and that you have adequate support from the appropriate organisations.

Well, that’s the simplest way to ensure a successful planning of your transition town. It is essential to make sure that you have enough people who are as enthused as you, that your passion is equal to the task and not just wasted words and that you take each step as it comes, going slow and steady so that no detail is rushed.

Published at VaranasiEstate (on February 24, 2012)

How To Achieve Self-Sufficiency

For a sustainable living, self-sufficiency is important. But to achieve self-sufficiency, the first thing we need to do is to bring a change in the overall way we work, think and live. No specialized course on self-sufficiency can teach us how to change ourselves. It is 'we' who need to initiate things for our own cause; to secure our today and improve our tomorrow without being dependent on any external source.

Here’s a quick guide on how to get one step closer to a sustainable living.

First, let’s understand what does it mean to become self-sufficient. It is a state of being independent where you no longer need any aid, support, and assistance from anyone else other than yourself to survive and sustain. So, you self-govern yourself because you have all the resources required to lead a happy life. When you achieve the state, you become mentally stress-free (to a large extent), and economically independent.

Now, let’s get back to the point, "How to achieve self-sufficiency?" As mentioned earlier, it all starts from within. You need to explore the possibilities of what can you do depending on your abilities and resources available. To start a sustainable living, you need not to step out of your home in search of help. You are the power person and your home is your happy lab.

Start from doing little things, as simple as plant your own vegetables in your own garden and save the useful seeds for future planting, begin rain water harvesting by preserving it naturally, begin worm farming to produce great fertilizers, raise dairy cows to get your daily dairy products, cut tree branches to build your home furniture, use solar panels to meet your home energy requirements, do fishing if you love to, value the effectiveness of renewable resources instead of relying on non-renewable resources.

These are just a few of the many ways self-sufficiency can be achieved. It will take time in understanding, analysing, and practicing these activities, but it will earn you a complete sense of certainty with every passing day.

Practicing the above-mentioned things relieves you from being dependent on any external source. Like when you plant trees, raise cows or begin rain water harvesting, you are no longer dependent on shop or municipality. While you become self-sufficient, you do your bit in improving the ecology.  For example, without throwing away the dinner leftovers, when you use them into the worm compost for worm farming, worms eat these; make great fertilizers as well as help in maintaining ecological balance. Thereby, by becoming self-sufficient, you are improving your abilities to raise and grow your own stuffs as well as helping in maintaining an ideal environment where we can breathe trouble-free.

However, is it practical enough to say you can grow all your foods on your own? Do you have enough time and resource to live your daily life without taking anyone’s help? Perhaps, this is where the difference between self reliance and self-sufficiency comes. That’s the topic of our next article. Don’t miss reading.

This is the first article in our series of complete guide to self-sufficiency. I would glad to hear from you on how you found the post.

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The author Robijyoti Bhattacharjee is an avid blogger, permaculture practitioner, new media enthusiast and a member of Varanasi Estate, who believes there’s a life beyond economic shakeout, social dogmas and mental stress. Here to share his views, learning achievements and observation on how to lead a happy, healthy and deliberate life.

Varanasi Estate – Spreading Words for A Better Tomorrow

Varanasi Estate is spreading its words for development of a better tomorrow at global level. In addition to their website, Varanasi Estate is making its presence on several online platforms and social networks dedicated to specific causes. They are joining hands with several organizations and people having similar goals. Many of their partners are a regular contributor at VaranasiEstate.com. They are sharing their work, activities and experience through Varanasi Estate's website.

Varanasi Estate was founded with a mission for developing a better tomorrow for mankind. The true goal of Varanasi Estate is to help improve the World, at a local and global level. Some of the focused areas are, from alleviating poverty to health to permaculture, to self-sufficiency and opposition of activities that see the destruction of our natural world.

Varanasi Estate encourages everyone to share their work and experience in areas of green living, organic agriculture, self-sufficiency, permaculture, healthy living, global warming, or any other areas dedicated for the development of a better tomorrow. Visit http://www.varanasiestate.com/submissions if you want to spread your words through Varanasi Estate.