Permaculture in New Zealand

Parkinson's law[1] is worth bearing in mind when designing/working on projects/lifestyle updates etc... the below is an extract from The Four Hour Working Week, Tim Ferris[2]

I'm not sure where his book fits in with a permaculture lifestyle as its pretty capitalist/consumer intensive but as always we need to make use of all knowledge

I've been fixing a standard flush toilet today, continuing my mental observation/study of water in my household and pondering how a desinged household might function

Fig 1. Shows my idealised household water cycle. The household/community collect/consume/use fresh water within the hydrological cycle of their
environment, cycling water through human functions/processes and
returning it to
the bioregion for disposal. Disposal being black water
composting, grey water recycling, reed beds etc... local, decentralised, reticulate and free

Greetings

I believe many of the issues I see and face at the local/group/national/international level are created by individuals/groups/governments/corporations who attempt to resolve perceived issues by
planning rather than by designing solutions

I'll try and explain how I think planning differs from designing. I've
added some footnotes where appropriate

A plan commences by defining my current position and implementing
changes [1] to move me closer to my forecast/prediction for the
future

Amazing what happens when you talk to
people

Porridge recipe (Serves one - all day!)

I recently received my manual grain flaker
from www.grainmills.co.nz
- Excellent investment. My mill should arrive in the next few months

I get really phkd off by the false claims of pseudo green products, the companies that peddled them and the way the sheeple buy these products and state/belive they are making a difference!

I think it is important that all permaculturalists are aware of the seven sins of greenwashing as defined by the Terrachoice company of Canada

• Adrian Myers, author of Organic Futures: A Case for Organic Farming is part of the small group discussing the NG article about urine and ash as a fertiliser. His response is shown in part below
• Adrian makes some very good points. It is easy to get wrapped up in the competition to equal chemical pharming
  output when it is actually not necessary or even in some cases
  desirable i.e. the forced growth and subsequent susceptibility to

I was recently asked to comment on an article in the National Geographic (attached below) about using urine and ash as a natural fertiliser

Below is my response. Basically human urine is a fantasic source of water soluable nitrogen with traces of potasium, and phosphorous. Urine has an average NPK ratio of 10-18:1-2:3-5 depending on which research you read (basically depends on what you eat)

I'd suggest if you have not already look at you own outputs and how they fit into a sustainable system you do now ;o)

M